§ Mr. JESSE COLLINGSasked the President of the Board of Education the number of public elementary schools in England and Wales; the number of pupils on the register; the number in average attendance; the number of school gardens 1272W attached to elementary schools; the number of pupils instructed by means of these school gardens; the amount of Grants earned by them; the number of pupils who passed last year in each of the standards IV., V., and VI.; what subjects are compulsory; does the Hoard of Education require the syllabus adopted by the managers of a rural elementary school to be submitted to them before it can be put into force; and in how many elementary schools are observation and nature study lessons given?
§ Mr. J. A. PEASEDuring the year ending 31st July, 1911, there were, in England and Wales, 20,846 elementary schools, with 6,030,718 scholars on the register and 5,373,567 in average attenance. The number of schools which had gardens attached was 2,243 in England and Wales, and there were also 15 centres for gardening classes. The number of registered scholars in gardening classes was 41,394, and the amount of Grant earned was £5,807 6s. The regular annual examinations, to which the hon. Member presumably refers in the seventh part of the question, are now no longer held. In connection with the eighth and ninth parts of the question, perhaps I might be allowed to refer the hon. Member to Articles 2, 3, and 4 of the Code of Regulations for Elementary Schools. The Board of Education do not necessarily require any syllabus to be submitted for approval unless a considerable departure from a course of instruction ordinarily followed in a public elementary school is desired. In answer to the last part of the question, I am unable to give any figures, but observation and nature study lessons are now being given in practically every school.