§ Mr. Thomas Coxasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what criterion of local need is used by her Department in giving approval for the development of nursery school education.
§ Mr. van StraubenzeeNursery projects under the Urban Programme have been approved in relation to the social and educational needs of pre-school children in the areas concerned. Factors taken into account include housing conditions, size of families, unemployment, delinquency and inadequate family backgrounds.
§ Mr. Thomas Coxasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what are her Department's proposals for the development of nursery school education during the next three years.
§ Mr. van StraubenzeeFor the present our first priority is the improvement of primary schools. Later I hope that we shall be able to turn to the needs of nursery education, which will continue to benefit from the Urban Programme.
§ Mr. Thomas Coxasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) what requests have been made to her far the provision of nursery school education in the Wandsworth, Central, Constituency;
(2) what approval her Department has given for the development of nursery school education in the London Borough of Wandsworth.
101W
§ Mr. van StraubenzeeTwo nursery classes have been established in the London Borough of Wandsworth under the terms of the addenda to Circular 8/60, and the provision of four classes in the Borough was approved under the first phase of the urban programme. No proposals for Wandsworth have been made by the Inner London Education Authority for the second and third phases. Information is not readily available on the basis of constituency boundaries but in the last year one request for a nursery class has been received from the Parent Teachers Association of Smallwood Primary School in Wandsworth.
§ Mr. Thomas Coxasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is the estimated need for nursery school education in the Inner London Education Authority area.
§ Mr. van StraubenzeeThere is no agreed way of measuring the need for nursery school education. The Inner London Education Authority have set themselves the aim in their area of providing places for one complete age group, which at present numbers about 40,000. They assume that many children will continue to attend day nurseries and play groups. In January 1970 there were nearly 12,500 children in maintained nursery schools and classes in Inner London, and 2,000 additional full-time places will be provided under the first two phases of the urban programme. Proposals for the third phase are now under consideration. My right hon. Friend is giving priority to the improvement of primary schools, but she hopes later on to turn to the needs of nursery education.