§ Mr. G. M. Thomsonasked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will state the amount of the grant to the Scottish Council for Research in Education; by what percentage this has been increased over the most recent convenient period; and if he will give details of the additional programme of practical research at present being planned.
§ Mr. MaclayIn the current financial year the Exchequer grant to the Council is expected to be about £5,000, an increase of two-thirds over last year's figure of £3,000. New projects which the Council has recently decided to undertake cover studies in the teaching of mathematics and of teaching by television. Additional subjects for investigation which my Department has proposed to the Council include the age of transfer of pupils from primary to secondary education and the use of attainment tests; the optimum size of class and of school; and the validity of examinations other than the traditional external written examination and the comparability of examinations in various subjects.