§ 26. Colonel DAYasked the President of the Board of Education if he is aware that it is the custom of local education authorities, when filling up vacancies in their secondary schools, to do so by examination; that free-placers and fee-paying students are examined at one and the same time; that the children doing best are selected for the free places and the remaining places are filled by asking the parents of children, not securing free places, in rotation; and that many parents, because of their lack of means, are compelled to refuse fee-paying places and, that being so, the last name on the list may secure entry; and will he, in the light of securing the best pupils, enable the local education authorities to adopt free secondary education?
§ Lord E. PERCYThe arrangements vary in different areas, but I believe that in some areas the position is generally as stated. As regards the last part of the question, if proposals for the abolition 302 of fees in secondary schools are included in the programmes of education development, which I have asked local authorities to submit, they will be considered in relation to other parts of the programmes.
§ Colonel DAYAs the present system appears to militate severely against the children of poorer parents, will the Noble Lord consider revising the Regulations so as to give all children an equal opportunity?
§ Lord E. PERCYI do not think the assumption on which that supplementary question is based is really accurate. I do not think it discriminates against the children of the poor.
§ 27. Mr. ERNEST EVANSasked the President of the Board of Education whether he has any information as to the probable effect of the withdrawal of the Board's grant of £3 for every free place in excess of 25 per cent. upon the educational policy of local authorities?
§ Lord E. PERCYI have no specific information on the point to which the hon. Member refers, but I have no reason at present to think that the effect will be material.
§ 33. Mr. HAYESasked the President of the Board of Education the number of pupils in secondary schools on the 31st March, 1925, and the number of free places held by scholars at that date?
§ 32. Mr. RUNCIMANasked the President of the Board of Education what was the aggregate number of places available for boys and girls, respectively, in secondary schools; and the number of free places included in this total on each of the following dates: 31st March, 1914, 31st March, 1922, 31st March, 1923, and 31st March, 1924?
§ Lord E. PERCYAs the reply to these two questions contains a number of figures, I will circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.
§ Following is the reply:
§ For convenience I give figures for the 1st October in each school year, as this is the date to which the returns furnished to the Board relate.
303| — | Total Number of Pupils. | Free Places awarded under Article 20 of the Regulations. | |||
| Boys. | Girls. | Total. | |||
| 1st October,1913 | … | 99,997 | 87,650 | 187,647 | 61,266 |
| 1st October,1922 | … | 186,997 | 176,720 | 363,717 | 129,505 |
| 1st October,1923 | … | 186,230 | 172,301 | 358,531 | 128,156 |
| 1st October,1924 | … | 188,268 | 171,176 | 359,444 | 128,500 (approximately). |
§ I cannot state exactly how many of these free places were awarded to boys and girls respectively, but the numbers would be about equally divided.