§ 31 and 32. Mrs. WINTRINGHAMasked the President of the Board of Education (1) whether he will consider the advisability of reducing the proportion of the grant paid to a local education authority which evades its responsibilities with regard to the inclusion of domestic subjects as part of the curriculum for elder girls;
§ (2) whether, in view of the specific mention in the Code (1922) of Cookery, Laundry, and Midwifery as being part of the curriculum for elder girls in the public elementary schools, he will say what steps he proposes to take to prevent the suspension by education authorities of such teaching where facilities for it already exist?
37. Mr. GRAHAM WHITEasked the President of the Board of Education if his attention has been drawn to the decision of the County Council of the Lindsey Division of Lincolnshire to discontinue all instruction in physical training, woodwork, cookery, and laundry work; and what his attitude is in the matter?
Mr. WOODCourses of Midwifery are not given in elementary schools, but I imagine that the word is a misprint for "housewifery." My attention has been drawn to the action taken by the local education authority for Lindsey. The attitude of the Board towards the general question is defined in the reply I gave on the 22nd February to the Noble Lord the Member for Hastings. I cannot commit myself to any particular course of action, but each case of the kind that arises will receive my most careful consideration.
§ Mr. PRINGLENow that the Noble Lord the Member for Hastings (Lord E. Percy) is joining the Government, will the attitude of the Department be altered?