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27
With regard to the subjects taught in the Board schools, your
Committee extract from the annual report of the School Board the
following subjects, none of which in their opinion were intended to be
so taught at the time the Act was passed, viz.:-French, German,
algebra, mensuration, book-keeping, shorthand, mechanics, chemistry,
physics (sound, light and heat, magnetism and electricity), animal
physiology, botany, principles of agriculture, experimental science,
domestic economy, social economy, natural philosophy, and hygiene.
In support of this opinion it may be pointed out that the Act under
which School Boards were established is named the "Elementary"
Education Act, and that even in the recent report of the Education
Department above referred to the subjects termed "Elementary" are
reading, writing, and arithmetic, whilst the foregoing subjects are
described as either "Class" or "Specific" subjects.
Your Committee concur in the views of the St. Saviour's District
Hoard in the matter, and are further of opinion that a limit should be
fixed by Parliament to the School Board Rate.
The report of the Committee was adopted by the
Board, and a copy thereof forwarded to the Education
Department, to the School Board for London,
to the members of Parliament and the members of
the School Board for this District, to the Vestries and
District Boards in the Metropolis, and to the Press
Association. The Board afterwards presented a
petition to Parliament praying the House to take into
early consideration the necessity of passing an Act to
limit the levying of the Rate in London for School
Board purposes, and suggesting that such limit should
not exceed 1s. in the £.
At a Conference convened by the Kensington
Vestry on the subject of the expenditure of the School
Board, at which the Board were represented by Mr.
Dunkley, Mr. Gibson, and Dr. Gay, the following
resolutions were passed, viz.:—
1.—That this Conference of Delegates representing 26 of the rating
authorities of the Metropolis as defined by the Elementary Education
Act, 1870, whilst recognising the valuable work performed by the
School Board for London and the benefits it confers upon the