§ Mr. COVEasked the President of the Board of Education the number of children in the elementary schools of the Northamptonshire County Education Committee; the number of fee-paying scholars in the secondary schools; the number of free places and scholarships awarded; the amount of the fees charged; the value of the scholarships; and whether the provision for secondary education (both fee-paying and free) in the county is above or below the average of the country?
§ Mr. TREVELYANThe number of children on the registers of public elementary schools in the area of the local education authority for the County of Northampton, on the 31st March, 1922, was 27,788, and including the figures for the urban district of Kettering, 31,862. In the eight grant-earning secondary schools in the area of the authority (one of which is jointly provided by the authorities of the county and the County Borough of Northampton) there were on the same date 1,747 pupils of whom 1,177 were fee-paying. The number of free pupils, including a few who were not free place pupils within the meaning of Article 20 of the Regulations for Secondary Schools, was 570. The fees charged at these schools range from 10 to 18 guineas a year; and the annual value of the fees remitted in the case of the free pupils1634W is approximately £7,730. The number of county pupils attending grant-earning secondary schools (including 148 who attend secondary schools in the County Borough of Northampton) amounts to about 7.7 per 1,000 of the population. The corresponding figure for England and Wales is about 9.4. The free pupils in the eight county schools represent about 32.6 per cent. of the total number, as compared with 37.6 for the country as a whole. The above figures take no account of county pupils, numbering about 350, who attend schools in the county which are recognised by the Board as efficient though not in receipt of grant.