§ Mr. WILLIAM PEELasked the President of the Board of Education whether the registration requirements of Article 14 of the Evening School Regulations, 1910, have proved so difficult and complicated that in many cases teachers have been withdrawn almost entirely from the work of teaching in order that they might comply with requirements which the local education authorities of the country hold to be unnecessary and vexatious; and have the Board of Education now decided to withdraw or materially amend the requirements respecting registration?
§ The PRESIDENT of the BOARD of EDUCATION (Mr. Runciman)I have no reason to believe that the local education authorities have been so demoralised, as the hon. Member suggests, by the changes in the regulations as to registration of attendances. The changes were necessary in order to secure proper control of the expenditure of public money. The answer to the last part of the question is in the negative.
§ Mr. PEELHas the right hon. Gentleman had complaints from various local authorities as to the working of these regulations?
§ Mr. RUNCIMANYes, Sir, but none of the complaints would justify the statement contained in the hon. Member's question.
§ Mr. BRIDGEMANIs it not a fact that owing to these new regulations the payment of the salaries of the teachers has been deferred for a very long time?
§ Mr. RUNCIMANI do not know that there has been any connection between the two facts.
§ Mr. PEELasked whether the Board of Education were informed in November last by the education authority for Leeds that the new system of registration entails upon the teachers a very considerable amount of duplication of effort, and that it was estimated that in the evening schools of Leeds there would be 2,000 attendance registers in use, as against 700 for last session; whether he is aware that the regulations of the Board respecting registration in evening schools have been condemned by practically every education authority in the country; whether he is now proposing to amend them; and whether, having regard to the failure of the regulations of last year on this subject, he will consult with people familiar with the work before issuing a new set of regulations?
§ Mr. RUNCIMANThe answer to the first part of the question is in the affirmative. The Board are not in a position to check the estimate of the increase of the number of attendance registers, bcause the registers have not yet been sent up to them. In any case, however, it must not be assumed that the increase in the number of registers creates a proportionate increase in the labour involved in the process of registration. As rgards the second part of the question, I have heard a good deal of somewhat rash criticism of the regulations in question, which were necessary to secure proper control of the expenditure of public money. In reply to the third part of the question, certain Amendments are under consideration. I cannot accept the assumption underlying the fourth part of the question, but I may tell the hon. Member that in connection with the consideration now proceeding of revised regulations, the Board have had the benefit of the advice of competent persons closely in touch with the work being done in the various localities affected.