§ MR. GRAY (West Ham, N.)I beg to ask the Vice-President of the Committee of Council on Education whether a modified scheme for the constitution of a governing body of an association under the Voluntary Schools Act was received from the Chester Diocese, and approved 589 by the Education Department, in January last; whether he can state if this modified scheme was prepared by the governing body formed under the original scheme; and, if not, by what person or persons the scheme was prepared; whether the managers of the voluntary schools in the Chester Diocese had any notification given to them of the proposed changes in this scheme, or whether information on this subject was reserved until the scheme had been submitted to and approved by the Education Department; and, is he aware that the modifications which have been incorporated in the new scheme have resulted in restricting the liberty of managers in selecting their representatives; and, if so, have the managers any appeal against a decision which has deprived them of a liberty admitted by the Voluntary Schools Act, and which they were assured during the debate on the Second Reading of the Act should be reserved.
§ SIR J. GORSTThe answers to the first two paragraphs of the question are in the affirmative. In regard to the third paragraph, I understand that notification of the proposed changes was not given to all the managers. During the debates on the Bill the impression no doubt prevailed that teachers would be eligible as members of the governing bodies. But the Committee of Council are not aware that any pledge was given by any member of the Government that the Department would refuse to approve the rules of any association which did not admit of the representation of the managers by teachers. Under the circumstances, the Committee of Council are not prepared to decide at present whether this governing body have gone beyond the provisions of the Act; but the Education Department will communicate with them, in the hope that they will see their way to withdrawing the limitation, to which it appears from the hon. Member's question that some of the managers object.
§ MR. GRAYHave local managers a right to appeal to the Education Department, seeing that they had no previous knowledge of the scheme?
SIR J. GOESTEverybody has a right to appeal to the Education Department, but what power the Department may have to remedy their grievances I cannot say.