HL Deb 08 September 1893 vol 17 cc561-2
THE BISHOP OF SALISBURY

asked the Lord President of the Council whether the Science and Art Department would reconsider the exclusive system of payment by results of examination, in view of the recent effects of that system and the general dissatisfaction of science teachers, and would adopt that in use in the Education Department of fixed grants for scholars properly attending and instructed, supplemented by a system of rewards for those who show especial merit? He said, that the present system of the Science and Art Department—of payment by results for individual scholars—pressed very hardly on the teachers in the schools, who were not in that way adequately rewarded, because it, of course, cost as much to teach stupid boys as clever ones, and the Department always had the power to greatly raise the standard for passing, as he believed had been done this year.

THE LORD PRESIDENT OF THE COUNCIL AND SECRETARY OF STATE FOR INDIA (The Earl of KIMBERLEY)

The aid of the Department is not granted exclusively on a system of payment by results of examination. On the contrary, a capitation grant is made to both day and night organised science schools, provided that the scholar on whose account the grant is claimed has made 250 attendances in the case of the day school and 60 in the case of the night school, and passes in a subject of science or obtains a higher success in a subject in which he has already passed. But the Department is aware of the need of some modifications in the present system of aid, and it is hoped that as the Local Authorities under the Technical Instruction Act get their schools and work better organised the Department may be able after a time to extend its capitation and fixed grants in lieu in part of payments by results; but this must be a work of time. I hope that answer will be satisfactory to the right rev. Prelate.

THE BISHOP OF SALISBURY

said, he wished to thank the noble Earl for the answer he had given; but, although the grant was called capitation, he would point out that it was really only given for the scholars who passed with success. They must pass in one science, and got nothing unless they succeeded in passing the examination. It was, therefore, a system exclusively of results. He begged to give notice that he would draw attention to the subject at an early day.