§ 28. Mr. Molsonasked the Minister of Education the number of children who were being educated in the national schools before the war; the number being 106W educated in 1946; the number which would be educated in 1947 if the school-leaving age were not raised; and the additional number of children who will he retained in the schools as a of the raising of the school-leaving age, on 1st April, 1947.
§ Miss WilkinsonThe number of pupils in grant-aided primary and secondary schools on the 31st March, 1939, and a date in October, 1945 (the latest figure at present available) was 5,597,875 and 5,022,068 respectively. In September, 1947, by which date the effect of the raising of the compulsory school age will first cause an addition to the school population, it is estimated that there will be about 5,300,000 pupils in the schools, against about 5,170,000 if the age had not been raised. In autumn, 1948. when the raising of the age will be fully operative, the estimated number of pupils is about 5,640,000 against about 5,250 000 if the age had remained at 14.