§ Mr. G. Macdonaldasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Education whether he will state the number of schools, specifying whether elementary, senior, or secondary, registered as listening to school broadcasting programmes, giving separate figures for Lancashire; also whether it is the policy of his Department to encourage local education authorities to provide the necessary facilities?
Mr. LindsayI am informed by the Central Council for School Broadcasting that the number of schools in England and Wales registered on 16th June as listening to the school broadcast programmes was 9,816. Of these 7,300 were elementary schools (including 1,790 senior schools or departments), 1,024 were secondary schools and 1,492 were other types of schools.
In Lancashire 871 schools were registered. Of these 752 were elementary schools (including 202 senior schools), 86 were secondary schools and 33 were other types of schools.
With regard to the second part of the question, the Board welcome the increasing use of wireless in schools and their Handbook of Suggestions for Teachers contains references to the value of broadcasting as an aid to instruction.