§ 68. Mr. KINGasked the President of the Board of Education whether he is aware that the chairman of managers of a Church of England school in Somerset-shire has been fined by the county bench for assaulting one of the teachers and has been locked out of the school for weeks while a guard of the parishioners watched night and day to prevent his entry; whether he knows that the county education authority has recently held four local inquiries into the condition of the school; and whether any power can be exercised by the local education authority or the Board of Education to remove those managers whose present position leads to scandals of this character?
§ The PRESIDENT of the BOARD of EDUCATION (Mr. J. A. Pease)I have no knowledge of the matters referred to in the first part of the question, nor am I aware of the number of local inquiries held by the county education authority with reference to the condition of the school. Neither the Board nor the local education authority have any direct power to remove individual managers, but the Board are, of course, able to intervene in other ways for the purpose of securing the efficiency of the school.
§ Mr. KINGHaving been provided with all these facts, chapter and verse, will the right hon. Gentleman press the local authority to insist on having a new scheme for this school, so that these scandals may be avoided?
§ Mr. PEASEI have no authority to press upon them a new scheme. If the hon. Gentleman will send me any information I will look into it.