§ Mr. Lyonsasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Education whether he will indicate the progress made during 1937 in the reduction of the size of those school classes where the number of pupils exceeded 40 in each class?
Mr. LindsayOn 31st March, 1937, the latest date for which figures are available, there were 46,194 classes in public elementary schools with more than 40 children on the registers. The corresponding figure on 31st March, 1936, was 49,621.
§ Mr. Grovesasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Education whether he has considered the resolution of the county borough of Sunderland respecting the size of classes in infant and junior schools; whether he is aware that this resolution has the support of many local education authorities so that such classes should not exceed 30 in number, and what proposals he has to make in reply thereto?
Mr. LindsayThe answer to the first part of the question is in the affirmative. Letters generally in support of the Sunderland resolution have been received from 13 other local education authorities. My Noble Friend is not prepared, in view of the cost in buildings and staff, to depart from the present standards, which are a maximum of 40 on the register for classes of older children and a maximum of 50 on the register for classes of junior and infant children.