HC Deb 23 February 1914 vol 58 cc1421-2W
Captain CRAIG

asked the Chief Secretary who is the present manager of Clontafleece national school, Warrenpoint, county Down; whether this school has been taken from the minority and handed over to the majority; whether the Commissioners of National Education have any rules bearing on such cases, and, if so, can he state the number of such rules; whether the Protestants of this district asked as a safeguard that a committee of management representing the various interests concerned be appointed, and, if so, whether such request from the minority has been granted; whether he is aware that the Protestants of this locality have three and a half miles to go to a Protestant school; and whether in this case he will make any representations on behalf of the minority to the Board of National Education?

Mr. BIRRELL

The Commissioners of National Education inform me that the present manager of Clontafleece National School, county Down, is the Rev. F. McGennis, Roman Catholic Administrator, Warrenpoint. The former manager of the school, Mr. James Crawford (Methodist) resigned the position on 17th January, 1914, in favour of the Rev. Mr. McGennis, who, he stated, was the purchaser of the school premises, and who was willing to undertake all the responbilities of the managership. Of fifty-nine pupils on the rolls of the school on 31st December, 1913, forty were Roman Catholics, nine were Episcopalians, and ten were Presbyterians. The Commissioners have no rule bearing upon a case of this particular kind beyond those dealing with the general question of patronage and management of national schools. The Rev. Dr. Glenny, rector of Clonallon, Warrenpoint, proposed that the school be placed under a committee of management, but Mr. Crawford, the former manager, expressed the view that the present owner of the school would not be willing to agree to such a course, and the proposal of Dr. Glenny was not adopted. The nearest national school, under Protestant management, is the Dromore Road national school, which is two and three-quarter miles distant by road from Clontafleece national school. This is not a matter in which I can intervene.