§ Dr. McDonaldasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what was the number and proportion of 3- and 4-year-old children receiving nursery education in January 1974 and January 1979.
§ Miss Margaret JacksonInformation about numbers of pupils in January 1979 is not yet available. In January 1978, there were 198,193 full-time and part-time pupils aged 3 and 4 years in maintained nursery schools and designated nursery classes in primary schools in England which represents 167 per cent. of the estimated population aged 3 and 4 years. Comparable figures, which include a small number of pupils other than 3- and 4-year-olds, in January 1974 were 121,731 and 8.5 per cent.
§ Dr. McDonaldasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if she will publish in the Official Report a table comparing the proportion of 3- and 4-year-old children receiving State nursery education with the proportion receiving such education in other member countries of the European Community.
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§ Miss Margaret JacksonI regret that the information requested for the other member countries of the EEC is not available. However, the table below shows the total number of children in each member country of the EEC receiving education preceding the first level, for
PUPILS ENROLLED IN ALL PRE-SCHOOL EDUCATION*1976 Age at which compulsory education begins 000s As percentage of all children below age of compulsory schooling† United Kingdom … … … … … 5 571 15.0 Belgium … … … … … 6 427 56.0 France … … … … … 6 2,599 54.0 Germany … … … … … 6 1,656 43.0 Ireland … … … … … 6 141 35.0 Italy … … … … … 6 1,789 35.0 Luxembourg … … … … … 6 8 33.0 Netherlands … … … … … 6 499 42.0 Denmark … … … … … 7 49 10.0 *Source:UNESCO Education Statistics CSR-E-30. †Derived from previous column and Eurostat Demographic Statistics, 1960–76.
§ Dr. McDonaldasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if she will publish in the Official Report the amount of financial support made available to education authorities for the extension of nursery education between April 1974 and April 1979, and the amount actually taken up by the authorities.
§ Miss Margaret JacksonI refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave to a question from my hon. Friend the Member for Chorley (Mr. Rodgers) on 6 February.—[Vol. 962, c. 110–11.]
§ Dr. McDonaldasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if she will publish in the Official Report the names of any education authorities which have refused to take up the available financial support for nursery education between 1974 and 1979.
§ Miss Margaret JacksonThe following local education authorities have not taken up an allocation under my Department's nursery education building programme in any of the five building years from 1974 to 1979: Avon; Bromley; Croydon; Hampshire; Isle of Scilly; Sutton; Wiltshire.