§ 9. Mr. JOHNSTONasked the Under-Secretary of State for India whether he can give the latest available figures showing the percentages of boys of school age attending school and the annual expenditure per school child in the Native Status of Baroda, Jaipur, Travancore and in British India, respectively?
§ Earl WINTERTONApproximately 36½ per cent, of the boys of school-going age in British India were under instruction in 1921–22, the date of the last quinquennial review. The average annual cost per scholar in the same year was Rupees S in the case of primary school pupils, and Rupees 40 in the case of secondary school pupils. I am not in a position to give corresponding statistics for the States mentioned in the question, as the details asked for are not given in their Administration Reports.
§ Lieut.-Commander KENWORTHYDo not these figures compare badly with the number of children in Turkey?
§ Earl WINTERTONAs the reply is in tabular form, I will, with the hon. Member's permission, circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.
§ following is the reply
§ Earl WINTERTONI am not responsible for Turkey, but it may interest the hon. and gallant Gentleman, and the House, to know that they are very much better than is the case of Russia.
§ Mr. NEIL MACLEANDoes the Noble Lord claim credit for Russia?
§ Mr. JOHNSTONIs it possible to get the figures for the Indian Native States anywhere else than from the "Statesman's Year Book"?
§ Earl WINTERTONWhile I sympathise with the request of the hon. Gentleman I do not see how it will be possible, without very great labour and expense, to get the figures. The question of education in the Indian States is purely a matter for the administration of those States. In order to make a useful comparison one would require to have the figures in all the Indian States, and not merely those in the question, but I will consider the matter.
§ Mr. THURTLEUpon what facts did the Noble Lord base his comparison with Russia?
§ Earl WINTERTONPublic figures as supplied by the various authorities.