§ MR. J. C. HOZIER (Lanarkshire, S.)I beg to ask the Secretary for Scotland, whether he can make any allowance for attendances on the part of children who, through the severity of the weather and the state of the roads, are, especially in the rural districts in Scotland, unable to attend school at this season?
§ SIR G. O. TREVELYANAs the hon. Member is aware, it is not now necessary for children to have made a certain number of attendances in order to earn grants for a school. A proportionate deduction is made from the required number of school openings if a school has to be closed owing to severity of weather or the state of the roads. If a school opening is held the registers must be marked. But, if owing to very exceptional circumstances, very few children can reach school, we shall not object to some instruction being given to them and shall not hold it to constitute a school opening. In this case the teacher must mark out the column of attendance in the register; and a note of the circumstances, and of the number of children present, must be made in the log-book at once, and signed by the correspondent, or a manager, as soon as possible. Where an inspection takes place shortly after the interruption of attendance by stormy weather the inspectors would make due allowance.