§ MR. WHITEHEAD (Essex, S.E.)I beg to ask the President of the Board of Education whether he has any information or statistics showing how far the children of gipsies and vagrants escape elementary education; and, if not, whether he can see his way to appoint an inspector with the special duty of inquiring into this matter and superintending the enforcement of the Education Acts for the benefit of children of this class.
§ MR. McKENNAI have no information or statistics bearing on this question. The enforcement of school attendance is a matter primarily for the local education authority. The inspector in each district will give the authority any assistance in his power. I do not think the special appointment for this purpose of an inspector, who must necessarily have a slight knowledge of the various districts which he would require to visit in the course of his duties, would materially assist the end in view.