ENDOWED SCHOOLS ACT, 1869, AND AMENDING ACTS. Scheme for the management of the following foundations in parish of St. Botolph, Aldgate, partly in the city and partly in the county of London— 1. The parochial schools; 2. The Charity of Henry Petter, for Laid before the House (pursuant to Act), and to be printed. [No. 69.] PUBLIC BUSINESS. 66 attained, but so far as the Education Acts at present in force in Scotland are concerned the position to which we have now got is this: efficient elementary instruction in reading, writing, and arithmetic must be provided for every child between the ages of 5 and 14. No child under 10 can be taken into regular employment as defined by the Factory Acts, and in respect of what is called casual employment" can only be engaged in the limited amount which is prescribed in two sections of the Act of 1878. Thirdly, a child between 10 and 14 cannot be emiployed half time unless he has passed in all the subjects of the Third Standard, and cannot be totally exempted from the obligation to attend school unless he has passed in all the three subjects of Standard 5. Now, my Lords, taking the figures of the last three or four years, and taking them upon the question of age, in the first instance we find that ATTENDANCE OF CHILDREN AT there were, three years ago, between the SCHOOL (SCOTLAND) BILL. [H.L.] ages of 11 and 12, 88,000 children in *THE SECRETARY FOR SCOTLAND attendance in the public elementary (Lord BALFOUR of BURLEIGH): My Lords, schools; in the following year there were, in presenting this Bill, and asking your between the ages of 12 and 13, only Lordships to give it a Second Reading, I 68,000 children, and between the ages do not think I shall have much difficulty and 14, only 39,000 children in attendance. in making out a good case for legislation standards, and comparing Taking it by the stanupon some such lines as is here pro- dards, which are nearly equivalent to the posed. Under the rules which at present ages which I have just given, I find that exist in Scotland as to school attendance, three years ago there were, in Stanit is matter of common remark, and of as dard 4, 80,000 children; in Standard 5, common regret, that many of those who 68,000 children; and in Standard 6, attend the public elementary schools give that both by age and standard a large 30,000. These figures abundantly prove up attendance at an unduly early age, and proportion of the population do not exat a time of their life and after an tend their education beyond the subjects attainment of such a standard that the which are embraced in Standard 5. efforts which they have previously made Now, my Lords, a clever child could quite and the money which has been spent easily pass that standard on reaching the upon them fail to produce any permanent age of 12-some of them can pass it before and when they have passed it, effect. I am sure your Lordships will under the existing state of the law, they agree that any serious inconsistency are entitled to leave school, if they have between the statutes compelling school got their labour certificate, although they attendance and those which regulate could not be taken into any regular ememployment necessarily produces con- ployment, and even though they do siderable inconvenience and disadvan- not intend to attempt it. I venture to tage, and it is part of my case turn aside a moment to say that that such a discrepancy as I have part of the administrative regulations indicated does really exist at the present which I find in existence at the time and is productive of very serious present time seem really to lead evil. My Lords, I need not go through up to this very result, and actually all the steps by which the result has been to persuade parents and children that of 13 although the Education Acts state that I think your Lordships will agree with children are to stay at school until they me that education is only one side of the are 13, they can secure a labour certifi- advantages which are obtained by cate at 12, and even sometimes at 11, attendance at school. There is also the whether they are going into regular em- discipline, which is extremely useful to ployment or not. Examinations for the children; but, my Lords, the present labour certificates are sometimes held at system, as I have endeavoured to explain the very time the inspector is present to your Lordships, does not allow chilto examine the school, and children are dren in all cases who have passed the presented, the circumstances of whose Fifth Standard to go to work, and. there parents do not really require that they fore, although they may leave school, and should go to work; and partly from the law is powerless to prevent them, a desire on the part of the children they do not pass from one discipline to to leave school, partly from indifference the other. My Lords, I do not hesitate so far as the parents are concerned, they to say that. personally I should like to get a labour certificate, and are thereby see a minimum age of 13 before which exempted from attendance at school, children should not leave school to go although they do not require to go to to work, and I should like to extend that work. I propose, by an alteration of the time to the age of 14, unless the children regulations, to make a change in that concerned have passed the standard for respect, and to hold out less induce- exemption. However, I cordially agree ment to children to take the labour cer- that it would be impossible to do that by tificate when they really do not require Statute at the present time. I cordially it. I venture to think that it is neces- agree that in many cases it would be in sary to pass some such Bill as this in advance of the public opinion of the order that more stringent regulations localities concerned, and in the long run may be provided. It will be agreed by