HC Deb 29 July 1943 vol 391 cc1814-5W
Rear-Admiral Beamish

asked the President of the Board of Education how many Church of England non-provided or voluntary schools in England and Wales were recognised under the Act of 1902; how many, up to the latest convenient date, have been taken over by a public authority; how many Church of England schools are now not up to the standard laid down for provided schools; and what are the numbers of pupils concerned in all these classes, respectively?

Mr. Butler

On 1st January, 1906, the first date after the passing of the Act of 1902 for which reliable figures are available, there were 11,418 Church of England schools with accommodation of 2,761,917 children (attendance figures are not available). Between 1903 and 1938 some 870 Church of England schools were transferred to local education authorities; I have no record of the number of pupils in these schools. No distinct standards of accommodation are laid down for provided schools. The last general survey of all public elementary school premises was made in 1925, and of the Church of England schools then listed as unsatisfactory 398 remain on the list: the number of pupils on the registers of these schools is 70,234.

Rear-Admiral Beamish

asked the President of the Board of Education what denominations in addition to the Church of England have their own non-provided schools in England and Wales; how many there are for each now; how many pupils are concerned; and how many such schools have been taken over by public authorities since the Act of 1902?

Mr. Butler

Following is the answer:

Schools of Denominations other than Church of England.
ENGLAND AND WALES.
31st March, 1938.
(the latest date for which information is available.)
Denomination. Number of Schools Number of Pupils.
Roman Catholic … 1,266 377,073
Methodist … 119 17,235
Jewish … 13 4,533
Others* … 176 22,635
* These consist mainly of schools in which the religious instruction is described as undenominational.
The number of voluntary schools other than Church of England schools transferred to local education authorities between 1903 and 1938 is, approximately, 800.