§ MR. FAWCETTasked the Vice President of the Council, If he will state to the House how many schemes of the Endowed Schools Commissioners have been approved by the Committee of Council on Education since the present Government came into office, how many have been disapproved, and how many are awaiting decision; and, whether the Government have ascertained how many schools, and which schools will, under Clause 4 of the Endowed Schools Acts Amendment Bill, be exempted from the operation of the 17th and 18th Clauses of the Endowed Schools Act of 1869, which provide for persons not being disqualified for acting as members of the governing body of schools on account of their religious opinions, and for the head master not being necessarily in holy orders?
§ VISCOUNT SANDON, in reply, said, that when the present Government came into office they found a large number of schemes which had been handsomely postponed by their Predecessors as soon as they felt that they were about to cease to be Members of the Government. They felt that it was right their Successors should have the responsibility of determining upon those schemes. The number of schemes approved of by the present Government was 42, three of which had been remitted to the Commissioners for alteration; 13 of those schemes were for grammar schools, and 25 for other educational charities. The number of schemes awaiting approval was 32. [Mr. W. E. FORSTER: How many have been disapproved of?] None had been disapproved of; but he hoped the House would recollect that 32 were awaiting approval, and that it was not improbable that some of these might be disapproved of He regretted that he could give no in- 301 formation in regard to the second part of the hon. Members's Question. It involved very difficult points of law, which were exactly the points which the new Commissioners would have to decide.