§ Mr. J. H. THOMASasked the President of the Board of Education the cost or approximate cost to the Board of Education of the education of blind and deaf children under the Act of 1893 during the last financial year, and the number of such children in residential schools and in day schools, respectively, during the same year?
§ Mr. FISHERComplete returns as to the number of blind and deaf children in certified special schools, and of the cost of their education for the year ended on 31st March, 1922, have not yet been received by the Board. The number of434W children in certified special schools for blind and deaf children during the year ended 31st March, 1920, the latest year for which complete figures are available, was as follows:
—— Number of children in Residential Schools. Number of children in Day. Schools. Schools for the Blind. 1,424 1,520 Schools for the Deaf. 2,465 1,583 Allowing for a small increase in these figures, and using the last available figure for the average cost per child in these schools, it is estimated that the cost to the Board of educating these children in the last financial year was, approximately, as follows:
£ Blind children … … 85,000 Deaf children … … 135,000