§ MR. MACKARNESS (Berkshire, Newbury)To ask the President of the Board of Education whether his attention has been called to the case of Mrs. Moule, the schoolmistress of Purley national school, who has been dismissed from her post by the managers; whether he is aware that she was dismissed for no fault on her part or any want of capacity, that one of the managers resigned by way of protest against her dismissal, and that the Education Committee of the Berks County Council was equally divided, and confirmed the dismissal only by the casting vote of the chairman; whether he is aware that Mrs. Moule has conducted her school for twelve Years without complaint from either Government or diocesan inspectors; whether he is aware of any just cause for 687 her dismissal; and, if not, whether he will take steps to have her case reconsidered.
(Answered by Mr. Runciman.) My only information as to this matter is derived from a newspaper report. On the facts there stated, I am of opinion that the case is one in which the Education Committee might reasonably have exercised their right of withholding consent to the teacher's dismissal. The Act, however, gives no right of appeal to the Board of Education, and I regret, therefore, that I have no power to intervene.