§ MR. MANSFIELD (Lincolnshire, Spalding)I beg to ask the Secretary to the Board of Education if he will alter the by-law respecting the hours of attendance of children in public elementary schools, so that only those children shall be compelled to attend the schools during the time devoted to religious instruction whose parents have sent a written request to the managers, expressing the wish that their children shall be present during such instruction.
§ *THE PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY TO THE BOABD OF EDUCATION (Sir WILLIAM ANSON,) Oxford UniversityThe proposal contained in the Question docs not appear to the Board to be in accordance with the requirements of Section 7(1) of the Elementary Education Act of 1870, and is not, therefore, such as the Board could properly adopt. I may draw the hon. Member's 1527 attention to the new model by-laws recently issued by the Board, which, they are advised, follow exactly Section 7 (1) of the Act of 1870; in districts where these are adopted by the local authority, parents will be able to withdraw their children in all cases from the school premises during the time set apart for instruction in religious subjects.