§ Mr. GINNELLasked the Chief Secretary in view of the prevalent objection in Ireland to sending boys to a girls' school when a boys' school is available, if he will say what Commissioners were present when the Board of National Education adopted Rule 127b, which requires this to be done; whether the managers had been consulted before its adoption; and, since the boys covered by the rule are in practice kept in the boys' schools and given attention, though prevented by the rule from being enrolled or counted to the teachers' credit, if he will state the number of schools so affected and the estimated loss to teachers in capitation payments?
§ Mr. BIRRELLAs regards the first paragraph of the question, I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the question asked on this subject on the 13th April, 1905, which gives the names of the Commissioners of National Education who were present on the occasion referred to. I am informed that the principle underlying the rule was freely discussed in connection with Mr. Dale's report on elementary education in Ireland for a consider-1212W able time before the rule was adopted, without any exception being taken to it on the part of the managers. The Commissioners have no statistics which would enable them to reply to the last part of the question.
§ Mr. CREANasked the Chief Secretary whether he is aware that where a national school in Ireland is closed by order of a medical officer owing to an epidemic in the district the ordinary vacation is curtailed so as to make the necessary 200 working days according to rule; and, if so, whether he proposes to take any action in the matter?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe rule requiring a school to be in operation for at least 200 days in the year as a condition for payment of full Grants by the Commissioners of National Education is not enforced in cases where it is shown that the failure to have the school open on this number of days was due to closing directed by the medical officer of health owing to an epidemic in the district. In such cases allowance is always made as provided in Rule 129 of the Commissioners' Code for the closings due to epidemics. When there is a lengthened closing of a school in the earlier part of the year in consequence of an epidemic it is generally suggested to the manager that the duration of the ordinary vacation might be somewhat curtailed.