§ 32. Mr. GOULDasked the President of the Board of Education what will be the effect of his proposal to raise the school-leaving age to 15 years in the Administrative County of Somerset in regard to increased numbers of school children to be provided for, the increases in teaching staff, and the new building programme necessitated?
§ Sir C. TREVELYANI have not yet received the programme of the Somersetshire Local Education Authority. I expect, however, to receive it shortly, and I will then be glad to give my hon. Friend the information for which he asks.
§ 33. Mr. WARDLAW-MILNEasked the President of the Board of Education how many more children are estimated to be at school in April, 1931, as a consequence of the raising of the school-leaving age then to 15 in England and Wales; and whether any estimate has been made of the number who will be at school under these proposals in 1936, in view of the drop in the birth rate in the last few years?
§ Sir C. TREVELYANAs a consequence of raising the school-leaving age to 15, it is estimated that the number of children in attendance at public elementary schools will increase by degrees between the 1st April, 1931, and the 1st April, 1932, from 5,342,000 to 5,771,000. The number on the 1st April, 1936, is estimated at 5,487,000.
§ Mr. WARDLAW-MILNEIs it not possible, in view of the figures which the right hon. Gentleman has now given, 320 that, if the proposal had been postponed for a year or two, there would have been ample accommodation for the children at the increased age even without expenditure at the present time?
§ Sir C. TREVELYANNo, Sir; I do not think that the eventual increase of cost will be material.