§ 23. Mr. J. Johnsonasked the Minister of Education how many local education authorities have sent scholarship boys to schools on the Headmasters' Conference list; and what is the number of boys that have been sent and the total expenditure involved.
§ Mr. TomlinsonI cannot given the particulars asked for, since information is not available in this detail of the extent to which local education authorities pay or assist with the fees at independent schools. The most comprehensive information I have, based on a special return and relating to boarding schools generally and not merely those whose headmasters are members of the Conference, is summarised in paragraph 80 of Chapter I of my Department's Report for 1948.
§ Mr. JohnsonIs the Minister aware that many teachers are disturbed because in this way we are losing our best pupils from the secondary schools at a critical age to bolster up the fee-paid public schools?
§ Mr. TomlinsonI do not think the figures indicate any need for worry on that count.
§ Mr. R. S. HudsonIs there any reason why the cleverest boys should not have advantage of the best education, which evidently they were not getting before?
§ Mr. TomlinsonMy contention is that they are getting it.