School Starting Age

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asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if she will alter the school system so that children born in summer do not lose two full terms of schooling compared with children born in autumn.

No. Local education authorities already have discretionary powers to determine the pattern of admission to primary schools, subject

Year			Number of projects proposed	Cost of proposed projects	Original allocations	Value of projects not proposed with	Additional allocation	Final allocation
				£000s	£000s	£000s	£000s	£000s
1974–75	…	…	230^*	2,774^*	2,233	390	985	2,828
1975–76	…	…	230^*	2,774^*	2,263	327	—	1,936
1976–77	…	…	145	3,777	1,541	754	236	1,023
^* These figures are half the total number and value of projects proposed for the two year programmes 1974–76.

Returns made to my Department indicate that between 1st April 1974 and 31st December 1976 projects worth £3·8 million were completed. The information requested is not available for individual

to Government advice on the use of resources. The statutory age for compulsory attendance gives each child a minimum of two years and one term in infant education while not requiring very young children, who may not be ready for full time education, to attend classes unsuited to their age and maturity.

Volume 929: debated on Thursday 7 April 1977