§ 83. Lord NINIAN CRICHTON-STUARTasked the President of the Board of Education whether any of the voluntary schools transferred to the State during the last year belonged to the Roman Catholic Church; and, if so, how many?
Mr. PEASENone of the voluntary schools transferred to local education authorities during the last statistical year were Roman Catholic schools.
§ Mr. KINGCan the right hon. Gentleman say how many of them were Church of England or national schools?
§ 84. Mr. ORMSBY-GOREasked the President of the Board of Education whether his attention has been called to disturbances that took place at Dowlais Roman Catholic girls' school on 1st May; whether these were caused by the dismissal of a teacher by the Merthyr local education authority; whether any teacher has been dismissed, and why; and whether he will make an inquiry into the circumstances of the case?
Mr. PEASEThe Board have no information with regard to the disturbances referred to by the hon. Member beyond what is contained in the public Press. The local education authority informed the Board on 16th April that they had given certain assistant teachers at the school one month's notice of dismissal on 1st April on the ground that their services were not required owing to the diminished number of children attending the school. I regard the situation with considerable concern, but, in view of the provisions of the Act of 1902, I am not aware of any circumstances which would enable me to intervene.
85. Mr. LLEWELYN WILLIAMSasked whether, having regard to the fact that the age of children attending higher elemen- 1106 tary schools was raised in 1910 from ten to twelve, while the scale of Grants in respect of such scholars was reduced, the Government will consider the advisability of improving the Grants; and, if so, whether they will substitute a block Grant for the existing scale?
Mr. PEASEI am considering this among other points in connection with the contemplated reform of the system of Grants for elementary education. I hope to be able to give further assistance to education of this character, but I am not yet in a position to make a definite announcement on the subject.
§ Mr. E. JONESWill the right hon. Gentleman, before he does anything further, appoint some kind of Committee or Commission to inquire into the working of these particular schools, and their relationship to the secondary schools and others; in many districts it is very unsatisfactory indeed?
Mr. PEASEI think I have fairly full information before me; if the right hon. Gentleman desires to give me any further information, I shall be very glad to receive it from him.