§ MR. PICTON (Leicester)asked the Vice President of the Committee of Council, Whether he has considered Mr. Matthew Arnold's Special Report on Elementary Education Abroad, with a view to acting upon any of the suggestions contained therein, and particularly whether the Education Department will use its influence to secure a graduation of the number of hours of schooling in each week, in accordance with the ages of children, as described on pages 11 and 13 of the Special Report; such farther modification of payment by results as may be necessary to facilitate the introduction of methods of teaching described on page 13 as "more gradual, more natural, more rational, than" those of English schools; the replacement of the pupil teacher system by some such method of training teachers as that described on page 16, in the case of Saxony; the abolition of school fees, as suggested on page 24; the organisation of secondary instruction, as recommended on page 25?
§ MR. BAUMANN (Camberwell, Peckham)asked, whether the attention of the Vice President had been called to a resolution passed by the Council of the Metropolitan Federation of Radical Clubs calling upon persons who sent their children to board schools under the control of the London School Board to discontinue the payment of school fees on and after October the 4th, and also to refuse to sign any paper in reference to school fees; and if, in the event of a strike against school fees, the Education Department intended to take any measures to enforce the law?
§ THE VICE PRESIDENT (Sir HENRY HOLLAND) (Hampstead)The attention of the Department will, of course, be directed to the suggestions contained in Mr. Arnold's interesting Report; but, pending the Report of the Royal Commission upon Elementary Education, I am not prepared to say how far it may be desirable to carry any 980 of them into effect. I may, however, add, as to one part of the Question, that Mr. Arnold suggests the abolition of school fees on political rather than educational grounds. With reference to the Question of the hon. Member behind me (Mr. Baumann), I do not see how it in any way bears on the Question upon the Paper; but if the hon. Member puts it down I will answer it.