§ DR. MACNAMARAI beg to ask the Vice-President of the Committee of Council on Education whether his attention has been called to the decision arrived at by the Liverpool School Board, to the effect that, in the present state of the law as disclosed by the Cockerton judgment, the board has felt compelled to give notice to drop after 31st July next all its manual instruction for boys, all its cookery and laundry work for girls, all instruction for ex-standard scholars, and the whole of the evening school work the board has hitherto carried on; and to issue provisional notices to terminate the engagements of all its teachers employed in manual instruction, cookery, and laundry work, and to notify the managers of voluntary schools who send scholars to the board's centres in these subjects that they can no longer enjoy this advantage after 31st July next; and whether, in view of this decision, an assurance will at once be sent to the Liverpool School Board which will enable it to carry on the work thus threatened with stoppage until such time as the law may be amended by new legislation.
§ THE VICE-PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD OF EDUCATION (Sir J. GORST, Cambridge University)replied that such a letter had been received and was under consideration.
§ *MR. MATHER (Lancashire, Rossendale)Is the opportunity for giving manual instruction in elementary schools longer or shorter under the new Code, and what period of time is devoted to it?
§ SIR J. GORSTThat does not arise out of the question on the Paper. Perhaps the hon. Member will give notice, of the question.