would not therefore achieve any useful all those who really care about these result. I know, too, that there are many matters that the standard of attainment cases in which the small earnings of represented by the Fifth Standard of the children are necessary to some struggling Scotch Code is really the minimum of households, but that argument does not what is likely to be of any use to children touch the case of those children who do in after life, and then only of use if it not belong to such households, and who is permanently fixed in their minds, and get the labour certificate whether they if the work which they have done to pass really require to go to work that standard is really known by them or not. My Lords, the difficulty in such a way as to remain permanently which I have tried to explain to your in their intelligence. Now, my Lords, Lordships is widely felt in Scotland, and unless the mere pass" of the Fifth here I am bound to confess that in this Standard is followed by a certain amount matter I think Scotland can learn a of further attendance for the purpose of good deal from England. We somerevising and confirming the work that times think, and it is perhaps too much has already been done, I am afraid many thought, in Scotland, that we know a of the results attained will not be useful great deal more about education than is to the children in after life. I do not the case south of the Tweed, but I am say that it is necessary that a child obliged to confess, in regard to this parshould pass the Sixth Standard for this ticular matter with which my Bill deals, purpose, but I do say it is most desirable that the state of the law is better in that they should stay some time longer at England than it is in Scotland. In Eng school, if it is possible for them to do so. land the standard for exemption from Anything which will serve to prevent labour is settled in different districts these children leaving school after upon the initiation of the School Board merely passing the Fifth Standard, who of the district, and by means of bye-laws do not require for other reasons to leave approved by the Privy Council. In some school, should receive the careful con- cases the standard of exemption is fixed sideration of Parliament and those in England lower than the minimum in interested in education. I put it, not Scotland, and in others it is very much only on the ground of education, because higher. I find from the Returns of the The Secretary for Scotland. 66 English Education Department that no the sanction of both Houses of Parlia less than 12,000,000 of the population in ment this Session or not, I believe it is England are under by-laws, which pro- one which will have to come, and one vide that Standard 6 should be the stan- which will be more and more asked for dard of exemption for going to work, and as time goes on. I am hopeful that it I understand that quite recently the may pass this Session. At any rate, I London School Board passed a by-law- beg now to ask your Lordships to read whether it has been actually confirmed it a second time. or not I am not quite sure-making Standard 7 the standard of exemption. Now, my Lords, the Bill which I am asking your Lordships to read a second time does not propose to allow any School Boards in Scotland to lower the minimum which we have had for some years, but it does propose to copy the English provision, and allow any School Board, which thinks it will be in accordance with the public opinion of the locality to do so, to approach the Scotch Education Department and the Privy Council, with the view of having a higher standard than Standard 5 fixed as the standard for obtaining the labour certificate of the district. I quite agree that if this provision were put into force a consider able discretion would have to be allowed to remain with the School Boards. I recognise that there are many families, unfortunately, who must depend, to a large extent, on the earnings of the children; but there are two classes oi THE EARL OF CRANBROOK: May I ask my noble Friend whether it is the intention under this Bill to give School Boards power to distinguish between families which are supposed to be entitled to exemption, because they are hard-working people, and other families. which are not to be exempted because they are supposed to be of a reckless or careless character? If so, it is placing a very large judicial power into the hands of School Boards which I do not think they ought to possess. *THE SECRETARY FOR SCOTLAND: Such a dispensing power, or, at any rate, a considerable discretionary power, is exercised in all the districts where the standard has been raised under the English system. Question put. Bill read a second time. UNIVERSITIES (SCOTLAND) ACTS such families. There are the respectable and hard-working poor, who do all they can to get their children regularly to school; and there are others who, throughout the whole school life of their children, take no real interest in their education. I do not think the latter are entitled to the same consideration as those who, from the other circumstances which I have endeavoured to indicate, really require to depend to some extent upon the earnings of the children. My Lords, this is an enabling Measure; it does not propose to raise the standard in any district compulsorily. I believe many districts are ready for such a provision, and, indeed, many School Boards have, with the full consent of those they represent, passed resolutions in favour of amending the law in some such respect as this. I believe it Committee in the place of the LORD is a feeling which will largely grow, and, whether this Measure should meet with COPYRIGHT BILL. [H.L.] The EARL of CREWE named of the Select Committee in the place of the LORD FARRER. COPYRIGHT (AMENDMENT) BILL. [H.L.] FARRER. House adjourned at 4.50. |