27 APRIL 1929, Page 3

In the House of Commons on Tuesday Lord Eustace Percy,

in an able speech, reviewed the Government's educational policy. His three main lines of reform were giving pupils the entry to central institutions, collabora- tion with the industries of a neighbourhood, and the raising of technical colleges to an academic status. He wanted to end the belittling of the technical colleges by giving them a name which would avoid the vagueness and absurdity of some of the present titles. He admitted, of course, that there was always a danger of a too early specialization, but the same danger existed in the univer- sities. It was particularly important, he thought, that the technical colleges, and the new types of senior schools, should have as much academic freedom as belongs to the universities and the secondary schools. His policy meant complete correlation based on the necessary acknowledgment that industry and commerce are asso- ciated with education more closely than ever before.

* * * *