§ 53. Mr. ORMSBY-GOREasked the President of the Board of Education whether a Church school at Towyn. Merionethshire, has applied as a new school for recognition as a public elementary school; whether, as a result of any such application, he has made inquiry as to the number of children attending the school during the past year; and whether he has carried out any inspection of any kind?
Mr. PEASEThe answer to the first part of the hon. Member's question is in the affirmative. No inquiry as to the number of children attending the school has been necessary, as the managers have supplied me with information on the point. I have not carried out any inspection of the school, since it is neither a public elementary school nor a certified efficient school.
54. Mr. OR MSBY-GOREasked the President of the Board of Education whether Towyn Church school is still being maintained as a school, and, if so, at whose expense; how many children are attending the school; whether he is satisfied with the education given in the school; and whether the premises are reported to be fit and proper for the purposes for which they are being used?
Mr. PEASEI understand that the school is still being maintained as a school, but I have no information as to the sources out of which it is maintained beyond the fact that it derives income from endowments. I am informed by the managers that the number of children on the books of the school is 63, and in average attendance 51.9. The managers have stated that the discipline in the school is excellent. I have no information as to the present condition of the premises.
§ Mr. ORMSBY-GOREIn view of the answer of the right hon. Gentleman, does he not think he would be justified in now recognising this school?
Mr. PEASEIn view of the facts I have mentioned, I am not prepared to depart from the policy of my predecessor in refusing to recognise the school.
§ Mr. ORMSBY-GOREWill the right hon. Gentleman say exactly why he refuses to recognise this large and flourishing school?
Mr. PEASEThe facts are well known to the hon. Member. At one period the average attendance was only fifteen. At that period the school was not recognised, and authority was given to the local education authority to erect another school. That school has been erected, and is sufficient to accommodate all the children in the district. Therefore it does not seem to me, in view of the average attendance at the school, that I would be justified in reconsidering the decision of my predecessor.
§ Mr. ORMSBY-GOREIs not the right hon. Gentleman perfectly well aware that the temporary decline in the number of the children at the school was due to the presence of one teacher, and that immediately that teacher went there was, and has been since, a higher average attendance?
§ Mr. KINGBefore the right hon. Gentleman replies, may I ask if he will say whether the recognition of this school would not impose a considerable burden, that is totally unnecessary, upon the ratepayers?
Mr. PEASEThat was one of the considerations—to which my hon. Friend (Mr. King) has referred—that influenced my views in connection with the decision at which I arrived. I am, of course, well aware that it was owing to the inefficiency—if I may use the term—of a particular schoolmaster that the average attendance at that school fell in the way it did; but I may also remind the hon. Member that since 1910 the number of scholars on the register, and the average attendance, have also fallen.
§ 55. Mr. ORMSBY-GOREasked the President of the Board of Education whether the children attending Towyn Church school are eligible for scholarships and bursaries at the local county intermediate school; and whether Church children are debarred from benefiting by the Edward Morgan bequest at this intermediate school?
Mr. PEASEThe answer to the first part of the question is in the negative as under the scheme governing the intermediate school only children from public elementary schools are eligible for entrance scholarships and bursaries. There is nothing in the scheme regulating the Edward Morgan Educational Foundation which debars Church of England children from benefiting by that bequest, but scholarships under that foundation are confined to children from public elementary schools.
§ 56. Mr. ORMSBY-GOREasked the President of the Board of Education whether the children attending Towyn Church school are medically inspected; and whether the Church school can be compulsorily closed in the case of infectious disease among the children of the council school or of the Church school?
Mr. PEASEThe answer to the first part of the hon. Member's question is in 2188 the negative. So far as I am aware there is no power to close this Church school compulsorily in the circumstances to which he refers.
§ Mr. ORMSBY-GOREDoes the right hon. Gentleman consider this a very unsatisfactory condition of affairs from the point of view of the public health?
Mr. PEASEI would rather like notice of that question; so that I might look further into that particular point.