§ Mr. GRAY (West Ham, N.)I beg to ask the Vice-President of the Committee of Council on Education whether he is aware that on 3rd March, 1900, the School Board for the County Borough of West Ham asked for approval of arrangements for a higher grade school; that the Board of Education replied on 27th April requesting that the application should be renewed at a later date; that the application was renewed on 15th June, and the Board of Education wrote on 2nd August asking whether they understood the application to be for a higher grade or higher elementary school; whether he is aware that, in view of this suggestion, the Vest Ham Board asked on 28th September for approval for a higher elementary school in Harold road, and that, up to 7th March, 1901, no approval had been given; whether he can give the reasons for this delay of over twelve months; and, whether he will now facilitate the efforts of the West Ham School Board in their attempt to provide at least one higher elementary school in a town of 300,000 people.
§ SIR J. GORSTThe West Ham School Board did not apply for the recognition of a higher elementary school at Harold Road until September 28th, and has not yet provided the information necessary to enable the Board of Education to come to a decision on their application. Further information was asked for by the Board of Education on October 18th. The answer to this inquiry was not received until January 28th, and the information it contained was still inadequate. A further communication has already been sent to the School Board.