§ Mr. Hugh Jenkinsasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how much is to be spent per child or per student in the years 1968–69, 1969–70 and 1970–71 on primary education, secondary education, technical education and university education, respectively.
§ Mr. Edward ShortThe information is as follows:
ESTIMATED CURRENT PUPIL OR STUDENT PUBLIC EXPENDITURE PER IN ENGLAND AND WALES 1968–69 1969–70 1970–71 £ £ £ Financial year Primary Schools … 78 82 82 Secondary Schools … 141 146 147 Further Education … 270 269 270 Universities (G.B.) … 756 766 809 See note 4(i) Notes
Primary and secondary schools and further education
1. The figures represent estimated teaching and other costs per pupil or student (excluding school meals and milk and awards to pupils and students) in maintained schools and establishments of further education. They are based on:—
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- (i) relevant expenditure for rate support grant at November 1968 prices. increased only to include estimated additional expenditure on teachers' salaries in primary and secondary schools from 1st April 1969 as a result of the recent provisional Burnham agreement. Increases in salaries of other teachers and in other costs will in due course serve to increase the figures for 1969–70 and 1970–71; and
- (ii) estimated numbers of pupils in January of each financial year and of full-time equivalent students in November.
2. The figures should be treated with caution because of the uncertainty about the extent to which rate-borne expenditure in the next two years will be in line with the Exchequer's contribution through rate support grant.
3. The relevant expenditure accepted for rate support grant in the next two years assumed a small increase in non-teaching costs per pupil and student. In the total figures for unit costs in primary schools this increase is concealed in 1970–71 by a small reduction in teaching costs per pupil; it is assumed that the average salary per teacher will decline slightly because of the steady change in the age structure of the teaching profession. In further education the increase per student in non-teaching costs is similarly concealed in 1969–70 by an assumption that teaching costs per student will fall somewhat as a result of the more effective deployment of staff, in line with the recommendations of the Pilkington Committee on the size of teaching groups.
Universities
4. The figures represent the recurrent grant per student and exclude awards. They are based on:—
- (i) the original quinquennial grants (excluding grants for equipment, which since 1st August 1968 have been treated as an item of capital expenditure) adjusted for increases in university teachers' salaries from October 1968 and, in 1970–71 only, for other cost increases and
- (ii) actual or estimated student numbers in October of each financial year.