§ MR. HARWOOD (Bolton)On behalf of the hon. Member for West Nottingham, I beg to ask the Vice-President of the Committee of Council on Education whether an opportunity will be afforded for the discussion of the new regulations and alterations made in the Science and Art Directory during the session; and, if not, will the new regulations and alterations be suspended from operation until they shall have received the consideration of Parliament.
§ THE VICE-PRESIDENT OF THE COMMITTEE OF COUNCIL ON EDUCATION (Sir J. GORST, Cambridge University)Yes; the Second Heading of the Appropriation Bill will afford such an opportunity.
§ MR. HARWOODOn behalf of the hon. Member for West Nottingham, I beg to ask the Vice-President of the Committee of Council on Education by what authority the regulations contained in the Science and Art Directory became lawful and operative without being laid upon the Table or being subject to discussion by this House.
§ SIR J. GORSTThe Directory is always laid on the Table of both Houses, though there is no statutory obligation requiring this to be done.
§ MR. HARWOODOn behalf of the hon. Member for West Nottingham, I beg to ask the Vice-President of the Committee of Council on Education if he will grant a Return of any correspondence from inspectors of schools or other persons containing recommendations or suggestions which have led to changes in the regulations issued in the Science and Art Directory whereby science and art grants are to be withheld from school boards except under novel and difficult conditions.
§ SIR J. GORSTThere is no such correspondence, and there is no intention to withhold from school boards such grants as have been heretofore made to them by the Science and Art Department.
§ MR. HARWOODOn behalf of the hon. Member for West Nottingham, I beg to ask the Vice-President of the Committee of Council on Education whether the new regulations in the Science and Art Directory will debar school boards from receiving science and art grants in respect of pupil teacher schools or central classes for pupil teachers.
§ SIR J. GORSTThe answer is in the negative.
MR. J. A. PEASEI beg to ask the Vice-President of the Committee of Council on Education whether the Board of Education have so altered Clause 6 of the Science and Art Directory (1900) as to prevent school board classes, which are entirely dependent for local assistance upon the school fund, from participating in the grants administered by the Department of Science and Art.
§ SIR J. GORSTNo such alteration has been made in Clause 6 of the Directory. The meaning of that clause is the same as it has been for many years, the words added being for the purpose of preventing a misinterpretation pointed out as possible by the school boards. But the Department has always held that the application of the school fund to science and art instruction, except in the case of pupil teachers, was illegal.