(c) crown copyright
Catalogue Reference:CAB/129/94
Image Reference:0047
,
(THIS DOCUMENT IS THE PROPERTY OF HER BRITANNIC M A I E S T Y S GOVERNMENT)
C.(58) 197
COPY NO.
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26th S e p t e m b e r , 1958
CABINET
SOCIAL INVESTMENT:
EDUCATION
Memorandum by the Minister of Education
in h i s paper C. (58) 196 the F i n a n c i a l S e c r e t a r y to the T r e a s u r y
points out t h a t t o m a k e a cut of a s m u c h a s £ 5 . 3 m i l l i o n s in the i n v e s t ­
ment p r o g r a m m e which I have p r o p o s e d for 1960/61, it would be n e c e s s a r y
to r e s t r i c t s t a r t s in that y e a r t o the 1959/60 l e v e l for a l l m a j o r and
minor p r o j e c t s except t h o s e for t e a c h e r t r a i n i n g .
t
2.
Such a r e s t r i c t i o n i s quite incompatible with the p o l i c y of
advance in education which we have been d i s c u s s i n g for s o m e m o n t h s .
3.
The 1959/60 p r o g r a m m e of £ 4 6 m i l l i o n s s t a r t s for p r i m a r y and
s e c o n d a r y s c h o o l s i s a l r e a d y substantially b e l o w the l e v e l of s t a r t s in
e a r l i e r y e a r s up t o and including the c u r r e n t y e a r .
The f i g u r e s a r e
as follows:­
£ m i l l i o n s w o r k started
1956/57
58. 0
x
1957/58
1958/59 *
1959/60*
54.0
51.0
46.0
a u t h o r i s e d to start
4.
In compiling the 1959/60 p r o g r a m m e , I have had to r e j e c t a
l a r g e volume of thoroughly justified p r o j e c t s .
The d i v e r s i o n of r e s o u r c e s
from "bulge to " i m p r o v e m e n t s " p r o j e c t s which would be p o s s i b l e within
a continuing p r o g r a m m e of £46 m i l l i o n s would not have any significant
effect in 1960/61; it would mainly take p l a c e in the latter part of the
4 - 5 year period ending in 1965.
No M i n i s t e r of Education could talk
about an advance in education while r e s t r i c t i n g school building in 1960/61 a s
s e v e r e l y a s I have had t o do in drawing up the 1959/60 p r o g r a m m e .
To
launch a convincing forward drive the s i z e of t h e 1960/61 p r o g r a m m e m u s t
b e , and m u s t be s e e n to b e , significantly g r e a t e r than the 1958/59 figure
of £51 m i l l i o n s in t e r m s of s t a r t s .
11
5.
Minor w o r k s a r e just a s important.
In 1957/58 w e had
£16 m i l l i o n s , including school m e a l s .
T h i s y e a r , I have b e e n cut to
£12 m i l l i o n s (including £1 m i l l i o n s p e c i a l l y a l l o c a t e d to e a s e u n e m p l o y ­
ment).
Next y e a r , I am still authorised t o approve only £12 m i l l i o n s '
worth.
Apart from £1 m i l l i o n for long overdue i m p r o v e m e n t s in
dining conditions in the s c h o o l s (without w h i c h w e should have trouble
with the t e a c h e r s a s w e l l a s the local authorities) t h i s a l l o w s nothing
for i m p r o v e m e n t s a s distinct from additional urgently needed p l a c e s .
would be f a r c i c a l to pretend to be launching a drive in education while
r e s t r i c t i n g t h e s e minor works below l a s t y e a r ' s l e v e l of £16 m i l l i o n s .
It
6.
If w e a r e t o present a forward p o l i c y in education, the only
m e a s u r e I can take t o reduce i n v e s t m e n t in 1960/61 i s to cut back the
proposed l e v e l of s t a r t s for p r i m a r y and s e c o n d a r y s c h o o l s in 1960/61
from £60 m i l l i o n s t o £ 5 5 m i l l i o n s .
This would reduce work done by
£1 m i l l i o n in 1960/61.
7.
A p r o g r a m m e of £55 m i l l i o n s of s t a r t s for p r i m a r y and
secondary s c h o o l s in 1960/61 could form the b a s i s of a r e a s o n a b l e forward
p o l i c y , provided that it could be p r e s e n t e d a s the first year of a five
year programme.
A s I showed in C. (58) 148, w e need a five year school
building p r o g r a m m e of over £300 m i l l i o n s t o s u s t a i n a p o l i c y of m a x i m u m
effort in making a r e a l i t y of s e c o n d a r y education for a l l .
8.
Accordingly, I ask my colleagues:­
(a) to confirm that w e should launch t h i s autumn,
initially by m e a n s of a White P a p e r , a five y e a r
p r o g r a m m e of educational advance;
(b) to a g r e e that total educational investment in 1960/61
in England and W a l e s should be £ 9 0 . 8 m i l l i o n s of
work done.
T h i s w i l l allow the start of
£ 5 5 m i l l i o n s of work for p r i m a r y and s e c o n d a r y
s c h o o l s in the s a m e y e a r ;
(c) to invite the Education M i n i s t e r s to d i s c u s s with the
Chancellor of the E x c h e q u e r the l e v e l of i n v e s t ­
ment to be announced in the White Paper for the
five y e a r p r o g r a m m e a s a w h o l e .
G.L.
Ministry of Education, W . l .
26th S e p t e m b e r , 1958.