HC Deb 06 April 1925 vol 182 cc1862-4W
Mr. STAMFORD

asked the President of the Board of Education the percentage of school children in grant-aided secondary schools in England and Wales, and in corresponding schools in Scotland; and if he can give similar figures for the United States of America and the principal European countries?

Lord E. PERCY

With regard to the first part of the question, I may refer the hon. Member, so far as England and Wales are concerned, to the Return (Cmd. 2284) issued as a White Paper in December last, a copy of which I am sending him. I have no corresponding figure for Scotland. As regards the second part of the question, the organisation and nomenclature of higher education varies so considerably as between different foreign countries, and as between them and England, that any inferences drawn from comparative statistics are likely to be misleading. In the short time available I have been unable to collect relevant figures for any countries other than the United States of America, France, Belgium and Prussia. For these countries the figures, according to the latest information at my disposal, are as follow:

Number of Pupils per 1,000 of Population in State-aided Secondary. Schools.
School figures. Population
U.S.A. … 17˙5 (1920 1920)
France … 4˙1 (1923 1922)
Belgium … 7˙6 (1922 1922)
Prussia … 10˙5 (1921 1919)
I must, however, repeat that these figures can be used only with the greatest reserve.

Mr. STAMFORD

asked the President of the Board of Education the number of children excluded from secondary schools in England and Wales during the last three years through lack of accommodation and through lack of sufficient free places, respectively?

Lord E. PERCY

The information for which the hon. Member asks is not avail able, but I may refer him to Table D on page 66 and the following pages of the Report of the Departmental Committee an Scholarships and Free Places, where certain figures are given of the number of applicants for admission to secondary schools who were unable to gain admission. As is indicated in the note appended to the table, the figures can only be regarded as being of restricted value, and having regard to the labour involved in collecting even these figures, the collection of corresponding figures of more recent date has not been considered justifiable.