HC Deb 20 May 1943 vol 389 c1220
25. Mr. Harvey

asked the President of the Board of Education how many classes in public elementary schools there were, at the latest convenient date, with more than 5o on the roll and with between 40 and 5o on the roll, distinguishing between infant and junior departments on the one hand and senior schools and departments on the other?

The President of the Board of Education (Mr. Butler)

For the reason given in reply to a Question on the same subject by the hon. Member on 5th March, 1942, I am unable to give particulars of the size of classes during the war period.

Mr. Harvey

Cannot my right hon. Friend give some approximate information as to the number of these excessively large classes?

Mr. Butler

I cannot do it by way of statistics at present, because I have not got them, but I can say that there are a number of these classes and that we are doing our best to reduce them.