§ 16. Mr. E. BROWNasked the President of the Board of Education whether the residue grant money to secondary schools is included in the percentage grant based on the local education authority's expenditure on higher education; and whether the amount is deducted by the Board from the percentage grant allowed?
§ The PRESIDENT of the BOARD of EDUCATION (Mr. Trevelyan)The Board's grants to the local education authorities for higher education are assessed at such an amount as will, when added to the residue grant, bring the amount of the State contributions in each area up to one-half of the net expenditure recognised by the Board. The Appropriation Account for 1922–23, page 321, and the Estimates of the Board for 1924–25, page 27, show in some further detail how the two grants are related.
§ Mr. BROWNWill the right hon. Gentleman compare the answer he has now given me with the answer given to the hon. Member for Rugby (Mr. E. Brown) on 15th May on the same subject?
§ Mr. TREVELYANYes, I will.
§ 17. Mr. E. BROWNasked the President of the Board of Education the number of secondary schools in the administrative county of Warwick in the year 1910–11?
§ Mr. TREVELYANIf the hon. Member will refer to the answer I gave him on the
| Financial Year | No. of Schools. | Total No. of pupils. | Total expenditure on school maintenance. | Board's Grant. | Cost per pupil. | Grant per pupil. | |||
| L.E.A. | Non-L.E.A. | ||||||||
| (1) | (2) | (3) | (4) | (5) | (6) | (7) | (8) | ||
| £ | £ | £ | s. | £ | s. | ||||
| 1919–20 | 3 | 11 | 2,920 | 74,297* | 27,609 | 25 | 9 | 9 | 9 |
| (78,539) | (29,469) | (26 18) | (10 2) | ||||||
| * These figures exclude (and the figures in brackets include) Rent, Loan Charges, Capital Expenditure, and expenses of administration. |
§ The above figures are calculated on the same basis as those supplied to the hon. Member in the answer I gave him on the 15th May, a copy of which I am sending him. The notes attached to those figures, in so far as they relate to the year 1922–23, are generally applicable here.
1434§ 15th May, he will find it stated that there were, in the financial year 1910-1911, 14 grant-aided secondary schools in the administrative county of Warwick.
§ Mr. BROWNIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that the county authorities dispute this statement, and say there were two local education authority schools in that year, and 11 non-local education authority schools, so that he credits them with one more than they had, and, therefore, the table is inaccurate?
§ Mr. TREVELYANI will treasure the interesting information given me by the hon. Member.
§ Mr. BROWNDoes the right hon. Gentleman not consider that this is a very important point to progressive education authorities like that of Warwick?
18. The hon. Member further asked the total cost. per pupil in the secondary schools of the administrative county of Warwick in the year 1919–20; the amount of the Board of Education grants per pupil in the same period; and the total contributions of the Board of Education towards secondary schools in the administrative county of Warwick in the year 1919–20?
§ Mr. TREVELYANAs the reply contains a number of figures, I will, with the permission of the hon. Member, circulate it in the OFFICIAL-REPORT.
§ The answers is the follows:
§ 20. Mr. BLACKasked the President of the Board of Education whether he will undertake to make statutory provision that secondary education shall be made available for all elementary scholars who prove themselves to be capable of taking advantage of it; and whether it is the 1435 policy of the Board to secure in future that all certificated teachers shall be of an university graduate standard?
§ Mr. TREVELYANI may refer the hon. Member to Section 11 of the Education Act, 1921, which imposes on local education authorities the duty of providing for the progressive development and comprehensive organisation of education in their areas. I have already announced my readiness to consider sympathetically any proposals submitted by local education authorities for the extension of secondary school accommodation; and I have also announced my willingness to sanction increases in the award of free places up to 40 per cent.
With regard to the second part of the question, I have already explained that I am anxious that, as many teachers as possible should enjoy the advantages of a university education; but before deciding what steps to take in this direction, I propose to await the Report of the Departmental Committee which is at present reviewing the arrangements for the training of teachers.
§ Mr. BLACKIs the Board of Education prepared to make a statutory provision that all the children born in this country should have the advantage of an appropriate secondary education?
§ Mr. TREVELYANcould not do that; it would be perfectly impossible at the present time.
§ 27. Mr. FISHERasked the President of the Board of Education whether there are any vacant school places in grant-aided secondary schools; and, if so, how many?
§ Mr. TREVELYANThe Board do not assign to secondary schools a specific recognised accommodation. In October, 1921, the period of greatest pressure, the number of pupils in grant-earning schools was about 362,000. In October, 1923, the numbers in those schools had dropped by about 6,800. The decrease has been clue in part to the need for reducing serious overcrowding, which could only be tolerated for a short period. Generally speaking, the schools are full and could only admit a very limited number of additional pupils without overcrowding. In new schools opened since 1921 there are 1436 perhaps 2,000 places which have not yet been lilled.
§ 31. Mr. C. EDWARDSasked the President of the Board of Education if he is aware that, notwithstanding the additional accommodation provided for secondary school children in the Rhymney Valley, there are still 26 children at Maesy-Cwmmer, Monmouthshire, who are not yet provided for, although anxious to secure places; and will he take steps to secure temporary accommodation at Maes-y-Cwmmer so as to provide the education the parents of these children desire for them?
§ Mr. TREVELYANI was under the impression that the new school recently sanctioned at Rhymney would be sufficient to meet the immediate demand for secondary education in the district. If, however, this is not the case. I shall he glad to give favourable consideration to any proposal that the local education authority may make for providing such further accommodation as is necessary. Meantime, I will inform the authority of my hon. Friend's representations and ask them what steps they propose to take in the matter.