§ MR. RANKINasked the Vice President of the Council, Whether, in the case of a school compulsorily closed on account of infectious illness or for any other reason, instructions might be given to the Government Inspector of such school to take into his consideration the length of time for which the school in question had been closed, and to make a corresponding allowance in the acquirements of the children, so as to enable the school to be classified in the same standard, and so to earn the same grant, as it otherwise would have done if it had not been closed?
§ MR. MUNDELLAUnder the Code now in force the period during which a school is compulsorily closed does not count as part of the 22 weeks of at- 179 tendance which qualifies a child for examination. The Inspector, however, may waive the examination of children who have suffered from epidemic illness; and the fact that the school has been compulsorily closed will be taken into account in assessing the merit grant, as the Code requires the Inspector to have regard "to the special circumstances of the case,"