§ Mr. KINGasked the President of the Board of Education how many elementary school children are taught, in mixed departments and how many in separate boys' and girls' departments, respectively?
§ Mr. J. A. PEASEI am afraid I am not in a position to give the hon. Member the information he desires.
§ Mr. KINGasked the President of the Board of Education whether there is any statistical evidence bearing on the educational value of mixed instruction; and 736W whether any policy is pursued by the Board in the way of stimulating or discouraging the formation of mixed departments?
§ Mr. PEASEThe subject referred to in the question hardly lends itself to statistical treatment, and the Board have no statistical evidence in connection with it. Some interesting information is, however, to be found in the report on the teaching of arithmetic published by the London County Council in 1911 (No. 1,430, page 26). With regard to elementary schools, the Board do not desire to interfere with the discretion of local education authorities in the matter further than to point out that in mixed departments certain difficulties have to be met in the arrangements for instruction in special subjects. If their advice is sought they have, in each case, to take into consideration the special circumstances. With regard to secondary schools, the Board have advised the establishment of separate schools for boys and girls in preference to mixed schools in places where there is a large population, but in smaller places the establishment of mixed schools has been encouraged in the interests of economy and the better classification of pupils.