§ DR. FARQUHARSON (Aberdeenshire, W.)asked the Vice President of the Committee of Council on Education whether his attention has been directed to statements recently made by responsible authorities, to the effect that short sight and other forms of defective vision are rapidly increasing in England; and, whether, to test the accuracy of these statements, he will direct the inspection of the children of some one Board School by a competent ophthalmic surgeon?
§ THE VICE PRESIDENT OF THE COUNCIL (Sir W. HART DYKE) (Kent, Dartford)Statements such as those referred to were, I believe, recently made in the newspapers, and the Department are quite alive to the importance of the question, and the attention of their Inspectors will be specially directed to testing the accuracy of the alleged facts. I may add that in criticizing the plans of schools special care is taken by the Department to secure enough light, and that it shall fall in the right direction. A Royal Commission has been engaged in taking important evidence, and will shortly report upon the subject.
§ DR. FARQUHARSONI beg to give notice that I will call attention to this subject on the earliest opportunity, and will move that a medical inspection of the elementary schools is required, in order to prevent an interference with the present system of compulsory education.