§ MR.MACDONA (Southwark, Rotherhithe)I beg to ask the Vice President of the Committee of Council on Education whether he will explain upon what grounds the Education Department have demanded that expensive alterations shall be made in the schools of St. James, Bermondsey, which contain about 550 children in average attendance, and have had most excellent Reports, every year; and whether, in consideration of the poorness of the neighbourhood, and the many burdens and high rate of taxation in the district, he will make his orders for alterations as light as possible, and reconsider the heavy demand he has recently made upon the slender resources of so poor a neighbourhood?
§ MR. ACLANDSince 1889 there have been repeated references in the Reports of the school to the need of 989 better class-room accommodation, in order to relieve overcrowding and to allow a better organisation of the school. The managers have been asked to enlarge the class-rooms as a condition of their continued recognition, and to partition the main room; and they appear ready to do so, and are in correspondence with the Department as to the plans. No other requirement has been made by the Department; but it appears that certain alterations to the drainage and offices have been ordered by the Vestry as Sanitary Authority for the district.
§ MR. MACDONASeeing that this is a very poor district, and it will be difficult to raise the money, is the right hon. Gentleman aware that failure to do so will involve the handing over of the school to the School Board, and thereby cast extra burdens on the ratepayers?
§ MR. ACLANDI am afraid that that is the case. In Loudon, as elsewhere, schools have to fill up vacancies, and if a school cannot be supported voluntarily the burden must fall on the rates.