COMMENT

The government brought to a halt the comprehensive reorganization of secondary education by its decision to cut the building programme. It announces now its intention to complete the reform by legislative action. Miss Alice Bacon, the Minister of State responsible for schools, made an announcement at the Labour Party Conference of the government's intention to introduce new legislation about secondary education. This has been interpreted by some commentators as an indication that having failed to find the necessary resources the government hopes to solve its problems by legislation: but the issue is more complicated than that. Miss Bacon also stated that the government will honour its commitment to raise the school‐leaving age in 1972‐73. But she did not announce a building programme to make all this realistic. How can the government possibly do all this?