§ MR. MORRELL (Oxfordshire, Woodstock)I beg to ask the Vice-President of the Committee of Council on Education whether, having regard to the requirements of parents of children in rural schools, the prevalence of mixed schools in rural districts, and the early withdrawal of children from the day school, he will give reconsideration to the N.B. at the end of Article 101, Code 1901, under which no attendance at a class for cookery or cottage gardening made by scholars under twelve years of age after March 31, 1902, will be taken into account for the purposes of any grant under Article 101, g. k.; and allow a grant for scholars of eleven and over, instead of twelve and over; and for boys and girls alike, both in cookery and cottage gardening, and a grant for boys of eleven and over for manual instruction, instead of twelve and over, as in Schedule 9.
I beg also to ask whether the Board of Education will consider a grant for cottage gardening for scholars of eleven and over in cases where the circumstances of the school in the opinion of the inspector make it desirable that horticulture, under Article 15 (b) ii., should be taken up.
§ SIR J. GORSTWith regard to the supplemental question, I will carefully consider that point. In reply to the 596 question on the Paper, I beg to say that it is not intended to raise the age for grants in cookery, etc., till the Code of 1902. Meanwhile careful consideration will be given to all representations made to the Board of Education. The suggestion is made entirely on educational grounds and in the interest of the children. There is no intention of lowering the age for grants in manual instruction.