The Education Bill On Thursday, May 29th, the Education Bill
received its second reading. Sir Charles Trevelyan explained that it would not only give 400,000 children a chance of a year more at school, but would leave between 100,000 and 150,000 jobs open for older people. He estimated that after allowance had been made for the saving in unem- ployment benefits—a saving which we can only hope will not be illusory—the addition to the present cost of education would be only about £2,500,000 a year. Further, by 1988 occupation would be found for -about 8,000 teachers who would not otherwise have been employed. The school-leaving age will be raised from fourteen to fifteen when the whole scheme comes into operation in April, 1981. Maintenance allowances for children between the ages of fourteen and fifteen will be paid upon a means test.
