§ MR. SAMUEL SMITH (Flintshire)I beg to ask the Vice-President of the Committee of Council on Education, whether he is aware that it has been the custom to take all the children at the national school at Lambourne, in Berkshire, over six years of age, on saints' days, to celebrations of the Holy Communion at which no one communicates but the minister; and that during Lent the children went to church every Wednesday and Friday from 11.40 to 12; whether this was an infringement of the conscience clause, as religious instruction was not on the time table at that time and secular instruction did not begin till 10; whether he is aware that for some months the curate has taken a class in algebra during the time set down on the time table for religious instruction, this having been done three times a week; whether the aid grant has been used this year for the purpose specified on the conditions under which it was granted; whether the balance sheet of 38 the school accounts was published last year, in accordance with the Government requirements; and, whether the balance sheet supplied to the Education Department last year was correct, or whether one of the instalments of the fee grant was omitted.
§ SIR J. GORSTI have no information on the facts alleged in the first three paragraphs. The practice of any religious observance, or the giving of religious instruction, at any time not inserted in a time-table approved by the Education Department, would be an infringement of Section 7 of the Elementary Education Act, 1870; the Department have not yet received the accounts for the school year just ended, and therefore cannot say how the Aid Grant has been spent; they have no reason to think that the previous year's balance sheet was not duly published, or that it was incorrect; the fee-grant was correctly entered.
§ MR. SAMUEL SMITHWill the right honourable Gentleman make inquiries as to the truth of those allegations?
§ SIR J. GORSTI should like to explain that the Education Department have nothing to do with the kind of religious instruction given in schools. All they can see to is that religious instruction is given according to the time tables, and that those parents who object to the religious instruction given should have the opportunity of withdrawing their children.
§ MR. SAMUEL SMITHIs it not part of the duty of the Education Department to ascertain whether children are marched to church during hours set apart for ordinary secular education?
§ SIR J. GORSTIf the children are taken to a religious service during hours which are devoted to secular instruction that would be an infringement of the Education Act, and that the Department would take notice of.