§ MR. THORNE (West Ham, S.)I beg to ask the President of the Board of Education whether he is aware that on the 27th May, in the Borough of West Ham Custom House Boys' School, 113 children were present in a classroom recognised by the Board of Education as accommodating sixty; that on the same date in the Denmark Street Girls' School, ninety-one were present in a classroom accommodating sixty-three, and on the same date in the Drew Road Boys' School, ninety-nine were present in a class-room accommodating seventy; and that in the Water Lane Boys' School, a class of over 100 worked for a large part of each school day from 8th April to 10th May in a class-room accommodating sixty, the number on no occasion being less than ninety-five; and whether he proposes to take any action in the matter.
§ MR. McKENNAI am informed that there is considerable overcrowding in some of the class-rooms in the West Ham Schools during the summer months. The causes of this overcrowding are extremely complicated and are fully dealt with in an Answer which will be, circulated with the Votes to-night. I am asking the local education authority to consider the advisability of changing the date of the educational year and of adding a class-room to certain of the schools.