§ Mr. WILLIAM THORNEasked the President of the Board of Education if he is aware that there is a shortage of no fewer than 40,000 school places in the London elementary schools and a great deal of overcrowding of classes, and that, in consequence, a number of children are being refused admission to school owing to lack of accommodation; and if he intends taking action in the matter?
§ The PRESIDENT of the BOARD of EDUCATION (Mr. Runciman)If by a shortage the hon. Member means a deficiency of school places by comparison with average attendance in the public elementary schools, the answer to the first part of the question is in the negative. I cannot say what is the precise position at the present moment, but the latest completed figures in the possession of the Board show that, taking the London elementary schools as a whole, the excess of accommodation over average attendance was rather more than 100,000 places. I find, however, that in the period to which those figures refer—the year 1908–9—in 153 schools, containing 406 departments, and having an average attendance of 88,895, 211 departments, with an average attendance of 44,886, had deficiencies of accommodation, amounting in all to 2,614 places. I understand that the new Regulations as to the size of classes, incorporated in the Code of last year, will result in some reduction of the effective value of some of the accommodation which has been reckoned for the purpose of the foregoing calculations, but I have not at present any precise information on the point. I have no information on the subject of the refusal to admit children on the ground of lack of accommodation.