§ 25. Mr. HARRISasked the President of the Board of Education how many education authorities have initiated reorganisation schemes with separate buildings for junior and senior schools; how far it has meant the reduction in the 1935 number of head teachers; and whether he can make any statement as to the progress made in the proposed reorganisation of education in elementary schools on these lines, as advocated by the Board?
§ Lord E. PERCYI find some difficulty in answering this question, because it seems to reduce the whole problem of the reorganisation of education to terms of bricks and mortar. Local Authorities generally are dealing with the problem, but I cannot give statistics of their progress in these terms. For some years past the number of head teacherships has been slowly decreasing, but the net decrease in 1924 was greater than in any subsequent years.
§ Mr. HARRISIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that his Department has been sending out directions in favour of the reorganisation of our education system on the basis of separate buildings for junior and senior schools, and that it is not a mere matter of bricks and mortar but a question of reorganisation on a new basis?
§ Lord E. PERCYThe hon. Member asks me to give statistics on the basis of separate buildings for junior and senior schools, but that is really only one of the factors in a very complicated organisation, and I do not think that that is the way to look at the problem.
§ Mr. HARRISIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that a great number of education authorities have been carrying out his policy, and have been reorganising education on this basis; and are we not entitled to know how many authorities have schemes of this character?
§ Lord E. PERCYI think all authorities are considering or carrying out schemes of this character.