§ Mr. C. BATHURSTasked the President of the Board of Education whether, in view of the stigma attaching to a man who has been educated in a reformatory or industrial school under the penal control of the Home Office, the excellence of the practical instruction given to boys in 819 such schools, particularly where agricultural land cultivated by the boys forms part of the premises, the openings afforded by such instruction for the profitable employment of such boys, the comparative disadvantage suffered by those for whom, owing to more orderly conduct in early youth, the less practical curriculum of the elementary school is alone available, and the desire, with the approval of the Board, of many local education authorities to maks such curriculum more practical, he will negotiate with the Home Office with the object either of placing such institutions entirely under the control of the local education authorities whose areas they serve or of securing that a due proportion of those serving upon their committees of management shall be members of such authorities?
§ Mr. CHURCHILLThe President of the Board of Education has asked me to reply to this question. The subject of the relations of these schools with local education authorities will be one of the matters referred to the Departmental Committee which I propose to appoint.
§ Mr. C. BATHURSTHave the inspectors of the Board of Education had access with the approval of the right hon. Gentleman's Department to these institutions?
§ Mr. CHURCHILLNo. They have nothing to do with them.
§ Mr. HOAREIs it a fact that local education authorities have the right to inspect reformatory and industrial schools?