§ 79. Mr. HURDasked the President of the Board of Education what is the exact purpose and meaning of Form 75 as., in revision and completion of Form 74gs., 1541 as sent to schoolmasters, especially what the Ministry desire to know when they call upon schoolmasters to declare why a pupil under 16 leaves school, while at the same time they indicate that it is not sufficient to show that the pupil left to follow some professional, commercial, industrial, or manual pursuits?
§ Mr. FISHERIt is a condition of the Board's recognition of a secondary school for grant that the pupils should normally remain in attendance until at least the age of 16, and the enforcement of this condition is necessary if waste of public funds is to be avoided. The form in question is designed to enable the Board to ascertain whether and how far the premature withdrawal of particular pupils is justifiable. Apart from exceptional circumstances, the Board cannot regard the position of a school as satisfactory if a large number of pupils leave before 16 to enter employment.
§ Mr. HURDWhat is it exactly the Board wants to know, seeing that they exclude the question of subsequent employment?
§ Mr. FISHERWhat the Board wants to know is why the children are withdrawn without adequate and good reason.