Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1921.djvu/86

 34 THE BRITISH EMPIRE: — UNITED KINGDOM

cookery, laundrywork, housewifery, dairy work, handicrafts, gardening, &c. The local education authorities may supply, or aid the supply of, nursery schools and classes for children between 2 and 5 years of age, or such later age as may be approved by the Board of Education, and may make arrange- ments for attending to the health, nourishment, and physical welfare of such children Arrangements must also be made for the education ot phvsically or mentally defective children, and epileptic children. Provision mav also be made for holiday or school camps centres for physical training, school baths, and other facilities for social and physical training In ex- ceptional circumstances (such as remoteness of the homes from the school) board and lodging, and other facilities, may be provided.

Provision must be made by local education authorities for attending „o the health and physical condition of children in public elementary schools,

AnA iZ^Stlf°^ln under the age of 12, and street-trading under the age of 14, are prohibited.

In 1919 the number of schools (ordinary elementary, higher elementary, special, and certified efficient) in England ^ Wa le%for elementary educa- tion was 21.473, with accommodation for about 7,100,000 pupils. The number of scholars on the books of these schools on January 31 1919 was^ 221 862 aged under 5 ; 4,582,760 aged 5 and under 12 j 1,113,232 aged 11 and oven total, 5,917,854. In 1920 there were 12,266 voluntary schools for ordinary public elementary education, with accommodation for about 2,730,000 pupils ; and 8,705 Council schools with accom- modation for about 4,355,000 pupils; total ordinary public elementary chool 20,971, with total accommodation of about 7,085,000. The average attendanceat these schools in 1918-19 was 5,108,000, and the number of teachers was 168,000. The number of higher elementary schools was 44 with 11,550 registered pupils on the last day of January, 1919. Special Tchools comprised, in 1919, 57 for the blind with accommoda tl on fo 3 200 pupils ; 50 for the deaf, with accommodation lor 4 600 pupils 198 for mentally defective children, with accommodation for 15,500 pupils 162 for physically defective children, with accommodation for 11,400 pupils. 6 for epileptic children with accommodation for 500 pupils ; and 5. « certified efficient ' schools. There were also 59 poor law schools on March 31 1919 In 1919-20 there were 87 training colleges forte ;1 che^ forelemen tar'v schools in England and Wales, with accommodation for 13,542 students Scotland -Under the Education (Scotland) Act, 1918, elementary edn cation is controlled by specially elected 'education authorities (,v<- undo SecoXrEducation,&c, p. 32). Education is compulsory up to the ,,p of 15 vears, with exemption, on certain conditions, for children over 13 •NuJerv schools ' may be provided for children over 2 and under 5 years o seeTorY later age, if approved by the Scottish Education Department) E g xi9tin^volunUry' schools may be transferred to the education author, 5£fX V m ust a/cept such traW. After November 1920 gran s voluntary schools, made under the Education (Scotland) Act, 1897, are t

^ii^ment^tutn-uX^e age of 13, and street-trading umh the T n: numb^f'^nty schools in ree,„t of .rants in 1919 ™g

schools ; accommodation, 41,702; average attendance, Sl.OoO, averaj number on register, 84,997.