§ MR. CALDWELL (Glasgow, St. Rollox)I beg to ask the Lord Advocate whether it is the case that School Boards in Scotland must obtain the sanction of the Scotch Education Department prior to the sanction of new schools, and whether application was made to the Department for sanction to the erection of a Board school in Lenzie prior to its erection; whether the School Boards 1345 concerned, in their application for such sanction, included, in the number of children requiring school accommodation, the total number of children of school age in Lenzie District; what was the number of children of school age in Lenzie District at the date of application; upon what date did the Department proceed in sanctioning the erection of school buildings to accommodate 560 children, seeing that the average attendance is only 201; what is the cause of this small attendance at this school; whether the school fees charged in Lenzie Board School are complained against as not being within the reasonable reach of children of the working classes resident in that district; whether the School Boards have made any provision, and, if so, what, and where, in Lenzie District, for providing free education in the compulsory standards; and whether provision for free education in schools outside the district of the children's residence (especially in the face of there being vacant places for 300 children in Lenzie School, specially built for the accommodation of children resident in Lenzie District) is a compliance with the condition precedent set forth in the Minute of the Department of 26th August?
§ MR. J. P. B. ROBERTSONSchool Boards in Scotland must obtain the sanction of the Scotch Education Department to any loan for the erection of a new school. A long correspondence took place with regard to the school at Lenzie, extending from the year 1884, when a memorial was presented by the inhabitants of the district urging the necessity of a school at Lenzie, which was a rapidly-increasing district, paying large school rates. The two School Boards of Cadder and Kirkintilloch ultimately assented to the Petition of the inhabitants, and in the year 1887 presented an application for sanction to a loan for the provision of a school for the children residing within the districts of these two Boards at Lenzie, where they certified that there were 133 families at that date for whom no efficient school was available. This loan finally received the sanction of the Department in August, 1888. The Department do not know the cause of the present attendance at the school. I have already stated, in answer to the hon. Member, what representations have 1346 reached the Department with respect to the school fees at Lenzie Academy, as well as the assurances received from the School Boards as to the supply of free places for the district, upon the faith of which this school was sanctioned as a fee paying school; and I have also stated that the Department is prepared to consider any statistics showing that hardship exists, or that the representations of the School Board were unfounded.