Mr. ROBINSONasked the President of the Board of Education what proportion of the children leaving elementary schools enter secondary schools; how long, on the average, pupils remain in secondary schools; and what proportion of them leave to enter Universities?
§ Lord E. PERCYIn 1922–23 the number of pupils from elementary schools who entered secondary schools was nearly 55,000, representing 8.7 per cent. of the total number of pupils who left elementary schools during the preceding year. The average school life after the age of 12 of pupils leaving secondary schools on the grant list, during 1921–22, was three years four months, and the average age of leaving was 15 years 11 months. I Have reason to think that later figures, when available, will show an improvement. With regard to the last part of the question, of all pupils over 12 who left the secondary schools in 1920–21, 4.4 per cent. proceeded to a University. This figure includes pupils who proceeded to the training department of a University, but not pupils who only proceeded to a University after an interval.
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