Regarding comprehensives, which statement best captures the economic rationale?

Regarding comprehensives, which statement best captures the economic rationale?

• A. They are larger schools that offer more subjects and facilities and are cheaper to fund and run.
• B. They are smaller, more expensive per pupil.
• C. They require extensive private funding.
• D. They are mainly privately funded with higher tuition.

Answer: (A)

The main idea this question tests is how scale and breadth in a school affect costs. A comprehensive system is designed so a single large school serves many students with a wide range of subjects and facilities. When more students share fixed costs like the building, administration, and specialized rooms (labs, libraries, sports facilities), the cost per pupil drops. That same large-scale setup also makes it practical to offer a broad curriculum and maintain diverse facilities without duplicating resources across many small schools. So comprehensives are cheaper to fund and run on a per-pupil basis while providing more subject choices and better facilities. Choices that emphasize smaller size and higher per-pupil costs, or heavy reliance on private funding, don’t fit this logic, since the economic goal of comprehensives is to spread costs and maximize access to a broad range of subjects through scale.

The main idea this question tests is how scale and breadth in a school affect costs. A comprehensive system is designed so a single large school serves many students with a wide range of subjects and facilities. When more students share fixed costs like the building, administration, and specialized rooms (labs, libraries, sports facilities), the cost per pupil drops. That same large-scale setup also makes it practical to offer a broad curriculum and maintain diverse facilities without duplicating resources across many small schools. So comprehensives are cheaper to fund and run on a per-pupil basis while providing more subject choices and better facilities.

Choices that emphasize smaller size and higher per-pupil costs, or heavy reliance on private funding, don’t fit this logic, since the economic goal of comprehensives is to spread costs and maximize access to a broad range of subjects through scale.