§ MR. F. A. CHANNING (Northampton. E.)I beg to ask the Vice President of the Committee of Council on Education (1) whether he is aware that the National School at Sulgrave, Northamptonshire, has for years past been the subject of 940 repeated disputes and conflicts between rival bodies of managers whose authority individually and collectively has been continually challenged, with the result that the school has been closed (owing to inability to pay the teachers on account of failure of subscriptions) for nine months in 1893, and for six months in 1896; that a poll of the parish, taken on 28th December, 1896, resulted in a majority for forming a School Board; and that the Parish Council has at a subsequent meeting further applied to the Education Department to form a School Board; and (2) whether the Education Department will now issue an order for the formation of a School Board, as the most prompt and permanent settlement of the educational difficulties of the parish?
§ * MR. HANBURY (on behalf of Sir J. GORST)The facts are as stated in paragraph (1) except that the Committee of Council have received no information as to the poll said to have been taken on 28th December, 1896. A final notice issued by the Education Department has expired, but the Department is informed that the school has now been reopened under a certificated teacher; there therefore appears to be no reason for setting up a School Board in pursuance of the final notice.
§ MR. CHANNINGIn consequence of the right hon. Gentleman's reply, I shall put a further Question after the recess.