§ 50. Mr. BUCHANANasked the Secretary of State for Scotland the number of 550 children per class attending schools in the towns of Glasgow, Edinburgh, Dundee, Aberdeen, Greenock, and Perth?
§ The UNDER-SECRETARY of STATE for SCOTLAND (Major Elliot)For the year ended 31st July, 1926, the average attendance of children per class in primary schools, including preparatory departments and advanced divisions, was as follows:
Separate particulars for Greenock and Perth are not available, but the corresponding figures for the education areas within which they are situated were 34 and 24 respectively.
Glasgow … … 47 Edinburgh … … 38 Dundee … … 36 Aberdeen … … 39
§ Mr. BUCHANANCan the hon. and gallant Gentleman give any reason for the exceptionally high figures for Glasgow?
§ Major ELLIOTI am afraid I cannot within the limits of question and answer. The hon. Member is well acquainted with the congestion and overcrowding and other factors, in taking over the schools in Glasgow recently, which account for the high figures.
§ Mr. BUCHANANIn view of the fact that school accommodation is one of the big questions in Glasgow, will the hon. and gallant Gentleman take steps to secure an early settlement of the problem?
§ Major ELLIOTThe hon. Member knows that the Secretary of State has this matter under consideration, and he has already replied to one or two Parliamentary questions on the subject.
§ Mr. SHEPHERDAre the figures based on the number of children on the books or on the average attendance?
§ Major ELLIOTThe hon. Member will see by the questions put down that it is the number of children attending.
§ 51. Mr. STEPHENasked the Secretary of State for Scotland what steps he intends to take to arrange for the reduction of classes in Scottish elementary schools to 50 or under, in view of the fact that there are teachers unemployed whose services could be utilised to secure improvement in this respect in most areas?
§ Major ELLIOTIn accordance with the notice given in the Prefatory Memorandum to the Regulations for the Training of Teachers, issued in June, 1924, the present provisional maximum of 60 pupils per class will be lowered to a maximum of 50 as from 1st September, 1928.
§ Mr. STEPHENCan we take it, from the figures which have been given, that the Secretary of State for Scotland will press on the Glasgow Education Authorities the importance of employing some of these techers, and reducing the classes.
§ Major ELLIOTThat is a matter which my right hon. Friend has very prominently in his mind.
§ Mr. W. THORNEWill the Under-Secretary convey that information to the President of the Board of Education?
§ Major ELLIOTMy right hon. Friend is in constant communication with the President of the Board of Education.