Schedule 1. (Hansard, 29 July 1876)

§ LORD FREDERICK CAVENDISH
moved, in page 14, line 40, to leave out "250," and insert "350." The object of the Amendment was to provide that 350 attendances between the ages of 5 and 10 should be required in order to obtain a labour pass.

§ VISCOUNT SANDON
pointed out that the 250 attendances were required in each of the 5 years. No reasonable excuses here came in, and considering the number of years in which the attendances must be made, and the anxiety the parent would have to secure that the child got on in his learning so as to secure the Standard pass, in case the attendances failed, he could not think there was a necessity proved for making a more stringent rule as to the Attendance pass. Illness or other circumstances might interfere with the children going to school, and the Government thought that they could not safely strain the number beyond 250.

§ MR. W. E. FORSTER
, without urging the noble Lord to accept the Amendment, suggested that he should re-consider the matter, with a view to a higher figure than 250—say 300.

§ LORD FREDERICK CAVENDISH
said, he would withdraw his Amendment in the hope that the noble Lord would consider the question before the Report.

§ MR. HARDCASTLE
moved the omission of the words which required that the attendances should be "in not more than two schools."

§ VISCOUNT SANDON
said, that he had gone as far as he could in allowing the attendances to be divided between two schools in one year. If the children were sent to three or four schools the value of the education would be lost. He feared therefore it would be impossible for him to comply with his hon. Friend's suggestion. He could not, under any circumstances, agree to what he believed would be a most serious injury to the children.

§ MR. J. G. TALBOT
pointed out that it would be necessary to meet the cases of the shifting population in London and other large towns.

§ MR. W. E. FORSTER
said, that if the children were continually changing the school the education would come to nothing.

§ MR. HARDCASTLE (for MR. TORR)
moved, in page 14, at end of table in sub-section (3), after line 43, to add— Provided, That, in the case of a school district being a municipal borough in which for not loss than three years before the commencement of this Act bye-laws have been in force requiring, as a condition of total or partial exemption of a child from attendance at school, that such child must have passed a standard of proficiency corresponding to the fourth standard of the Code of 1876, or any higher standard, the same or a corresponding standard of proficiency (but not exceeding the standard which, under this Schedule, will be required after four years from the commencement of this Act) shall be required for the purpose of a certificate under this Act enabling a child to be employed.

§ VISCOUNT SANDON
said, that he considered the proposal a very valuable one, and he willingly accepted it, being obliged to his hon. Friend, and to his hon. Colleague, for having made it.

§ VISCOUNT SANDON
moved, in page 15, line 12, after "1876," to insert "or such higher standard as may be from time to time fixed by the Education Department."

THE O'CONOR DON
moved, in page 15, line 13, after "elementary," to insert "or other efficient."

§ VISCOUNT SANDON
moved, in page 15, line 16, leave out "two hundred," and insert "three hundred," and page 15, line 16, after "attendances," insert "after five years of age."

§ MR. BIRLEY
moved, in page 15, section 5, line 16, after "attendances," leave out "in not more than two schools," and in page 15, line 17, after "years," insert— except where a child has been committed to an industrial or workhouse school, in which case such attendances may also be reckoned." Amendments agreed to.

§ VISCOUNT SANDON
moved, in page 15, line 17, at end of line insert— or such larger number of attendances as may be for the time being fixed by the Education Department, and in page 15, line 31, at end of line insert as a fresh pgraph— The Education Department may from time to time by order make such regulations and conditions in relation to the payment of fees under this Act by that department as they may think expedient. The order shall provide that not more than ten per cent of the children in a public elementary school shall obtain in the same year certificates entitling them to the payment of fees, and that if the children qualified to obtain such certificates exceed the said percentage, those children who have attended the greatest number of times shall have the preference. The order may make the continuance of the payment dependent upon the fulfilment of conditions, and shall provide that the continuance of the payment shall be conditional upon the child attending the school for not less than three hundred and fifty attendances in each year, and obtaining at the end of each year a certificate of proficiency in reading, writing, and elementary arithmetic according to a standard higher than the standard according to which it obtained the previous certificate. The order shall further provide that the school, by previous due attendance at which the child was qualified for obtaining the payment of fees, and the school, the fees at which are paid by the Education Department, shall be a school, or department of a school, at which the ordinary payment in respect of the instruction of each scholar does not exceed sixpence. The noble Lord stated that the proposed changes in this clause, relating to prize free education, were introduced, after considerations of various objections raised on both sides of the House, with a view to make the free education won by children in their 11th year more clearly a prize. They also provided that they should continue to work well and regularly at school if they were to retain the exhibition, and enabled the Department, if it found it necessary, to make stricter rules hereafter. These changes were the result of much consideration, and would, he thought, be great improvements, and remove all risks of danger from the school. Certainly, as it now stood, it could not be held to countenance general free education. It was undoubtedly a new plan, but it was one from which personally he anticipated very valuable results.

The O'CONOR DON
moved, in page 15, line 31, in Viscount Sandon's new 71 paragraph, line 4, after "children," insert "presented for examination."

§ VISCOUNT SANDON
moved, in page 15, line 34, at end, insert— and where the attendance is at a certified industrial or certified day industrial school includes such attendance as may be from time to time directed for the purpose by a Secretary of State.