§ SIR P. CHANNING (Northamptonshire, E.)To ask the President of the Board of Education what number of elementary schools in England and Wales earned the special grant for gardening; and what was the number of pupils in the years 1904–5, 1905–6, 1906–7, and 1907–8, respectively.
400 (Answered by Mr. McKenna.) In 1905–6 there were 579 public elementary schools in England and Wales obtaining the Board's special grant for gardening, with 8,359 scholars; in 1905–6 there were 749 schools, with 11,216 scholars. These figures are contained in the published Blue-books of the Board. For 1906–7 the numbers notified to the Board at the beginning of the special subjects year were 974 schools, with an estimated number of scholars 14,926. For 1907–8 the number of schools notified as taking this subject is 1,138, the number of scholars being not yet obtainable.