HC Deb 16 May 1938 vol 336 cc32-4
66. Mr. H. G. Williams

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Education on what estimate of expenditure per child in average attendance the estimates for elementary education for 1938–39 were prepared by his Department; and what percentage increase this represents on the expenditure per child in 1928–29?

The Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Education (Mr. Kenneth Lindsay)

The estimated expenditure per child in average attendance in public elementary schools for 1938–39 was obtained by dividing the estimated expenditure of local education authorities on elementary education by the average number of children estimated to be in attendance. The Board's estimate of the total expenditure of the authorities for this purpose was based on the forecasts of expenditure from the individual authorities and also on returns relating to their expenditure in previous years. The estimated cost per child in 1938–39 is £16 7s. 1d. as compared with £12 10s. 5d. in 1928–29—an increase of 30.6 per cent.

Mr. Williams

Is the hon. Member satisfied that every child is 30 per cent. better educated now than 10 years ago?

Sir William Davison

Can the hon. Member say why the overhead cost of education in this country is so much higher than in France or Germany where the result is very good?

Mr. Lindsay

The answer to the two supplementary questions is that the increase is due partly to the improvement in the quality of teaching, partly to reorganisation and partly to the growth of special services, the cost of which has nearly doubled. Those are the three main reasons.

Sir John Haslam

Has not the hon. Member missed one important point—the increase in the provided schools and the decrease in the non-provided schools?

Mr. Lindsay

I would not like to give a categorical answer to that supplementary question, but I think it is partly true.

67. Mr. H. G. Williams

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Education what was the percentage increase in the cost of elementary education per child for the latest year for which the figures are available as compared with the figures for the year 10 years before; and what percentage change in the cost of living took place over the same 10-year period?

Mr. Lindsay

The cost of elementary education per child in 1936–37, the latest year for which figures are available, was £15 4s. 5d. as compared with £11 16s. 8d. in 1926–27—an increase of 28.6 per cent. The percentage increase in the cost of living—over that in 1914—averaged 48 in 1936–37 as compared with 72 in 1926–27.

Mr. Williams

Can the hon. Member say why there has been this vast increase in the cost of education over this period when the general cost of living has fallen substantially?

Mr. Lindsay

The reason for the increase I have given in reply to a supplementary question. In the second place, there is no distinct relation between the increase and the fall in the cost of living. It shows that, despite the fall in the cost of living, we have been able to keep up the social services.

Mr. Montague

Can the hon. Member give us any idea how much it costs to educate a child in a public school, and in a private school?

Mr. Lindsay

That does not arise on this question.