§ Mr. Richard Wainwrightasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many schoolchildren within the areas served by the Kirklees education authority and the Oldham education authority take school meals; and how many of them receive free meals.
§ Mr. Mark CarlisleOn a day in October 1978, the numbers of day pupils in primary, secondary and special schools taking school meals were as follows:
All pupils taking meals Pupils receiving free meals Kirklees 50,861 9,892 Oldham 27,257 6,526
§ Mr. Richard Wainwrightasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is the current pupil-teacher ratio in the areas served by the Kirklees education authority and the Oldham education authority; and how these ratios compare with those of the other local education authorities in England and Wales.
§ Mr. Mark CarlisleIn January 1979, the latest date for which information is available, the average ratios of pupils per qualified teacher within maintained primary and secondary schools for Kirklees, Oldham and England are given below. Exact comparisons of pupil-teacher ratios between one authority and another are difficult to make because of local differences in the organisation of schools and in the distribution of pupils by age. Statistical information for schools in Wales is the responsibility of my right 107W hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales.
Nursery Primary Secondary Total Kirklees … … … 22.8 23.6 17.7 20.5 Oldham … … … 20.2 25.2 17.6 21.3 England … … … 20.2 23.1 16.7 19.6 The above pupil-teacher ratios relate to qualified teachers actually in the schools at the time of survey. There are other teachers not included above being paid by the authority—for example, seconded for other duties lasting a term or more, student teachers, instructors and those employed to cover short absences of regular teachers. The overall ratio of pupils in nursery, primary and secondary schools to all the teaching staff paid by local authorities in January 1979 were Kirklees 19.9, Oldham 20.7, England 18.9.