HC Deb 01 November 1939 vol 352 cc1969-70W
Mr. Erskine Hill

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether any decision has been reached as to the reopening of schools in evacuation areas?

Mr. Colville

Yes, Sir. Permission has already been given for the reopening, subject to certain conditions, of the secondary schools and secondary departments of schools in evacuation areas in Scotland. The Government have now decided that the primary schools and departments in those areas which can be made available for educational purposes shall be reopened for the education of the children of parents who desire them to attend. It is not expected that all the schools in these areas will be available. Some of them may be found unsuitable on account of their location or construction, and others are being used for national defence services. Moreover, in schools which are available the necessary protective measures will probably reduce the normal school accommodation. For these reasons, it may be necessary in many cases to have recourse to the double shift system, under which one set of children will attend in the morning and another in the afternoon.

Before the schools can be opened it will be necessary to provide some reasonable protection against air raids, but if serious air raids occur over these areas, which must continue to be regarded as vulnerable, the schools will be closed.

Arrangements are being made with my right hon. Friend the Minister of Home Security to institute at once a survey of the school premises which may be made available in order to decide which of them are suitable and on the form of protection most appropriate in each case.

I have already been in consultation with the education authorities concerned, who are preparing plans in relation to their areas as a whole, having regard to the protected accommodation that will be available and the number of school children to be accommodated. I am sure that the authorities will make every effort to open schools as early as possible, but the arrangements will necessarily occupy some time.

I would emphasise that the provision of a measure of educational facilities in the evacuation areas should not induce parent's to remove their children from the reception areas to which they were evacuated in the interests of their safety.