§ Mr. PIRIEasked the Secretary for Scotland, with reference to bursaries awarded by county committees on the strength of nominations made by school boards, if he would take into consideration the desirability of there being, instead of nomination alone, in every parish a qualifying test to determine the applicants whose circumstances require the aid of bursaries, and thereafter that there should be a scholarship test to determine the relative merit of the candidates, the bursaries to be awarded accordingly, and, in view of the dissatisfaction which exists in Scotland over the present system, would he also be prepared to sanction an arrangement whereby higher grade pupils who receive county committee bursaries may continue to attend their parish primary school if the same has become equipped to teach the intermediate curriculum to selected pupils; and if he would be prepared to extend the benefits of Section 17 (2) of the Education (Scotland) Act of 1908 by applying it to primary schools in respect of, and in due proportion to, any intermediate curriculum conducted for selected pupils in such schools?
Mr. McKINNON WOODIn answer to the first part of the question I would refer my hon. Friend to Sections 4, 5, and 6 of the Department's memorandum as to the provision of Section 17 of the Act of 1908, which indicate the principles on which nomination to bursaries by school boards should be made, and suggest the desirability of inquiry being made, both as to circumstances and as to ability. The second and third parts of the question raise large questions of policy, which I am not prepared to discuss by way of question and answer.