HC Deb 05 June 1924 vol 174 cc1438-9
28. Mr. FISHER

asked the President of the Board of Education what would be the approximate cost of establishing continuation schools for young persons between 14 and 16, under Sections 75 and 76 of the Education Act., 1921, in the London Metropolitan Police area and in the, county boroughs outside that area; and what proportion of that cost would be borne by the Board?

Mr. TREVELYAN

A calculation, based mainly on figures derived from a two years' experience in London, indicates that the number of young persons aged 14 to 16 in the areas named, who might be expected to attend day continuation schools, is about 475,000, and that about 95,000 school places might be required in order to accommodate them in day continuation schools, on the basis of one place being used by five pupils attending at different times in the week. The capital cost of providing the number of new places, if no existing accommodation were available, at a rate of £60 to £70 per place would be, say, six and a half million pounds. It would not, however, be possible to provide a large number of school places at 'that cost within a short period of years. The cost of maintenance in London while the schools were open was found to be about £40 per place. If the same figure of cost now held good, the expense of maintaining schools providing 95,000 places would be £3,800,000 per annum, of which, under the present grant system, one half, or £1,900,000, would be borne by the Board. The right hon. Member will, of course, recognise that in these figures there is a large element, of hypothesis.