Catalogue description Department of Education and Science: Working Group on Research into Comprehensive Education and Consultative Committee on Research into Comprehensive Education: Agenda, Minutes and Papers

The Working Group on Research into Comprehensive Education was set up in March 1965 to "to investigate the possibilities of research within the field of comprehensive education and within the framework of Socialist policy; excluding comparing comprehensive schools with other types of secondary schools". It appears to have met on three occasions. Its main recommendation was that a Consultative Committee on Research into Comprehensive Education (CCRCE) should be set up to continue its activities.

Although not formally established the consultative committee's terms of reference were to look into the development and growth of comprehensive education. It is thought that the CCRCE operated under the same terms of reference as the working group.

The consultative committee was chaired by H F Rosetti, one of the under-secretaries of state for education and the membership was drawn from people of eminence in the field of education. The committee did not produce its own report but the department sponsored the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER) to produce three reports. There was close consultation between the consultative committee and NFER over the information included in the reports.

The consultative committees were only concerned with looking at comprehensive education in England and Wales. A representative from the Scottish Education Department was invited to attend all meetings of the committee and to contribute in the light of relevant experience in Scotland.

Following the publication stage III of the report the committee ceased to meet although it appears never to have been formally wound up.