MOTION FOR LEAVE. (Hansard, 21 May 1885)

§ MR. MUNDELLA

At this late hour I will confine myself to explaining only two or three points of the measure which I am about to introduce. I should have been glad, if the opportunity had been afforded me, to have made a statement in detail; but as that is not possible at this hour, perhaps the House will permit me, just very briefly, to state two or three of the leading features of the Bill, and to defer to another stage the opportunity of explaining more fully its provisions. It is not necessary to remind the House, and I shall assume for the purposes of the Bill that the House is fully aware, of the great deficiency in intermediate education in Wales, which is of an exceptional character, and far beyond anything we are acquainted with in any other part of the United Kingdom. Briefly, there are two points I would lay before the House—first, that it was shown clearly by the Report of the Departmental Committee presided over by Lord Aberdare that only 16 children in 1137 1,000 attend intermediate schools in Wales, and only one in 1,000 attend public intermediate schools. The total number was so small that there was no parallel for it in any other part of the United Kingdom. The other point is the small amount of the endowments in Wales and the niter inadequacy of them to meet the requirements of intermediate education in that country. The whole endowment in North and South Wales for educational purposes is only £10,000 a-year. The endowments of Wales and Monmouthshire are covered by £14,000 a-year, a sum less in itself than that possessed by the town of Coventry, and only half the amount that a scheme now before the House—the Elliot scheme in Edinburgh—will cost. It is not to be wondered at that the condition of intermediate education in Wales is as deplorable as I have stated to the House. The Departmental Committee have made a recommendation that the whole of the endowments of Wales, including educational endowments, should be made available for intermediate education, and that there should be a small fixed rate also, limited to something like a halfpenny in the pound, and a draft on the Treasury for the establishment of intermediate education, and to meet the defects of the present system. Now, in order to meet the existing deficiencies we are bringing in this Bill. The 4th clause practically states the whole scheme of the Bill—which will be in the hands of hon. Members on Saturday morning, I hope, when hon. Members will be able to see the whole scope of the measure. The clause runs to this effect— An Education Committee shall be established in every county in Wales, and in the county of Monmouth; and it shall be the duty of such Committee to submit to the Education Commissioners for Wales, appointed as in this Act mentioned, a plan or plans for the intermediate education of the inhabitants of their county. What we were met with on the threshold of this measure was the difficulty of calling into existence some Local Authority to deal with the question of education. We have now, we hope, surmounted that difficulty, and the 4th clause of this Bill creates an Education Committee in every county in Wales and in the county of Monmouth. 1138 This special Committee will consist of the Members of Parliament for the time being in every county; the Members for the time being of every Parliamentary borough in the county; two Members for every municipal borough of over 50,000 inhabitants; one Member for every municipal borough under 50,000 inhabitants; the representatives of the School Boards, &c. Well, then, Sir, to this county Committee is remitted the duty of recommending plans for the providing of schools, for the establishment of now schools and alterations or additions to old ones; also the providing for scholarships, the recommendation of the rates, and the providing of all things necessary for the establishment and successful working of schools in Wales. They will also have the power of dealing with such endowments as are necessary for the working of this Act. Another feature, and a most important feature, of this Bill, is that the Educational Committee will have power to give the consent which was formerly vested in the Trustees of the endowments. That is the recommendation of the Departmental Committee of the Schools Inquiry Commission. In ordinary circumstances, the powers of this Bill would have been worked through the Charity Commissioners; but we have had some experience which goes to prove that we shall do more to meet the exigencies of Wales in appointing a Special Commission. Therefore, we propose to provide such a Special Commission for Wales as exists in Scotland, where we appointed a Special Commission, which has rapidly reorganized the whole of the educational endowments of Scotland. This Committee will have the advantage of the assistance of six gentlemen who have rendered valuable assistance in the inquiry, and who know all the wants of Wales in respect of education, and who know all its resources. We think we may be fortunate enough to obtain some of these gentlemen in this connection, and we shall bring to bear on the Committee that knowledge of schools which will be so useful. Well, Sir, these two bodies—the local Committee to initiate, and the Royal Commission to frame the plans and deal with the schemes—are the two bodies, both Welsh, both conferring together in the locality, 1139 who are to have the power of reorganizing the schools and making provision for the locality. The power of rating will originate with the Local Authorities, and the rate is strictly confined to the sum of a halfpenny in the pound. To meet that there is a clause in the Bill in which the Treasury is empowered or required to pay annually, out of the moneys provided by Parliament in aid of the county schools, a sum that shall be equivalent to the amount of the rate levied in the county. There is also a borrowing power for building purposes, on the same terms as those granted to the School Board, by which the Loan Commissioners lent for a term of 50 years. I should like to explain the operation of this. Let me take the case of the county of Glamorgan. The population of that county is 550,000. We will say that the educational endowment of the county amounts to £1,500 a-year; a halfpenny rate under the Bill will supply an additional £4,600, and the Government grant will give an equal sum. That would give a sum of £10,700 a-year for intermediate education in Glamorganshire. The result for the whole of Wales will be that there would be an annual sum of £536,000 obtained for this purpose; and, in addition to this, there will be the increase of fees and the increase of scholarships and local aid due to the increased confidence of the people in the schools. There is one other point, and that is this—it is provided that the meetings of the Governing Body should partake much more of a public character than hitherto. I regret that I have been compelled to make so brief and hasty a statement; but I should like to say, in conclusion—

Notice taken, that 40 Members were not present; House counted, and 40 Members being found present,