MR. CHANGING (Northamptonshire, E.)On behalf of the hon. Member for the Rossendale Division of Lancashire, I beg to ask the Vice-President of the Committee of Council on Education can he state what number of the higher grade schools formerly conducted by school boards and the managers of Voluntary schools have been discontinued since the introduction of the New Code and the Minute providing for the establishment of higher elementary schools; how many applications have been made to the Board of Education for the conversion of higher grade schools into higher elementary schools under the said Minute, and how many applications have been made for permission to create new higher elementary schools under the said 174 Minute; and what is now the total number of such higher elementary schools in England and Wales.
§ THE VICE-PRESIDENT OF THE COMMITTEE OF COUNCIL ON EDUCATION (Sir J. GORST,) Cambridge UniversityThe Board of Education are not aware of any such schools having been discontinued. About 190 applications have been made to be recognised under the Minute, most of which were accompanied by an intimation that the managers desired various modifications of the Minute, in order to enable them to comply with some of its terms. No higher elementary schools are yet in existence, nor can be until 1st October, the beginning of the school year.