§ 15. Mr. Hiltonasked the Minister of Education when he intends to publish his proposals for the future of primary education.
§ Mr. ChatawayMy right hon. Friend hopes to make an announcement next month.
§ Mr. HiltonIt will be interesting to hear that announcement, but will the Parliamentary Secretary ask his right hon. Friend to bear in mind that, although secondary and all higher education is of great importance, the majority of children start their education in our primary schools? Is the hon. Gentleman aware that the condition of many of these schools leaves much to be desired? Is he aware that some are a hundred years old and that they need modernising or rebuilding? Is he aware that often they are staffed by unqualified teachers? Will the Minister bear these points in mind and see that far more money is made available for primary education, in view of the fact that so many children start their education in primary schools?
§ Mr. ChatawayIt is because my right hon. Friend attaches such a high degree of importance to primary education that he is considering the possibility of an inquiry of this sort.
§ Mr. G. ThomasWill the Parliamentary Secretary ask his right hon. Friend whether he will take steps to close the 500 schools that were blacklisted before the war as being unfit for children to be taught in, but in which children are still being educated? May we have an assurance that in the new plans those schools will disappear?
§ Mr. ChatawayI can assure the hon. Gentleman that within the rising total of allotted school building every effort will be made to get rid of these schools as soon as possible, but, as he will know, attention has been focussed upon secondary schools during the last three or four years.