§ MR. C. DALRYMPLEasked the Vice President of the Committee of Council, 1851 with reference to an answer given by him on the 1st March last, Whether he is now in a position to state what decrease there is in the number of Evening Schools and Scholars inspected during the past owing to the regulations of the New Code?
§ MR. W. E. FORSTERsaid, in reply, that he could not state precisely what was the decrease in the number of evening schools and scholars inspected during the past year, owing to the regulations of the New Code, because the year for which the Returns were made did not expire till the 31st of August. But as the night schools were generally held during winter, he might state that the number of the schools had decreased from 2,100 to 1,300, but he could not give any information as to the number of the scholars. He would take that opportunity of stating what were the requirements with regard to night schools. The House would be aware that, under the Revised Code, before the passing of the Education Act, only 40 meetings were required to enable a school to receive the Parliamentary Grant, and each scholar was required to attend 24 times before coming up for examination. It was proposed, in the New Code, to make the number of meetings 80, and the number of attendances 50 for the year; but it was ultimately decided that the number of meetings should be reduced to 60, and the attendances to 40. That arrangement was to have lapsed this year, but Lord Ripon and himself had determined to continue it, believing that a less number of attendances would not give a school a right to receive public money.