§ MR. BOORDasked the Vice President of the Council, Whether a requisition has been addressed by the Committee of the Privy Council on Education to the School Board for London asking for a Return of the deficiency of School places in the Metropolis; whether such deficiency was stated by the School Board in their reply, dated 14th February last, to amount to 45,153 places; and, whether, on the opening of the Carlton Road Board School, Kentish Town, on the 16th instant, he stated that the deficiency of places in the Metropolis amounted to 100,000; and, if so, could he explain the discrepancy between his statement and that of the London School Board?
§ MR. MUNDELLASir, there is no discrepancy between the Return to which the hon. Member refers and my statement in this House last year and elsewhere subsequently, that about 100,000 school places are still lacking in the Metropolis. The Return is one that is filled up annually by all School Boards. It sets forth the accommodation provided in all schools throughout the district, the number of children to be provided for, and the actual deficiency of school places. The London School Board Return of the 14th instant is quite in agreement with the official estimates of the Department, and is as follows:—Permanent places, 555,123; temporary places, 16,006—total, 568,129. Children to be provided for after requisite reductions, 613,282; deficiency, 45,153. To this must be added the temporary places, 16,006, giving a deficiency on 213 the gross number of places throughout the Metropolitan area of 61,159. This is assuming that surplus places in one district are available for another, and that the accommodation and the fees are suitable for the children resident in the district, and that you could force any child into any vacant place in any school wherever situated. If the hon. Member will refer to the Education Report of last year, page 13, he will find that the estimated deficiency was calculated at about 132,000. Sir Francis Sandford, the late Secretary of the Department, has to-day put the figures in my hands verifying his calculations. In the Statistical Report of the London School Board for November last, the projected accommodation is set down as 96,770.
§ MR. W. H. SMITHinquired whether the provisions made by the London School Board went below the age of five years, or whether it meant children between the ages of three and five?
§ MR. MUNDELLAsaid, that the estimate was obliged to go below the age of five, because there were 400,000 children on the register of schools in England and Wales between three and five, and the Department had always paid for those children. It was accordingly necessary to make a certain amount of provision for them.