HC Deb 04 December 1968 vol 774 cc474-5W
Mr. Hannan

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether the qualifications of teachers, the method of recruitment and appointment to State fee-paying schools are of a higher standard than those for teachers in ordinary State schools.

Mr. Ross

No. The Schools (Scotland) Code prescribes the same requirements for the appointment of teachers for all schools under education authority management, whether fee-paying or not.

Mr. Wright

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many representations he has received in connection with the proposal to abolish the fee-paying element in local authority schools.

Mr. Ross: Of the

bodies I have recently consulted on this matter, one supported the proposal, one offered no objection, three did not wish to comment and three opposed it. I have received two representations, one supporting and one opposing the proposal.

Mr. Wright

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the total sum paid by way of fees by parents whose children attend independent schools, grant-aided schools, and local authority schools, respectively, in Scotland.

Mr. Bruce-Gardyne

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the total contribution of parents and endowments towards the cost of educating children in fee-paying departments of primary and secondary schools, and in grant-aided schools, during the latest period of twelve months for which the figures are available.

Mr. Ross

In 1967–68 parents paid about £310,000 to education authorities in school fees. A lesser sum will be paid after the current session following Renfrewshire's decision to abolish fee-paying. No details are available of sums spent by parents on books for children at fee-paying schools, where these are not provided by the Authority. Endowments payments which are made in respect of some education authority schools are of minor importance, and no details are readily available.

In the same year the schools which are grant-aided under the Grant-Aided Secondary Schools (Scotland) Grant Regulations, 1959 received an estimated total of some £1,313,000 from fees. Their endowment income is estimated at £59,700.

No information is available about the income of independent schools.