§ LORD R. CECIL (Marylebone, E.)I beg to ask the President of the Board of Education whether he is aware that Mr. Kitchener, one of the masters at Bishop's Stortford College, has recently been dismissed because he joined the Roman Catholic Church, whether Bishop's Stortford College is a rate-aided school carried on in connection with a Nonconformist denomination; and what reason was given by the head master for the dismissal.
§ THE PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD OF EDUCATION (Mr. BIRRELL, Bristol, N.)The incident referred to took place in December, 1904, but I know nothing about it beyond what appeared at the time in the public Press. I understand that the school was at that time in receipt of aid from the county council and that this is still the case. Neither then nor at any time since has the school been in receipt of any grants from the Board of Education. In a reply given on February 28th last year to a Question in the House the then Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Education stated that he did not consider the matter one in which the Board should properly intervene. † So far as I can see I have absolutely no jurisdiction whatsoever in regard to it.
§ LORD R. CECILasked for an Answer to the last paragraph.
§ MR. BIRRELLI understand the reason was given in one of the letters.