§ 8. Mr. KINGasked the President of the Board of Education whether he is aware that at St. George's secondary school, Bristol, parents are required to sign an undertaking to pay £3 if their children are withdrawn before the completion of three years' instruction; that these fines are often arbitrarily imposed and sometimes preferentially remitted, and that thereby discontent and lack of confidence in the managers arise; whether this system of fines is sanctioned by the Board of Education; and whether an inspector of the Board will be instructed to inquire and report on this matter?
Mr. PEASEI am aware of the requirement referred to, which is for four years, and not for three, as stated. The matter is within the discretion of the local education authority and, in so far as the practice tends to increase the duration of school life and to prevent capricious withdrawals, the Board have no objection to it in principle. The Board's inspector has recently reported on the working of the system and it appears from his report that the payment is rarely enforced. I have no reason to think that the administration of the authority in this respect is arbitrary or unfair, or that any occasion has arisen for my intervention.