HC Deb 02 February 1897 vol 45 cc1041-2
MR. ERNEST GRAY (West Ham, N.)

I beg to ask the Vice President of the Committee of Council on Education whether his attention has been directed to Circular Letter No. 314 of the Science and Art Department which purports to explain a paragraph of the Science and Art Directory; whether he is aware that this explanation is contrary to the interpretation which has been generally placed on the regulations contained in the directory by the managers of science classes and evening continuation schools and opposed to the practice generally observed in such schools and classes; and, whether, having regard to the serious loss of grants which will result from the operation of these instructions, he will have the new regulations so modified that while one attendance may not be registered for two grants, yet grants may be made for separate attendance at science and art classes by pupils who are also attending day schools in accordance with the existing practice?

THE VICE PRESIDENT OF THE COUNCIL (Sir JOHN GORST,) Cambridge University

The object of the circular and the regulation to which it refers is to prevent a double grant being paid—one by the Education Department and the other by the Science and Art Department. No school need come under the regulation during the present year; there is the option of working under the present system of payment by results. The meaning of the circular is that a scholar on the register of a day elementary school cannot be also registered for an attendance grant from the Science and Art Department. It is not intended to apply to evening schools and classes. The whole subject has been referred to a Departmental Committee, which will report to the Committee of Council on the grants of the Science and Art Department and the regulations necessary to prevent their overlapping those of the Education Department.

MR. GRAY

asked if as the circular stood it would prevent pupils attending evening classes and also attending science classes from receiving separate grants.

SIR J. GORST

said it would not, because during the present financial year the circular would work under the old system of payments by results, and before entering another year the Committee would report and arrangements would be made.