§ 20. Sir A. M. SAMUELasked the President of the Board of Education the average annual aggregate cost to the Exchequer and local authorities of each secondary school scholar in England and Wales in 1914 and similarly in 1931?
§ Mr. RAMSBOTHAMInformation is not available in respect of the actual years stated in the question; but for the years 1912–13 and 1930–31 the expenditure met from public funds per child in secondary schools maintained by local education authorities was £9 4s. and £22 respectively.
§ Sir A. M. SAMUELCan the hon. Gentleman say what is being done to cause this increase?
§ Mr. RAMSBOTHAMIt mainly arises from the increase in the salaries paid to the teachers between those years.
§ Earl WINTERTONWhen the hon. Gentleman publishes, as I understand he is going to publish, the figures of the economies effected in his Department, will he specifically deal with this matter and state for each item the cause of the increase?
§ Mr. RAMSBOTHAMThe matter of these fees for secondary schools is being very carefully gone into at the present time, and, as I have said just now, the difference between these figures—£9 4s. in 1912–13 and £22 in 1930–31—is mainly due to the increase in the salaries paid to teachers between those dates.
§ Sir PERCY HARRISWere not the teachers disgracefully underpaid before the War?
§ Sir A. M. SAMUELWill the hon. Gentleman explain what he means by "mainly" and, if I put down another question, will he give us a detailed analysis to show what has caused the increased cost of each item?