§ Mr. SCOTTasked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he is aware that in 1928–29, out of 77,996 pupils who reached the qualified average in primary education, no fewer than 10,550 (or nearly 1794W 14 per cent.) left school without completing even one year in an advanced division; and will he state the steps he proposes to take to ensure that this percentage be greatly reduced and that nearly all pupils shall continue for two years in an advanced division?
Mr. ADAMSONIf by "qualified average" is meant the qualifying standard, the answer to the first part of the question is in the affirmative. The percentage of pupils who fail to complete at least a full year in the post-qualifying course before leaving school has been substantially reduced in the last few years, and I am confident that continued progress in this direction, coupled with the imminent raising of the school leaving age, will go far towards securing the result desired by the hon. Member.
§ Mr. SCOTTasked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he is aware that 13,603 pupils below the average in ordinary school subjects were nevertheless passed into secondary schools in 1928–29; and whether he will cause instructions to be given to continue the education of such pupils in elementary subjects rather than pass them on for courses of study for which they are not qualified?
Mr. ADAMSONIt is assumed that the hon. Member has taken the figure 13,603 from column 10 on page 58 of the report of the Committee of Council on Education in Scotland recently issued. If so, I may point out that these pupils were not passed into secondary schools but at leaving were still in primary schools or departments. The last part of the question does not, therefore, arise.
§ Mr. SCOTTasked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he is aware that, for the year 1928–29, there were 643,199 pupils in attendance at primary schools and only 91,599 (or only 14 per cent.) of those who had reached the age of 12 or 14 years were selected by the teachers to sit for the elementary control examination; if he will state the reasons for withholding the remainder from such examination; and whether he will consider the abolition of the system of picked pupils and the submission of all pupils in primary schools for the simple control or qualifying examination?
1795W
Mr. ADAMSONThe average number of pupils on the registers of primary schools in Scotland in 1928–29 was 654,199, of whom 133,419 were over the age of 12 at the end of the school year. The figure 91,599 refers not to the pupils who were selected to sit for the qualifying test, but to those who left primary schools and the primary departments of schools conducted under the Secondary Schools Regulations. The Department have no information as to the number of pupils selected to sit for the qualifying test in those areas in which a formal written examination is imposed. Out of 91,599 pupils who left school in 1928–29, 85 per cent. had passed the qualifying test.