§ MR. WATKIN WILLIAMSsaid, he wished to ask the President of the Poor Law Board, Whether his attention has been called to a report in the papers of the proceedings of the Ellesmere Board of Guardians on Tuesday 8th of March, stating that—
A letter was read from the schoolmaster applying to the Board for a map of England and Wales, also one of Palestine. The Board were of 420 opinion that it was not necessary for the pauper children to learn geography, and therefore the application was refused;and, whether the statement is true and whether the conduct of the Board is approved of by the Government?
§ MR. GOSCHENSir, my attention has not been called to the report in the newspapers of the proceedings of the Ellesmere Board of Guardians; but since the hon. Member gave notice of his. Question, I have caused inquiry to be made into the facts of the case. They are as follows:—The schoolmaster applied for some slates, books, and maps to the Board of Guardians of the Ellesmere Union, and thereupon this resolution was passed—
That the books and slates applied for by the schoolmaster be obtained; but that the maps, considering that there are very few boys in the school, are not at present required.There were at that time twelve boys in the school, six being below, and six above, ten years of age. Under these circumstances, the Guardians refused that part of the application; but they were not actuated apparently by the motive attributed to them in the Question put by the hon. Member. At the same time, I am bound to say that in a neighbouring Union there has been a considerable anti-geography opinion, and that the Poor Law Board were obliged to threaten to withhold the money grant to the schoolmaster unless proper maps were supplied. The hon. Member will see, therefore, that if Boards of Guardians do refuse to supply maps to an ordinary school, their conduct is not approved by the Poor Law Board.