§ MR. SWIFT MACNEILL (Donegal, S.)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether he is aware that in calculating the percentages of illiteracy in Ireland, officially 1147 given to the public in every Census Report, every child of five years old and upwards is counted as an illiterate if unable to read and write, and that this age limit, adopted on the authority of the Census Commissioners of 1841, has been continued in every census since that time; why, having regard to the fact that according to the compulsory clauses of the Irish Education Act of 1892 six years is the age at which children are bound to attend school, is every child who happens to be five years old on the day of the census entered as illiterate if unable to read and write; and whether, inasmuch as this age limit for illiteracy is calculated to convey an erroneous impression, the Census Commissioners will be directed in their next Census Report to adopt ten years as the limit of age for illiteracy, or if it be judged desirable to keep, for the purposes of comparison with former Census Returns, the percentage of illiteracy on the old lines of five years old and upwards, will directions be given to the Census Commissioners to furnish a new column, giving the percentage of illiteracy on a new basis of counting only the population ten years of age and upwards.
§ MR. BIRRELLI am informed that the fact is as stated in the first part of the Question. I agree that the classification of illiterates at the last census in Ireland appears to have been somewhat anomalous. It would be premature to give instructions upon the subject at present, but the matter will receive attention when the next Census Act, and the instructions to be issued thereunder, are being dealt with.
§ MR. SWIFT MACNEILLI beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether he is aware that since 1841 the percentages of illiteracy in Ireland have been officially given to the public in every Census Report, but that no corresponding percentages of illiteracy have been published by the Census Commissioners of England and Scotland; why, having regard to the desirability of an official record of the state of education in Ireland as regards illiteracy, has a similar information of the state of education in England and Scotland as regards illiteracy been 1148 withheld from the public; and what is the reason that the favour extended to Ireland in having an official record of illiteracy is not conferred on England and Scotland.
§ MR. BIRRELLI have no information as to the reasons why an educational census has not been taken in England and Scotland. I understand that the census for Great Britain is conducted under the supervision of my right hon. friend the President of the Local Government Board, to whom the hon. and learned Member should address his inquiry.