§ Miss Quennellasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will publish a table setting out the age of school buildings in Northern Ireland.
§ Mr. ChannonPrimary Schools
The following is a summary of the ages of school buildings from a survey made in 1968. A new survey is to be made in 1973.
232W
Built before 1900 515 1900–1922 186 1923-March 1948 255 April 1948-March 1968 395 Some 480 schools were extended or improved in the period 1948–68, i.e. under the 1947 Education Act.
Since 1968 approximately 200 schools built before 1900 have been closed.
Secondary and other schools
Of the 255 secondary (intermediate) and grammar schools open in the school year 1971–72, 189 were in premises built since 1948. In many of the older schools major extensions and improvements have been carried out. Most of the nursery and special schools date from 1948 or later.
§ Miss Quennellasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will publish a table showing the school-age population of Northern Ireland, the number of primary and secondary schools available, and the pupil-teacher ratio, respectively.
§ Mr. ChannonIn January, 1971 the school-age population of all grant-aided schools in Northern Ireland was as follows:
Age Nos. (Thousands) 2–4 17.7 5–10 188.0 11–14 112.1 15 16.1 16 8.8 17 6.1 18 2.8 19 and over 0.4 Total 352.0 In the 1,216 primary (including nursery) schools in existence at the same date the average pupil-teacher ratio was 29.0 and in the 265 secondary schools it was 18–4.