§ SIR JOSEPH LEESE (Lancashire, Accrington)I beg to ask the Secretary to the Board of Education whether, having regard to frequent statements made by the First Lord of the Treasury in debate during the passing of the Education Bill, 1902, that the Bill would open up appointments in denominational schools hitherto closed to young Non-conformists, his attention has been called to the recent case of the refusal by the managers of the Christ Church School in Accrington to appoint Isabella Croft 542 to the position of pupil teacher because she was a Unitarian; and whether he proposes to take any steps in the matter.
§ THE PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY To THE BOARD OF EDUCATION (Sir WILLIAM ANSON, Oxford University)The Board have no official information on the subject; but I am informed by the correspondent of the school that it was unanimously decided at a meeting of tire managers, at which one of the local authority managers was present, that the candidate in question was not under the circumstances the roost suitable person for the vacant pupil teacher-ship. The candidate herself fully agreed with this decision. There is no reason to suppose that there is any dearth of openings or opportunities in Accrington for Nonconformists desiring to become pupil teachers as there are six Nonconformist schools in the town. I understand also that there are at present five Nonconformists on the teaching staff of the three Church schools in this particular parish.