§ MR. WELBYasked the Vice President of the Committee of Council on Education, Whether the ten square feet per scholar on which the Return to the Address of 28th April, 1871 (Elementary Education, Civil Parishes) is calculated, is to be regarded as the rate of accommodation which will for the future be required in schools by the Education Department?
§ MR. W. E. FORSTER, in reply, said, he would refer the hon. Gentleman to the conditions of the New Code, which stated that no school should receive an annual grant which had not a space 8 feet square for each scholar and 80 cubical feet. Ten feet were mentioned in the statement, because it was well known that there were many schools throughout the country in which the rooms were low. As regarded the grant, all that would be required was a space of 8 square feet and 80 cubic feet. No special plan was required to be adopted in order to obtain a building grant. Of course, if schools were manifestly unfit they would not be accepted, but no special plans were required.