§ Mr. P. O'BRIEN (for Mr. Boland)asked the President of the Board of Education if he can state what has cancelled the Board of Education's approval of St. George's Catholic School, Nelson, as a necessary school for 180 mixed scholars, made 27th May, 1897, and their further approval of this school as necessary for an additional 256 mixed scholars on 24th October, 1900; if he can state when this approval was cancelled; and whether any notice of such cancelling was given to the managers?
§ The PRESIDENT of the BOARD of EDUCATION (Mr. Runciman)The fact that the plans approved in 1897 and 1900 included accommodation for a mixed school, which was never, in fact, recognised by the Board, could not, in the view of the Board, be regarded as dispensing with the statutory requirements of section 8 of the Act of 1902, and the managers were so informed on 5th February, 1904.
§ Mr. P. O'BRIENasked the President of the Board of Education whether he is aware that St. George's Catholic School, Nelson, was returned in the official Report (1903–4) as a mixed and infant school; that His Majesty's inspector signed the time table of this school on 23rd March, 1904, as a mixed school, and examined several times Standards I., II., and III. as such; can he state what fault, if any, has been committed by the managers which caused these approvals to be cancelled; and can he say why this school is being treated differently from other schools built to open as required, as instanced in the cases of St. John's Catholic School, Burnley, and St. Peter's Catholic School, Blackburn?
§ Mr. RUNCIMANI cannot find any confirmation of the hon. Member's, first statement in the official records, nor am I able to say now whether his second and third statements are accurate. The managers were, however, fully aware in 1904 1413 that the school was only recognised as an infants' school, for they were definitely informed to this effect in December, 1903; February, 1904; and again in July, 1904. The other schools referred to in the last paragraph of the question are not analogous cases, inasmuch as they were both recognised by the Board as mixed and infants' schools prior to the Act of 1902, and no increase in the recognised accommodation has since taken place.