§ MR. DRAGE (Derby)I beg to ask the Vice-President of the Committee of Council on Education whether his attention had been called to the repeated Reports of Her Majesty's inspectors with regard to the irregular attendance at school of canal boat children; and whether he would consider the desirability of introducing any reform in the existing law or its administration with a view to remedying the existing evil?
§ THE VICE-PRESIDENT OF THE COMMITTEE OF COUNCIL ON EDUCATION (Sir J. GORST, Cambridge University)The answer to the first paragraph is in the affirmative. The matter has been often under the consideration of the Committee of Council. No efficient remedy seems possible so long as children of school age are allowed to travel on canal boats; and this cannot be prevented without an alteration in the law which cannot be recommended without much further consideration.