§ Sir FORTESCUE FLANNERYasked the President of the Board of Education whether the Board of Education will, in view of the necessity of encouraging both recruiting and the completion of this harvest and the preparation for the next harvest, issue a notice that boys who may be temporarily engaged in field work in lieu of men who have recruited will be 369 excused from school attendance, and that both their parents and themselves will be relieved from penalties.
§ The PRESIDENT of the BOARD of EDUCATION (Mr. J. A. Pease)I have no power to suspend the operation of the law of school attendance without legislation. The by-laws in most agricultural districts already make provision for exemption of children who are of an age to be useful in field work. The matter is one which, I think, can safely be left to the discretion of local education authorities and magistrates, with whom the enforcement of the law for school attendance rests.
§ Mr. C. BATHURSTIs it the fact that latitude is now allowed to local authorities in those places to grant exemption during the months of the harvest, and not exemption during the winter months?
§ Mr. PEASEAs long as the child has to attend the school 250 times the school is open. I think it is left a great deal to the discretion of the local authorities as to the months in which a child may be exempted in order to help in agricultural work.
§ Sir F. FLANNERYWill the right hon. Gentleman take steps to see that copies of his answers are circulated for the benefit of the local authorities with a view to assisting agriculture, having regard to the difficulties in which it has been placed by recruiting?
§ Mr. PEASEThe Prime Minister stated last week that the Government will put no pressure on the authorities with regard to these matters, and, therefore, the local education authorities may be relied upon to exempt children who can be usefully employed in support of the agricultural industry.
§ Sir F. FLANNERYSurely this is a matter in regard to which the answer of the right hon. Gentleman might be circulated?
§ Mr. PEASEIf I thought there was the slightest necessity for circulating it among the local authorities I should certainly do so, but I am quite satisfied in my own mind that they may be trusted, and that the matter may be left to their discretion.
§ Sir CHARLES HUNTERWill the Boy Scouts, who are doing most useful work in the Government offices, also be exempted from full attendance?
§ Mr. PEASEIf they are over eleven years' of age they may be exempted; and if they are over thirteen years' of age they will naturally be exempted if they have passed the reasonable standards.