§ MR. STANLEY LEIGHTONasked the Vice President of the Committee of Council, Whether it is true that he has ordered a School Board to be formed at Rothwell, Northamptonshire, in direct opposition to the wishes of the householders and ratepayers, as declared by a considerable majority at the poll held on the 29th of March, and of the protests of a deputation representing four-fifths of the rateable value of the parish, and notwithstanding the fact that the managers of the national school offered and were prepared to provide whatever additional school accommodation might be required by the Education Acts?
§ MR. MUNDELLAIt is true that a School Board has been ordered for the parish of Rothwell, a small town in Northamptonshire, under Section 12 (2) of the Act of 1870. It appears that for the last half-century the educational requirements of the district have been supplied by two schools, one National and the other British, and the population is largely composed of Nonconformists, who have been established there for more than 200 years. The buildings of the British school having been condemned, it was found necessary to replace them. The managers, however, failed to raise the sum required, and an attempt was made to pass a resolution in favour of a School Board. This was rejected by 310 to 255, a majority of 55 in a population of 3,000. The managers of the British School now find themselves 1312 obliged to close the school, and have given notice to that effect to the Education Department. Under these circumstances, the Department issued the order for a School Board, and practically they had no alternative. It is quite true that the managers of the National School offered to build an additional school in order to supply the deficiency; but for several reasons this would not have been a satisfactory solution of the difficulty. There would have been no provision for the children pending the erection of the new school, and the whole of the school accommodation would have been monopolized by one religious body. Such an arrangement would certainly not have been suitable to a population which for half-a-century has enjoyed a choice of schools, and would neither have been conducive to the peace or the educational interests of the district.
§ MR. STANLEY LEIGHTONDo I understand, Sir, that there was a deficiency of school accommodation?
§ MR. MUNDELLAThe schools were closed, and it was necessary to provide for the educational wants of the district.