DEFINITIONS. (Hansard, 18 March 1897)

§ MR J. A. PEASE (Northumberland, Tyneside)

Moved to insert after the words Education Department" A school shall be deemed to be "necessitous" if, in the preceding school year, either— (a) A rate of 3d. in the pound on the rateable value of the school district in which the school was situated, together with any other school district, or part of a school district, for which the school is recognised as available by the Education Department, would have produced less than £20, or less than 7s. 60. per scholar in the school or schools of the district; or, (b) A School Board existed in the district in which the school was situated, and a sum was paid to the treasurer of the School Board by the rating authority which was not less than the proceeds of a rate of 3d. in the pound on the rateable value of the district. Those who had spoken on the Bill had, almost without exception, criticised the vague character of what might be considered a necessitous school under the provisions of the Bill, and the Members of the Government had admitted that the term was somewhat elastic. His object in seeking to define what a necessitous school was, not to limit the necessity to poor districts, but to establish statutory equality with Board Schools. Members would recognise in his Amendment the principle of the 97th Section of the Act of 1870, which applied to Board Schools. He was not himself satisfied with that definition and desired to, see it considerably extended. The Conservative Measure of 1876 when it was introduced contained in the 13th Section a special provision as to Parliamentary grants being 970 given to schools in poor districts. In that section, where the Education Department were satisfied a rate of 3d. would produce less than 6s. per head of one-sixth of the population of the school district, special grants would be provided; that then appeared to be the Government view as to what was a necessitous school. It was the intention of the Government that £620,000 should be given to only necessitous schools. Why not, therefore, now define the word, and allow one standard of necessity for Board and Voluntary Schools alike. It was his object to make the law equal in its application. If the First Lord would indicate to them that in the Bill about to be introduced he was going to extend largely the idea of what was a necessitous Board School, he would be glad to alter his Amendment that what was a necessitous Voluntary School should be exactly the same as a necessitous Board School. They ought to see that equal justice was done as far as possible. He knew the effect of his Amendment would limit the number of schools which would receive the aid grant, but where there was no guarantee of efficiency or public representation on the management, it was expedient that the grant should not be given recklessly. His object was to secure and encourage interest on the part of the managers of Voluntary Schools in their schools, and to secure statutory equality, and he therefore moved.