17. Mr. MALONEasked the President of the Board of Education with regard to the 900 infants' departments closed in the last three years, what is the reason of their closing; how many infants were in the departments and of what age; and how the infants and the teachers in the departments closed were dealt with?
§ The PRESIDENT of the BOARD of EDUCATION (Lord Eustace Percy)The suggestion that 900 infants' departments have been closed during the last three years is not in accordance with the information in my possession. I am circulating in the OFFICIAL REPORT figures showing the numbers of such 1151 departments closed or amalgamated with other departments (including infants' departments) during the last three years, and also the numbers opened during the same period; but I am afraid that I could not, without the expenditure of a disproportionate amount of time and
| 1925–26. | 1926–27. | 1927–28. | |
| 1. Number of infants' schools and departments closed, including departments closed as a result of the closure of the school of which they formed part. | 25 | 34 | 26 |
| 2. Number of infants' schools or departments merged into or combined with other schools or with departments (inclusive of infants' departments) of other schools. | 80 | 79 | 129 |
| 3. Number of new infants' schools or departments opened, in-luding infants' departments formed as a result of the re-organisation of schools. | 25 | 33 | 57 |