HC Deb 16 April 1999 vol 329 cc381-2W
Mr. Don Foster

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many pupils in(a) maintained secondary schools and (b) maintained primary schools in (i) England and (ii) Wales were in single teacher classes of 40 or more pupils (A) in January 1999 and (B) in each of the six previous years. [80686]

Ms Estelle Morris

[holding answer 15 April 1999]: The available information is shown in the following table.

Information on class sizes in Wales is the responsibility of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales.

Numbers of pupils in classes of 41 or more taught by one teacher in maintained primary and secondary schools in England: 1993–991 Position as at January
Year Primary schools secondary schools
1999 15,223 1,451
1998 17,565 1,630
1997 8,813 470
1996 9,435 816
1995 9,798 1,234
1994 4,697 881
1993 8,918 2,546
1Provisional