§ 27. Mr. PERCY HARRISasked the President of the Board of Education what proposals he has for the construction of new secondary schools in England and Wales; how many he proposes to sanction; and how many additional school 1499 places in secondary schools he expects to have by June, 1925?
§ Mr. TREVELYANAs I informed the hon. Member for Wellingborough (Mr. Cove) on the 6th March last, about 30 proposals for the provision of complete new school buildings received the general approval of the Board during the last financial year. In addition to these, about 40 other proposals for new school buildings have recently been before the Board, and are already approved or about to be approved. It is difficult to forecast how rapidly schemes will mature, but I should hope that, as the result of the erection of new school buildings and the extension of existing ones, the number of places in grant-earning secondary schools will be increased by about 10,000 places by September, 1925. The above figures do not include any additional accommodation resulting from the conversion of elementary schools into secondary schools, or from the admission to the grant list of existing secondary schools, which may amount to a further 2,000 places.
§ Sir C. YATECan the right hon. Gentleman say what will be the cost of the extra 10,000 or 12,000 places?
§ Mr. TREVELYANI should have to have notice of that question.
§ Lieut-Colonel JAMESHas the right hon. Gentleman made arrangements with his colleague, the Minister of Health, as to the supply of labour?
§ Mr. TREVELYANI have said that I believe that these buildings will be built, and, therefore, presumably the labour will be found to build them.
§ 29. Mr. HARRISalso asked the President of the Board of Education the number of certificated teachers employed in public elementary schools on the 30th June, 1923, and 1924, respectively?
§ Mr. TREVELYANI will, with the hon. Member's permission, circulate the figures in the OFFICIAL REPORT.
§ Following are the figures:
§ The following figures are taken from the returns made to the Board of Local Education Authorities:
§ The numbers of full-time certificated teachers employed in public elementary 1500 schools on 30th June, 1923, and 30th June, 1924, are as follows:
| — | Men. | Women. | Total. |
| 30th June, 1923 | 36,296 | 79,234 | 115,530 |
| 30th June, 1924 | 36,558 | 78,525 | 117,083 |