§ Mr. Litterickasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what are the current staff-pupil ratios in special 531W schools for mentally handicapped children in England and Wales; what is her Department's estimate of the optimum ratio; and what ratio her Department hopes to achieve within the next two years.
§ Miss Margaret JacksonIn January 1976 there was an average of one qualified teacher per 9.7 pupils in maintained special schools for the mentally handicapped in England and Wales. Full details are not available of non-teaching staff. The Department's Circular 4/73 gives advice on the staffing standards for special schools and classes and I am sending my hon. Friend a copy. This shows that there is no single optimum ratio. The extent to which improvements may be made in the next few years will depend on the resources available.