§ MR. BARTLEY (Islington, N.)I beg to ask the Vice President of the Committee of Council on Education whether he will grant as an unopposed Return, and issue before the Education Department Estimates are considered, a statement showing the number of day scholars who were in average attendance in all the elementary schools in England and Wales during the first six months after the abolition of school fees, that is, ending 31st March, 1892, as compared with the number in attendance in the corresponding period ending 31st March, 1891?
§ SIR W. HART DYKEThe statistics collected by the Department are made up for the year ending31st August, and I have no means of ascertaining the average attendance for any other period, but from the information supplied by the Inspectors who were consulted as to the effect of the Act during the first two months of its operation, it appeared that a considerable increase had taken place. The financial estimate submitted to Parliament is based upon the assumption that the average attendance will increase 2.2 per cent., as against 1 per cent. for the twelve months preceding the abolition of fees, but this estimate does not re- 826 present the full effect of the Act, because the average attendance for the period it covers is only partially affected thereby.