§ 27. Mr. KINGasked the President of the Board of Education whether the official list of schools as on 12th July, 1912, published by his Department shows that in Liverpool there are forty-one school departments in Church of England schools and thirty-six school departments in Roman Catholic schools in which the average attendance is in excess of the recognised accommodation, and that over 20 per cent. of the scholars in Liverpool 15 are in overcrowded schools; whether he has drawn the attention of the Liverpool local education authority to the need for more school places; and what steps are being taken to provide them?
Mr. PEASEThe reassessment of public elementary school accommodation in Liverpool on the 10 and 9 square feet basis took effect on the 1st January, 1911, and the figures relating to accommodation are therefore the revised figures, while the figures in respect of average attendance refer to school years ending between July, 1910, and August, 1911. Considerable progress has been made in the provision of the additional accommodation made necessary by the reassessment, and for the school years ended during 1912 the average attendance exceeded the accommodation by fifteen units or more in only nine departments within the area of the authority. The Board are in communication with the local authority in respect of all these cases, and in the greater number of them the Board have already received proposals for making good the deficiency of accommodation.
§ Mr. KINGWill the right hon. Gentleman say why it was not possible to foresee these events and to compel the local authority to provide in advance for an absolutely inevitable occurrence?
Mr. PEASEOne of the reasons is that Liverpool has a peculiar and very effective system of arranging for their children so that overcrowding shall not take place.
§ 28. Mr. KINGasked whether the latest published figures show that in Devonport 45 per cent. of the scholars are in overcrowded schools, and that the average attendance exceeds the accommodation, especially in all departments of St. James's Church of England School, St. Joseph's Roman Catholic School, and St. Stephen's Church of England School; whether these schools have been warned; and whether any steps have been taken to provide sufficient accommodation in the borough?
Mr. PEASEThe hon. Member's figures appear to be taken from reports referring to school years which ended in November, 1910, and January, 1911. A new council school was opened in March, 1912, and the overcrowding throughout the area has been greatly reduced. The average 16 attendance, however, still exceeds the available accommodation in some of the schools, but in reply to recent letters on the subject from the Board of Education the local authority have undertaken to press forward the erection of a new council school and the reconstruction of another. During the last school year in two of the three schools mentioned in the question the overcrowding was very slight, and in the third the average attendance did not exceed the recognised accommodation.
§ Mr. KINGIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that the figures I quote are always the latest that are available?
Mr. PEASEYes, and I give the hon. Gentleman as late information as I can subsequent to those figures.
§ Sir J. D. REESMay I ask whether, in such cases the Department pressed the local body regardless of the rates that prevail and the pockets of the ratepayers?
Mr. PEASEWe endeavour to see that the law is carried out with regard to proper accommodation being found for children.
§ Sir J. D. REESRegardless of any other consideration?