§ Mrs. Renée Shortasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is the current pupil-teacher ratio in (a) primary schools and (b) secondary schools in the West Midlands area; and what she estimates these ratios will be by 1983.
§ Miss Margaret JacksonIn January 1978, the latest date for which information is available, the pupil-teacher ratios in maintained schools in the West Midlands metropolitan county were 24.5 in primary schools and 16.5 in secondary schools.
The Government's expenditure plans provide for improvement in the national pupil-teacher ratio; but it is not possible to forecast how this will be reflected in pupil-teacher ratios in the schools of particular areas since it is for individual authorities to determine how many teachers to employ in the light of their own needs and circumstances.