§ MR. J. G. TALBOT (Oxford University)I beg to ask the Vice President of the Committee of Council on Education, whether he can assure the House that the objections taken to the alteration of the history syllabus in the new Code will be favourably considered, and managers and teachers relieved from their anxiety as to the effects of the change?
§ THE VICE PRESIDENT OF THE COUNCIL (Mr. A. H. D. ACLAND, York, W. R., Rotherham)A Minute was laid on the Table last Friday, re-instating the history syllabus of the previous Code as an alternative to that of the new Code, and will be in the hands of hon. Members in a day or two. This will, I hope, completely meet all objections.
§ MR. H. O. ARNOLD-FORSTER (Belfast, W.)I beg to ask the Vice President of the Committee of Council on Education—(1) whether he will issue an instruction to Her Majesty's inspectors authorising them to accept the history syllabus prescribed in the Code of 1894, as an alternative course to that prescribed in the Code of 1895, and will cause such instruction to be embodied in the present Code; and (2) whether he can hold out any hope that in the future reasonable notice will be given of intended changes in the Education Code when such changes necessarily involve extensive alterations in the text-books already in use.
§ MR. ACLANDI have already laid a Minute on the table re-instating the history syllabus of the Code of 1894, as an alternative to that of the new Code, and it will be in the hands of hon. Members within a day or two. This Minute will become part of the new Code, and no further instructions to inspectors will therefore be necessary. In reply to the second paragraph of the hon. Member's question, it is difficult always to give notice of such change as involve alterations in the text-books already in use; but, as far as I am concerned, this matter will be given due consideration in future, in the case of large and important changes.