§ MR. HUBBARD (Bucks, N.)asked the Vice President of the Committee of Council on Education if his attention had been drawn to the paragraph of the Report of the Select Committee on National Provident Insurance (August 1887), in which they record their opinion that instruction in sound principles of thrift and insurance should form part of the education now made compulsory by the Legislature; that an elementary text book in the principles of provident insurance (such as is recommended by Mr. Sutton in 1885 and Mr. H. S. Tremenheere in 1887) might be comprised in a few pages, introduced by the Education Department into the routine of elementary schools; and, by sapping the the evils of improvidence and imprudent investment, prove of infinite advantage to the whole mass of the population; and if the Education Department had taken, or would take, any steps for giving effect to these recommendations?
§ *SIR W. HART DYKEMy attention has been called to the paragraph in question, and the Department have long since anticipated one of the suggestions by recommending the establishment of school savings banks wherever possible. I am not aware of the existence of any text book on the subject that usefully fulfils the conditions of a school reading book, but if such a book were produced the Department would place no difficulty in the way of its adoption by school 618 managers in lieu of one of the ordinary reading books.