§ LORD R. CECIL (Marylebone, E.)said he desired to ask the Secretary to the Board of Education a Question of which he had given him private notice, namely, whether, as a result of the inquiry into the case of the Swansea Schools, Mr. J. A. Hamilton reported that the Swansea Local Education Authority had made default in the programme of their duties by failing to keep efficient the Oxford Street Schools, whether the Government had nevertheless decided that the local education authority had committed no default, and if so, on what grounds.
§ THE PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY TO THE BOARD OF EDUCATION (Mr. TREVELYAN, Yorkshire, W.R., Elland)I have nothing to add to what is contained in the official papers published in the newspapers this morning, and which have been deposited in the local authority's office. This is the fullest possible information I can give in answer to the Question of the noble Lord.
§ * LORD R. CECILMay I ask whether it is a fact that in 1906 the Board of Education themselves decided that the action of the local education authority was gravely imperilling the efficiency of the school; whether at the inquiry at Swansea the local education authority 2323 gave no evidence whatever; whether the Commissioner reported that but for the sums provided by the managers in his opinion the school would before now have ceased to be efficient in any sense; whether, as it was, though it continued in a state of efficiency by earning the grant, its efficiency was, owing to the course taken by the Authority, precarious; whether it seemed to him that the way in which the Authority's policy caused dissatisfaction among the staff jeopardised the continuance of successful teaching to an extent which reduced the efficiency of the Oxford Street School to an uncertain temporary efficiency only ascertainable ex post facto; whether this had led to the departure of experienced teachers and to dissatisfaction and unrest among those who remained; whether, in spite of that the Board of Education had overruled that decision, and on what ground of fact the Board of Education acted in so overruling that decision, and whether the House was to understand that it was the policy of the Board of Education that teachers in voluntary schools were to be paid at a lower rate than teachers in provided schools.
§ MR. TREVELYANIt is not a question of policy. The sole question which the Board of Education have to decide is whether the school is inefficient, and we have, after duly considering the matter and taking legal advice, come to the conclusion that the school is not inefficient. Therefore, we do not feel ourselves bound to act.
§ * LORD R. CECILIt is not a question whether the school is inefficient. It is a question whether the local education authority has kept the school efficient.
§ MR. TREVELYANI cannot discuss the whole question, which is in the main a legal question. We have satisfied ourselves after taking legal advice that this is the course which we are compelled to adopt.
§ LORD R. CECILI desire to say that I shall, at the earliest opportunity the Rules of the House will permit raise 2324 this question for the consideration of the House.