§ 17. Sir PARK GOFFasked the President of the Board of Education what special opportunities are offered to the sons of miners to acquire that higher knowledge which will enable them to take superior posts in the mining industry; and if he can indicate what proportion of the boys now enjoying scholarships in the Royal School of Mines are the sons of actual miners?
The PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY to the BOARD of EDUCATION (Mr. Herbert Lewis)Within the limits of a reply in the House I can only give an answer in general terms to the hon. Member's question. In nearly all the English and Welsh counties where coal-mining is carried on facilities, including scholarships for courses in higher institutions, as well as courses of instruction held locally, are provided by local education authorities, by means of which the sons of miners can obtain the qualifications required for higher posts in mines. A considerable proportion of the successful candidates for mine managers' certificates are sons of miners. Most of the courses of instruction are held in the evening at local centres, but there are in normal times day mining courses at university and other institutions. The Royal School of Mines in the Imperial College is better suited to the needs of those who propose to take up a career in metalliferous mining. I am informed that no sons of working miners attend that school. Day courses in metalliferous mining are provided also at the Camborne School of Metalliferous Mining. Twelve scholarships providing a maintenance allowance as well as free instruction are tenable at this institution by Cornish artisans, and ten out of the twelve scholarship holders must be Cornish artisans working on mines.