§ MR. COURTAULDasked the President of the Local Government Board, Whether any steps are being taken to impress upon Boards of Guardians the great desirability of making arrangements, whenever practicable, to send their Workhouse children to the neighbouring Elementary Schools, instead of teaching them by a specially appointed schoolmaster and schoolmistress in the Workhouse?
§ MR. DODSONSir, no special steps have been taken in the matter, because, in order to secure the cordial action of the Guardians, the Local Government Board has preferred to leave the initiative to them; but the Board has given every facility for such a course, wherever the circumstances have admitted; and at present I am glad to say that there are no less than 160 Unions where the practice has been adopted. I may add that in 41 Unions the children are sent to a district school or the separate school of another Union; and in 71 Unions the Guardians have provided a school separate from the workhouse, so that in as many as 272 Unions the children have the advantage of not being educated in the workhouse.