§ Mr. WEIRasked the Lord Advocate whether he is aware that the parents of thirty-one children in the Bragar school district, island of Lewis, were recently 2070W prosecuted as defaulters, at the instance of the Barvas School Board, and twenty-six of them fined, in sums varying from 2s. 6d. to 5s., or imprisonment; seeing that these parents stated that they had withdrawn their children from school en account of the excessive punishment inflicted on the children, will the Secretary for Scotland order an inquiry with a view to a remission of the fines and the better management of the school; and is he aware that the people had endeavoured to meet the law by arranging for the education of their children in a private school?
§ Mr. UREThe facts are as stated in the question, but after full trial the finding of the sheriff was that in every instance the charge of excessive punishment fell to the ground, and that the children in the private school were not receiving efficient education in terms of the Education Acts. In view of these facts, the case for further inquiry does not seem to be established.