§ 19. Sir R. THOMASasked the President of the Board of Education whether having regard to the objections which many parents have, for one reason and another, to sending their children to public elementary schools, his attention has been directed to a proposal for giving to the parents of every child of school age an education grant, and allowing them to send the child on it to any school of an approved standard that they choose; and will he give this suggestion his consideration?
§ The PRESIDENT of the BOARD of EDUCATION (Lord Eustace Percy)Suggestions of this kind have been made on various occasions but, in the form in which the hon. Member now puts it forward, it would apparently involve the conversion of all grants in aid of elementary education into capitation grants. It may be worth while to point out that parents who pay Income Tax already receive from the Exchequer a relief which is approximately equal to the cost of elementary education in respect of each child.
§ Mr. SHEPHERDDoes not the Noble Lord think that this suggestion savours of subsidising snobbery?