CLASS III. (Hansard, 22 August 1804)

MR. H. HOARE

said, that, as a member of the Industrial Schools Committee of the London School Board, he had been led to take an interest in the management of our reformatories and industrial schools. It was grotesque to speak of their inmates as criminals; many of the children had crime whatever; they children neglected by their parents. In some cases the parents had tempted their children into criminal ways in order to get rid of the responsibility of bringing them up. Of course, the natural guardians of these children were the last persons in the world who were likely to look after them. The House of Commons stood in loco parentis to these children, and it was the duty of the House to treat them as if they were their own children. If it were necessary for the sake of the children that they should be committed to these schools, so be it; but let it be remembered that what was called the education of the streets was by no means as bad as it used to be. He had obtained, by a unique experience, a knowledge of some of the lowest streets of London; and he knew well that the condition of the criminal localities of London was incomparably better than it was 20 or 30 years ago. Therefore, the dangers that neglected children were exposed to were not nearly so great as they had been in times past. Where there was real danger he admitted that the best course was to commit children to one of these industrial schools. The obligation rested upon Parliament to see that the children who were committed to industrial schools were made as happy as they could be while they were there. If these children had votes they would not be neglected as they had been by that House. In many schools year by year the children had to drag out a monotonous existence without a single holiday. For his part, he would rather be in a prison or an asylum than be in the worst industrial schools of England for 10 years without a holiday. He defied anyone to discover from the official Reports of Colonel Ingliss whether in the opinion of the Inspectors a school was a good, or a tolerable, or a bad school. An hon. Member had asked a question 343 in the House with regard to St. John's Industrial School at Walthamstow. He had read the Report upon that school, but there was nothing in it to open anybody's eyes as to whether the charges made with regard to that school were true or false. He wanted to see the children classified according to age, the mere children being sent to one school, the younger boys to another, and the elder boys to a third. In the next place, there ought to be more Inspectors and Sub-Inspectors. And, in the third place, he wished to see the schools classified according to merit.

THE UNDER SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE HOME DEPARTMENT (Mr. GEORGE RUSSELL,) North Beds.

said, no doubt everyone would sympathise, as he did himself, with the spirit which animated the remarks of his hon. Friend, and recognise the personal attention he had given to the subject. The hon. Member had spoken to willing ears. During the time he had been at the Home Office he had taken much interest in the industrial schools, and as far as the Metropolitan area was concerned he had been at great pains to investigate personally the state of the schools and the condition of the children attending them. It was obvious, even from a superficial inspection, that the standard of comfort, efficiency, and discipline, and the general moral tone was entirely different as between one school and another. He recognised that it was to the advantage of everybody concerned that his hon. Friend should have thought it worth while to bring the subject forward, and he should be glad to co-operate with his hon. Friend in any considered schemes of reform which it might be necessary or desirable to adopt.