§ 37. Mr. LEACHasked the President of the Board of Education whether he is taking any steps to promote the increase of nursery schools and can be explain the slow rate at which such schools are expanding?
§ The PRESIDENT of the BOARD of EDUCATION (Mr. Oliver Stanley)I am sending the hon. Member a copy of the Board's Circular 1444 issued last January, in which local education authorities are asked to survey the needs of their areas. I think that it is too early yet to come to any conclusion regarding the rate at which nursery schools are increasing.
§ Mr. LEACHDoes the right hon. Gentleman not think it necessary to accelerate the efforts now being made by his Department in regard to new nursery schools, and particularly in view of the fact that the Government have refused a really genuine increase of the school-leaving age? Would it not be better for them to attend to the problem of getting the children to school a bit earlier?
§ Mr. STANLEYThe progress is not unsatisfactory. Since the issue of the Circular I have had 28 proposals for new schools and six proposals for enlargement of existing ones, a much greater development than has ever been experienced before.