§ SIR HOWARD VINCENTI beg to ask the President of the Board of Education if he is aware that the Education Act of New Zealand requires that all boys should be instructed in military drill and all boys and girls over eight be taught physical drill; that, in forming twenty-eight battalions of 264 companies of 127,000 cadets, training them to shoot, and sending them annually to camp, the Colony spends over £5,000 a year with the approbation of the parents; and if he can inform the House how many cadet battalions and companies have been formed in the elementary public schools under his control, and what pecuniary encouragement is extended to them.
§ THE PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD OF EDUCATION (Mr. BIRRELL, Bristol, N.)I understand that the hon. Member's statement of the law in New Zealand on the matter of military drill for boys is accurate, but he seems to have been misinformed in regard to the number of cadets, the figures quoted by him being, apparently, the number of children receiving physical instruction, and therefore including the girls. I imagine, therefore, that even in New Zealand this does not mean that this number of scholars have all received military instruction, or been trained to shoot. With regard to the third paragraph of the Question, if the hon. Member desires to know how many 760 "cadet battalions and companies" have been organised in England and Wales as part of the organisation of a public elementary school as such, the reply is that there are none. As to the number of "cadet battalions and companies" that may have been organised voluntarily from among boys who attend public elementary schools, I have no information; being apparently wholly military in purpose, they would in no way come within the purview of the Board of Education.
§ SIR HOWARD VINCENTrepeated the last part of his Question. What pecuniary assistance was extended to such cadet battalions and companies?
§ MR. BIRRELLNone at all.