§ MR. WYNDHAM (Dover)I beg to ask the President of the Board of Education whether the Return of the schools recognised on the 1st day of January, 1906, as non-provided public elementary schools ordered by the House of Commons, will contain all the information asked for in the Return for which a notice of Motion stands on to-day's Paper; and whether he will state when 1134 the Return, already ordered, may be expected.
The notice of Motion was as follows:—
Elementary Education (England and Wales) (Non-provided Schools) (No. 2)—Return of Non-provided Elementary Schools (1) which are the property of private individuals with managers appointed under the provisions of the Education Act of 1902; (2) which are held under trusts requiring such schools to be in union with, and to be conducted upon, the religious principles of any religious denomination; (3) which are held under trusts not requiring any particular form of religious instruction, but which have been conducted by members of a particular religious denomination; and (4) which are hold under trusts not requiring any particular form of religious instruction, and which have not been conducted by members of a particular religious denomination.
§ MR. BIRRELLI think that the Return which the Board of Education are now preparing, will comprise all the information asked for in the Return proposed by the right hon. Gentleman, so far as it could accurately be given. I should perhaps add that as regards his first category, we shall state the schools which are claimed as private property, without at the present stage undertaking to verify such claims; and as regards his third and fourth categories, we shall have as full regard as possible, in framing the Return, to the usage which has prevailed in such schools, without seeking to verify the actual conduct of the school by a given denomination. I am unable to state definitely by what date the Return will be completed. This will depend in large measure upon the promptitude with which the Trust Deeds and the other replies to the Board's questions, now being sent out to every school, are sent in. But every stop will be taken to complete and publish the Return as expeditiously as possible.