§ Colonel BURTONasked the President of the Board of Education what is the 778W number of free places provided in secondary schools; how many of these are occupied; whether any such places have been filled by children who have not passed the necessary examination; and, if so, how many?
§ Lord E. PERCYOn the 1st October, 1926, the total number of free places awarded or offered in grant-aided secondary schools in England and Wales was 142,575. Of this number, 142,523 were occupied on that date. As regards the third and fourth parts of the question, all candidates for admission, whether as fee-paying pupils or free place pupils, are required to pass an entrance test.