§ MR. ARTHUR O'CONNOR (Donegal, E.)I beg to ask the Vice-President of the Committee of Council on Education will he explain on what grounds the Education Department has insisted, in answer to the Linden Road School Board of Gloucester, on F. Clifford being vaccinated as a condition precedent to his being articled as pupil teacher, although he has already had the smallpox, though by the 30 and 31 Vic, c. 84, s. 31, he cannot be ordered by justices to be vaccinated; and under what statute the Department enforces the operation as a condition precedent to employment as teacher.
§ THE VICE-PRESIDENT OF THE COMMITTEE OF COUNCIL ON EDUCATION (Sir J. GORST,) Cambridge UniversityClifford seems to have been rejected by mistake. Satisfactory proof that a candidate had already had smallpox would be a sufficient ground for dispensing with vaccination. The Board of Education does not enforce vaccination; but in choosing teachers it requires those to be taken who are protected against smallpox in the interest of the children in the schools.
§ MR. ARTHUR O'CONNORThen the objection to this candidate has been withdrawn?
§ SIR J. GORSTYes.