§ 77. Mr. HARRISasked the President of the Board of Education the number of junior mixed departments, junior mixed and infants' departments, and senior mixed departments in existence for the year ended 31st March, 1927; the number of headmasters in charge of junior mixed departments and junior mixed and infants' departments; the number of headmasters and headmistresses, respectively, in charge of senior mixed departments for the same period; and what the policy of the Board of Education is as to the appointments of men and women to the headships of junior mixed and senior mixed schools?
The PRESIDENT of the BOARD of EDUCATION (Lord, Eustace Percy)On the 31st March, 1927, there were 280 departments classified as senior mixed, i.e., departments substantially limited to children over the age of 11, and 1,619 classified as junior mixed, i.e., departments limited to children under the age of 12. I cannot say how many of the latter included infants. Two hundred and seventy-four mixed and 140 junior mixed departments were in the charge of headmasters, and 1,462 junior mixed departments in the charge of headmistresses. The appointment of teachers is a matter which rests with the local authorities and managers, who know the particular circumstances of individual schools, and the Board do not interfere with their discretion in the matter.