Nursery Schools (Hansard, 26 June 1952)

§ 12. Mr. Lewis
asked the Minister of Education if she is aware that nursery classes at four West Ham primary schools are to be closed down temporarily in September because of the shortage of teachers; and, in view of the concern felt by the parents affected, what action she proposes to take to rectify this position.

§ Miss Horsbrugh
On my present information I do not regard it as unreasonable that the authority should close nursery classes in order to provide more teachers for children of school age.

§ Mr. Lewis
But is the Minister aware of the fact that there is difficulty in West Ham in getting teachers for this type of class because of West Ham being bombed out and housing accommodation not being available? If the local education authority can get extra teachers to undertake this important work, will the Minister agree to allow the increased allocation for that purpose?

§ Miss Horsbrugh
There is another Question dealing with teachers which I will answer later. At the present time, if there is a shortage of teachers for children of five years of age, I think the authority must be allowed to close nursery classes in order to deal with them, but I am told that there will still be four nursery schools and three day nurseries.

§ 17. Mr. Morley
asked the Minister of Education whether she has completed her consideration of the proposals of Shropshire County Council to close three of their six nursery schools; and if so, what is her decision on the proposals.

26. Mr. I. O. Thomas
asked the Minister of Education if she has completed her consideration of the further information she has received from the Shropshire County Council in regard to the authority's proposals to close three of its six nursery schools; and, if so, what conclusions she has arrived at thereon.

§ Miss Horsbrugh
Yes, I have decided that I should not be justified in intervening in the authority's exercise of their discretion.

§ Mr. Morley
On what grounds does the Minister think she would not be justified in intervening?

§ Miss Horsbrugh
In two cases, the authority consider that the accommodation is needed for children of statutory school age, to whom their first obligation lies. In another case, I find that 17 out of the 25 children who were going to the nursery school were travelling six miles a day.

Mr. Thomas
Was the Minister replying to my Question, which appears later on the Order Paper? If so, I did not catch her reply to it. Would she be kind enough to indicate what decision she has arrived at?

§ Miss Horsbrugh
I have arrived at the conclusion that I should not interfere with the local authority's decision.

Mr. Thomas
Does that mean that the Minister is in agreement with the education authority in closing three out of only six existing nursery schools in the county, and with the fact that one of the three which it is proposed to close is in the northern part of the county, which would leave that part of the county in future without any nursery school whatever? Does she consider that she is fulfilling her obligations and duties under the Education Act by sanctioning such a proposal?

§ Miss Horsbrugh
Yes, because under the Education Act the statutory age at which a child should go to school is five years. In two cases, as I have said, the authority consider that the accommodation is needed for the children of statutory school age, to whom their first obligation lies.