§ MR. LIDDELLsaid, he wished to ask the Vice President of the Council, Whether, in view of a largely extended system of National Education, the Government are taking, or are prepared to take any and, if so, what steps for increasing the present staff of teachers, either by additional training in normal schools, or by otherwise recruiting the teaching power of the Country?
§ MR. W. E. FORSTERMy answer, Sir, to the hon. Gentleman's Question must be the same I gave to an almost precisely similar Question of the noble Lord (Viscount Sandon), the Member for Liverpool, some weeks ago—that is, that upon the Education Bill becoming law it will be the duty of the Government immediately to reconsider the conditions on which grants are made for training schools, and also the conditions on which certificates to masters are at present given. These two points cover the Question of my hon. Friend. I may add, that I am glad to find that the number of pupils in training colleges have increased in the last year; I believe they are still increasing, and the present training schools would, if full, furnish a feeding force for more than 25,000 schools.
§ MR. LIDDELLsaid, he wished to know when the Reports of the Inspectors of Schools for last year would be in the hands of Members?
§ MR. W. E. FORSTERsaid, he could not say exactly; but would take care that they were produced as soon as possible.