§ 58. Sir J. WARDLAW-MILNEasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Education if he will state what is the 24 estimate of the number of children of school-attendance age who will require to be dealt with in the years 1935 to 1940 as against the five years 1925 to 1930?
§ The PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY to the BOARD of EDUCATION (Mr. Ramsbotham)The number of children over the age of five on the registers of public elementary schools was, approximately, 5,350,000 in 1925 and 5,362,000 in 1930. The number is estimated to increase to 5,428,000 next year. A decrease will begin in 1934 and the corresponding estimate is, approximately, 5,175,000 in 1935, falling by degrees to, approximately, 4,680,000 in 1940.
§ Sir J. WARDLAW-MILNEMay I ask whether, in view of the estimated decline in the number of children attending school in the next few years, the Board of Education still think it desirable to go on with their programme of spending £10,000,000 on new school buildings?
§ Mr. RAMSBOTHAMThe figures I have given are well known to authorities administering education, and, in point of fact, there has been a great decrease in the capital expenditure sanctioned this year as compared with previous years.
§ Mr. T. WILLIAMSIs it not the case that in many areas there are still schools in which there are 60 children in a class? Does not my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary think that money spent on education is more or less wasted if we have such large classes as these?