§ MR. SNAPE (Lancashire, S.E., Heywood)I beg to ask the Vice President of the Committee of Council on Education whether he is aware that Mrs. Annie Jones, a widow, applied at the end of January last at Walton Lane School, under the Liverpool School Board, for free education for her four children, which was refused until she had been subjected to an inquiry into her circumstances, and until the matter had been submitted to the School Attendance Committee, and that in consequence of this delay she is still required to pay fees; and whether such inquiries into the circumstances of the parents who request free education for their children are sanctioned by the Department?
§ MR. LAWRENCE (Liverpool, Abercromby)Before the right hon. Gentleman answers the question, may I ask him if it is a fact that no school authority whatever refused Mrs. Jones's request; that no inquiries whatever were made into her circumstances; that the delay of the school managers in replying to her application was due to the fact that it arrived just after one meeting, and that the next meeting in the ordinary course had to be postponed in consequence of the visit of Her Majesty's Inspector; that there are plenty of free schools in the same neighbourhood; and that the matter got into the local newspapers owing to a manager who found time to write to them rather than to summon his colleagues to deal with the case.
THE VICE PRESIDENT OF THE COUNCIL (Mr. ACEAND,) York, W.R., RotherhamI will state the facts of the case. I understand that Mrs. Jones, whose husband was refused free education for his children at Walton Lane School last autumn, went to the head master in January last after her husband's death and applied for free education. This request was not granted till Thursday last, after consideration of her case by a meeting of the managers. The managers have now made new arrangements to avoid such delay. As to whether the head master asked any questions as to her circumstances, the statements are con- 1233 flicting, and I am unable to give positive information. Subject to what I have now said, the statement of the hon. Member opposite (Mr. Lawrence) is, I believe, generally correct. There may be free schools within reach of Mrs. Jones, but it is not a matter of surprise that she wishes to keep her children in the school to which they have been accustomed to go, even if her case has to be specially considered. I much regret that the Liverpool School Board has not seen its way to make all its schools free, like many other large School Boards, so that there might be no delay, or any kind of inquiry. The Department strongly discountenances all inquiries into the circumstances of parents in connection with their right to free education under the Act of 1891.
§ MR. LAWRENCEIs not my statement absolutely correct: that there was no inquiry?
§ MR. ACLANDAs to that, the statements are conflicting, and I can give no decided opinion one way or the other.