§ MR. BARTLEYI beg to ask the Vice President of the Committee of Council on Education whether it is a fact, as stated by a deputation that waited on him, that since the passing of the Free Education Act the average attendance has fallen from 77.6 per cent, to 77.2 per cent., and the average number of children over 10 years of age has only risen from 33.4 per cent, to 33.5 per cent.; and when the Education Department proposes to take any further steps to enforce attendance?
§ MR. ACLANDIn the Inspection year 1891–2 the percentage of children in attendance to the number on the registers fell to 77.3 as compared with 77.7 in the preceding year, and that of children over 10 to 33.4 as compared with 33.6. The statistics for that year were necessarily inconclusive, since the Free Education 263 Act was only in operation for part of that year. The full effect of that Act is shown by the statistics for I 892–3, and I find that the percentage of attendance has risen from 77.3 to nearly 80, and that of children over 10 from 33.4 to 34.1. The age of exemption from school attendance was by an Act of the present Session raised to 11 years. I do not see my way at the present moment to any further legislation on the subject of school attendance.