HC Deb 22 July 1929 vol 230 cc918-9W
Mr. A. SOMERVILLE

asked the President of the Board of Education how many additional teachers will be required annually when the school-leaving age is raised to 15; how many trained teachers come annually from the training colleges and the university training departments; and how many of these teachers are provided by the denominational training colleges?

Sir C. TREVELYAN

The number of teachers required will depend upon a variety of factors, of which the most important are the schemes of reorganisation which are now in course of preparation, and until these schemes are further advanced it would be unsafe to give an estimate of the additional number who will be required annually when the leaving age is raised. In 1927–28, 6,742 teachers completed satisfactorily a course of training in the training colleges and university training departments; of this number 2,286 came from the denominational colleges.

Mr. GRAHAM WHITE

asked the President of the Board of Education the estimated number of children of either sex aged between 13 and 14 years who will be in attendance in primary schools during each of the five years ending 3lst March, 1937; and what is the estimated number of children of either sex aged between 14 and 15 who would be in attendance in such schools during each of those years in the event of the school-leaving age being raised to 15?

Sir C. TREVELYAN

The number of children aged 13–14 estimated to be on the registers of public elementary schools is:

On 31st March, 1933 … … 589,000
On 31st March, 1934 … … 636,000
On 31st March, 1935 … … 595,000
On 31st March, 1936 … … 536,000
On 31st March, 1937 … … 527,000

If the school-leaving age were raised to 15 the number of children aged 14–15 estimated to be on the registers of public elementary schools is:

On 31st March, 1933 … … 431,000
On 31st March, 1934 … … 578,000
On 31st March, 1935 … … 627,000
On 31st March, 1936 … … 587,000
On 31st March, 1937 … … 527,000

I am unable to give separate figures for boys and girls, but the totals may be divided between the sexes in approximately equal proportions.