§ DR. MACNAMARA (Camberwell, N.)I beg to ask the Secretary to the Board of Education whether he is now in a position to make a statement relative to the representations which have been made to him concerning the hardship to poorer schools, and especially to country schools, likely to arise under the method of distributing Government grants to elementary schools proposed under Article 31* of the Education Code for 1904–5, and relative also to the difficulties in registration which that proposed distribution will involve.
§ THE PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY TO THE BOARD OF EDUCATION (Sir WILLIAM ANSON,) Oxford UniversityThe total result of the method of distributing grants proposed in the Code would not involve a loss to local education authorities, taking the country as a whole; but it appears that some of the rural counties and some of the boroughs would incur a small, but an appreciable loss. I am of opinion that very slight improvement of attendance generally, and some better arangement as to the attendance of children under the by-laws relating to partial exemption, would cancel the losses which at present would arise in certain areas if the proposed change were carried into effect. But in view of the fact that under existing circumstances the change cannot be introduced without involving these losses the Board will revert to the system hitherto in force; at the same time they hope that in another year or two the methods proposed in the Code for 1904 may be brought into use without risk of hardship to any local education authority, rural or urban.
§ DR. MACNAMARAWill the hon. Baronet issue a Minute setting up the arrangement to which it is proposed to revert.
§ SIR WILLIAM ANSONCertainly.