§ MR. RICHARDSON (Nottingham S.)I beg to ask the President of the Board 138 of Education whether he is aware that the children in the public elementary schools of Strelly and Bilborough, in Nottinghamshire, were given holidays on the 6th, 7th, 21st, and 26th November, and that the reason for such holidays was that Mr. F. Kekewich Edge had shooting parties on such days, and used certain of the boys as stops and beaters of game; and will he take such measures as shall prevent boys being withdrawn from the school in future.
§ THE PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD of EDUCATION (Mr. Birrell, Bristol N.)I have no information in regard to the incident referred to in the Question. In reply to the concluding paragraph, I must remind the hon. Member that, subject to the opening of a school for the minimum number of times in the year required by the Code, the closing of a school on a particular day rests with the managers subject absolutely to the consent of the local authority. It is to the local authority therefore that the hon. Member should in the first instance address his inquiry. I may add that the practice of closing a school and thus stopping the education of the children merely for the convenience of shooting parties is in my view highly reprehensible, and I shall be glad to take whatever steps may be in my power to put a stop to it.