asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if, further to his written answer of Thursday 25 October, he will list the variety of opinions presented to his Department on young people leaving school if they have an apprenticeship or permanent job to go to.

The reply I gave to my hon. Friend on 25 October referred to opinions related to early leaving generally. Employers offering jobs or apprenticeships wish to take on school leavers earlier than the present law allows; parental views vary accoding to family circumstances and the value placed upon work and education; teachers and other professional educationists are mainly opposed to change because of the disruptive effect on final year courses if pupils left haphazardly throughout the year.