55. Mr. E. HARVEYasked the President of the Board of Education whether he can give an estimate of the cost to the National Exchequer and the local authorities if the school-leaving age were raised to 15?
§ The PRESIDENT of the BOARD of EDUCATION (Mr. Trevelyan)As the reply is long, and contains figures, I will, with the hon. Member's permission, circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.
§ Mr. W. THORNEHas the right hon. Gentleman received any opposition from any of the local education authorities in regard to raising the leaving age of school children?
§ Mr. TREVELYANI have had no communication yet.
§ Sir C. YATEHas the right hon. Gentleman received any objections from the non-education authorities?
§ The answer is as follows
§ If pupils were required, after completing the term in which they attain the age of 14, to stay at the public elementary school for another year, it is estimated that this would cause an addition of 450,000 to the average attendance, and that, including the pupils of that age already in school, there would be 540,000 such pupils on the registers. The number of additional pupils who could probably be accommodated in the schools as they are now, without new buildings, would not be large and could only be ascertained by special investigation; but it would not be practicable to provide the necessary number of new school places within a short time, and any attempt to do so would tend to increase the cost of school building. A hypothetical estimate based on the assumption that so large an operation could be carried out at present rates of cost would be misleading. The present cost of building public elementary schools may be put at about £30 a school place, involving loan charges of about £2 per annum. The annual cost of instruction may be reckoned at the present average at about £11 per head. The cost, therefore, of providing for additional pupils between the ages of 14 and 15 would be about £13 per head. Under the present grant system the charges are divided between grants and rates, on an average for the whole country in the proportion of 56 per cent. falling on grants and 44 per cent. falling on rates. Taking the cost of an additional unit of average attendance at about £7 5s. would fall on grants and £5 15s. on rates. Maintenance allowances at 5s. a week for 40 weeks in the year would add per annum to these figures. Under the present grant system the cost of maintenance allowances in public elementary schools, on the average of the whole country, falls as to about 30 per cent. on grants and 70 per cent. on rates; so that an expenditure of £10 on that object would be met as to £3 from grants and £7 from rates.