§ Mr. Flanneryasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many European schools have been set up by, the European Economic Community; what is their total annual cost; what is the United Kingdom's share of the cost and that of the other member States for the current year; how many British students currently attend these schools; what is the average staff to student ratio; how may of these schools are in the United Kingdom; and on what basis students are selected for admission.
§ Dr. BoysonThere are nine European schools, one of which is in the United Kingdom—at Culham, Oxfordshire. These schools are not Community institutions but are established under the statute of the European school, which is an inter-governmental treaty adopted by EEC member States.
In September 1980 there was a total of 11,075 pupils in attendance at the schools, of whom 1,075 were British nationals. There were 795 full-time teachers; the average ratio of full-time staff to pupils for the nine schools was therefore 1:13.9.
354WThe total expenditure of the schools in the calendar year 1980 was £28.8 million. This figure does not include the cost of providing and maintaining (other than internal maintenance) the buildings in which the schools are housed; these charges fall to the Governments of the host countries. The main direct contribution to the expenditure of the schools by the United Kingdom Government was £720,000 in respect of a national element of the salaries paid to United Kingdom national teachers employed to work in the schools. Direct contributions from other member States to the costs of salaries of teachers appointed by them totalled £7.3 million.
The contribution to the budget of the European schools made from the Commission's own resources—the largest single contribution to the expenditure of the schools—amounted to £20.7 million in 1980.
Admission arrangements are based upon criteria established by the board of governors of the European schools.