§ COLONEL LOCKWOOD (Essex, Epping)I beg to ask the Vice-President of the Committee of Council on Education whether, with regard to the Order in Council for regulating the registration of teachers, it is the intention of the Board of Education to prescribe the conditions on which a school can become a recognised school for the purposes specified in sections 3 and 4 of the schedule to the Order; whether these conditions will be made to cover the case of schools conducted for private profit; whether it is the intention of the Board of Education to publish a list such recognised schools, and whether the term "Elementary School, "used in the Schedule, is to be interpreted as relating exclusively to a public elementary school as defined in the Education Act, 1870, and, if not, what is the signification of the term.
§ THE VICE-PRESIDENT OF THE COMMITTEE OF COUNCIL ox EDUCATION (Sir J. GORST, Cambridge University)No; it is intended that such schools shall be recognised as are, in the opinion of the Board of Education, efficient. Schools conducted for private profit will, if efficient, be recognised. The publication of a list of recognised schools is a matter that shall be considered. An elementary school is defined by law to be—
A school or department of a school at which elementary education is the principal part of the education there given, and does not include any school or department of a school at which the ordinary payments, in respect of the instruction, from each scholar, exceed ninepence a week.
§ MR. BARTLEY (Islington, N.)May I ask whether any statement will be issued as to the number of schools to be recognised as soon as this conditional Order becomes established?
§ SIR J. GORSTI think not. The Board of Education have very little experience at present in regard to secondary schools. It would be mere guess-work to prescribe the conditions beforehand or till some experience has been gained to attempt to give a list.