Captain CRAIGasked the Chief Secretary whether he can state if the Commissioners of National Education intend to make any grant towards the new school which has been erected in the townland of Legfordrum, Strabane, under Roman Catholic management, within a short distance of another national school; whether he is aware that a Roman Catholic-managed school is situated in the next townland of Gallon; and can he state if the Board have granted funds, what the average attendance has been of the surrounding national schools, and whether pupils have been taken from them in order to make up an attendance for the new school at Legfordrum?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe Commissioners of National Education have, after due consideration of all the circumstances, granted aid to the school referred to. They inform me that the nearest National school under Roman Catholic management is the Gallon National School, which is 3⅛ miles from Legfordrum. The Commissioners2100W are not aware that the opening of Leg-fordrum school has had any material effect on the attendance at the surrounding schools, as may be seen from the following returns of the attendance at these schools for the quarters ended the 30th June,1908 and the 30th June, 1909, respectively:—
School. June, 1908. June, 1909. Legfordrum (school under Protestant management) 23 33 Gallon 29 25 Dergalt 34 36 Douglas 52 56 Glenmornan 32 35 Upper Belix 25 24 Camus 62 60