Mr. Harvey:

asked the President of the Board of Education whether he will seek information concerning what regulations as to the size of classes are now in operation in elementary schools in Germany; and whether he can give information as to the extent of the reduction in the size of these classes in recent years?

Conditions vary considerably between one State and another. I am sending the hon. Member such information as the board possess, which cannot easily be summarised in an answer to a Parliamentary question.

Viscountess Astor:

Do many of them have classes over 40?

Oh, yes. The figure is very different from 40.

Mr. Harvey:

asked the President of the Board of Education whether he can give any estimate of the number of years which must elapse under existing conditions before all classes in elementary schools are reduced to a maximum of 40 children in a class?

The factors to be taken into account are too uncertain to enable me to form any reliable estimate of the number of years which must elapse under existing conditions before all classes in elementary schools are reduced to a maximum of 40 children in a class, a figure which, as the hon. Member will be aware, is at present applicable only to classes for senior children.