41. Captain FABERasked the President of the Board of Education whether his attention has been called to a meeting of ratepayers and parents of Hound parish on 3rd April, at which they agreed immediately to withdraw the children from Batlock's Heath school and to keep them out until the date is fixed for a public inquiry; and will he say what proportion of children have been present daily between 7th and 11th April, inclusive?
§ The SECRETARY to the BOARD of BOARD of EDUCATION (Mr. Trevelyan)The answer to the first part of the question is in the affirmative. Seventy children were withdrawn from the school, the average attendance at which for the last school year was 259, between the dates mentioned in the question.
§ Mr. SNOWDENIs the hon. Gentleman aware that the trouble has arisen out of the dismissal of the school teacher, and do not the facts mentioned show that in the opinion of the people of the locality there is cause for an inquiry, which the local authority refuses to grant?
§ Mr. TREVELYANI understand that the cause of the trouble is the dismissal of the school teacher. The Board of Education have no power to intervene in that matter, but I have just learned that the local authority are taking steps to settle the matter amicably, and if another question is asked in a few days I hope I may be able to give a satisfactory reply.
Captain FABERWere not 100 children absent yesterday instead of seventy, and are not things getting worse and worse?