§ 19. Mr. KINGasked the President of the Board of Education whether he is intending to consult the chief medical officer of the Board as to the effect on the health of the scholars by allowing boys to leave school before the age of fourteen in order to take up agricultural work; and whether he will issue a circular to local education authorities calling on them to allow early leaving school only in cases where the medical inspector agrees to it as not detrimental to health?
Mr. PEASEI frequently consult all the chief officers of the Board, and am fully aware of the value of the opinion of the chief medical officer on all questions affecting the health of children. I am not prepared to curtail the responsibility of local education authorities by asking them to subordinate their administration to the opinion of one of their own officers.
§ Mr. KINGDoes the right hon. Gentleman still support the policy put forward in the report of the chief medical officer of the Board, that all children on leaving school should be medically examined?
Mr. PEASEThe arrangement which I made with the local education authorities is that all children at the age of twelve should be medically examined.