§ 70. Mr. KINGasked the President of the Board of Education whether he is aware that by the orders of the correspondent of Ridgwell School, Essex, children were taken from school to church during school hours on Ash Wednesday and Ascension Day; whether this was done without instructions from the managers or the parents; whether he will request the managers to appoint a more suitable person as correspondent for the school; 535 and whether, seeing that Section 7 of the Elementary Education Act, 1870, makes it a condition of Grant that no child shall be compelled to attend or abstain from attending any place of religious worship, he will remove the Ridgwell School from the Grant list forthwith?
§ The PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY to the BOARD of EDUCATION (Mr. Herbert Lewis)I understand that the children assembled at school on Ash Wednesday and Ascension Day. On Ash Wednesday the registers were not marked and the teachers and children went to church. On Ascension Day the registers were marked and part of the children and one teacher went to church. I understand that these arrangements were made on the authority of the correspondent without consulting the body of managers. I do not know whether the parents were consulted. I am informed that the Essex Education Committee have directed the holding of an inquiry, and I think that before expressing any opinion on the matter I had better await the result of that inquiry.