6. Mr. C. I. On-Ewingasked the Minister of Education what, in 1955, were the number of days schooling and the average number of hours per day for primary and secondary schools in London and Middlesex, respectively; and how these compare with the figures for a representative inter-war year and a representative pre-1914 year.
§ Sir D. EcclesPractices vary from school to school, and I cannot give precise averages, but the normal school day in London and Middlesex lasts 5½ hours exclusive of the lunch hour. There has been no significant reduction during the last fifty years in the minimum number of hours per day and days per year that maintained schools are required to be open for secular instruction.
Mr. Orr-EwingIs my right hon. Friend aware that these important statistics are not given in the annual report published by his Ministry? Will he consider publishing them in the future, and will he also consider the hours worked in the schools of West Germany, Holland, Belgium and Switzerland and some other countries with which we are in competition, to see whether the hours worked are comparable?
§ Sir D. EcclesI will certainly consider the first point. On the second issue, it is not only the number of hours, but the quality of work done in them that matters. I suppose that we should all like to see people work harder, in school and out.