§ Mrs. Lena Jegerasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether she will make a statement on her official visit to the Edith Neville School, Camden.
§ Mrs. ThatcherMy visit to the Edith Neville School on 18th July was one of three visits to Inner London schools on that day. Visits of this kind which enable me to see school buildings and their facilities, to meet teachers and pupils, and to form impressions of their work are an important part of my regular programme.
The chairman of the managers of the school suggested to me that it was overcrowded even though fewer pupils were present than the number for which the school was intended. I did indeed gain an impression of congestion from my visit. The use made of school buildings is, of course, a matter for the staff. The design is the responsibility of the local education authority although it has to comply with the current standards for school premises regulations and work within the cost limits. The Edith Neville School was built on the cost limits laid down by the previous administration.