§ Mr. ODDYasked the President of the Board of Education whether the intention of Circular 709 is that the numbers on registers and in average attendance in each class are to be taken in ascertaining the effects of the proposals of the circular in any particular school, or is it regarded as sufficient if the aggregate of the school is taken?
§ Mr. RUNCIMANThe staff scale set out in Article 12 (a) relates to the aggregate average attendance of the whole school. The proposed new rule that not more than 60 scholars shall be placed on the register of any class obviously refers to the individual class. In order to arrive at a proper estimate of the changes required to comply with the new conditions it is necessary to inquire closely into the distribution of the staff and the scholars among the individual classes, and in some cases to inquire further into the distribution of the staff and scholars as between one school and another in the same area. Apart from all other educational benefits which the circular contemplates, there is good reason to believe that the careful scrutiny of existing arrangements which it has or ought to have occasioned will in itself prove advantageous to local education authorities, both from an educational and an administrative point of view.