§ MR. CHAMBERLAIN, who had given Notice that he would call attention to the conditions of the New Code of 1878, requiring a definite number of attendances at one school as a condition of presentation for examination, and move—
That inasmuch as this requirement has become unnecessary, owing to the institution of 'Children's School Books,' and constitutes a temptation to inaccurate registers, while it prejudices the education of the children who are unable to fulfil the condition, it is desirable that the Code should be amended by the omission of such requirement,said, he understood that by the Standing Orders it was not competent for him to move his Resolution. He would, however, feel quite content in simply directing the notice of the Education Department to the subject, in the hope that they might be induced to adopt the suggestions which the proposal embodied, and which had already received the support of a considerable number of qualified educationalists. Although the subject might appear at first sight to be of a technical character, yet it was of considerable practical importance, and it fortunately did not raise any political or sectarian issue. The Birmingham School Board had petitioned in favour of the proposed change, as had also other school boards, including those of Derby, Durham, Huddersfield, and Plymouth. Opinions in favour of the suggestions had been expressed at a conference of the National Union of Elementary Teachers. This condition of attendance as preliminary to examination was introduced by the right hon. Member for the University of London (Mr. Lowe) 812 as part of the system of payment by results. At the time of its introduction 200 attendances were required; now the number was 250. For the most part, the disqualifications under this condition arose from causes wholly beyond the reach of either the teacher or the manager. Even without any such condition, the teacher had sufficient inducement to secure regular attendance, in the fact that the irregular scholars did not remunerate him for his labour in giving them efficient instruction. One of the reasons for adopting the condition was that it was supposed to prevent the possible presentation of a child in the same Standard twice in the same year; but the introduction of the School Book recording the progress of the child had rendered any fraud of that kind impossible. The last Report of the Privy Council stated that out of the 2,064,000 odd children on the school registers, no less than 618, 849, or 31 per cent, were disqualified owing to the non-fulfilment of this condition of 250 attendances at the same school. The result was that the country was kept in a state of ignorance as to the extent of the education of these children, for whose instruction the country paid largely. No doubt the large majority of these 618,849 children had made the requisite number of attendances, but not in the same school. The removal of children from one school to another was owing, not to caprice on the part of their parents, but to their change of residence. It appeared that in one year there had been in Birmingham. 10,000 changes of residences on account of change of work and other causes, so that 10,000 children had, through those changes of residences, to be removed to other schools. The condition of requiring 250 attendances in the same school retarded the education of children. In many cases children, because they had not fulfilled that condition, had to be presented for examination in a lower Standard than they were capable of passing. The children who had not fulfilled the condition were neglected by the teachers, who bestowed most of their attention on children who, having complied with the condition, might pass the examination, and thus be of pecuniary service to the teachers. Another objection to the present system was, that it offered a direct temptation to the teacher to falsify the register of attendance in order to obtain the grant; 813 an objection which was confirmed by the Reports of Inspectors. If this temptation were removed he believed those offences would disappear. He was quite content to leave the matter to the consideration of the noble Lord (Lord George Hamilton) and the Department which he represented. He thought he had shown what was a real grievance, both to managers and to teachers. It was a temptation which had led many teachers astray, and which, at the same time, had proved to be an obstacle and an hindrance to the progress of education. If the noble Lord would consent to expunge in future the condition to which he had referred they would then really know what the education system was doing, and the great discrepancy between the total number of registered scholars and the numbers shown to be receiving anything like a satisfactory education would be removed.