HC Deb 19 December 1963 vol 686 cc1420-1
17. Mr. Dodds

asked the Minister of Education, in view of the importance of education for the children of gypsies and other travellers residing in caravans, and the statutory obligation that all children of the required ages shall attend school, what special action has been taken by each of the local education authorities in the counties of Dorset, Essex and Kent to ensure that the children of school age attend school at least during the winter months and early spring when farm work is not available and the caravans are static if sites are available.

Sir E. Boyle

In each case the authority is successfully operating its normal arrangements for securing school attendance. These include visits by school welfare officers and the making of school attendance orders, and court proceedings where necessary.

Mr. Dodds

Does not the Minister appreciate that he has a statutory obligation to ensure that children go to school? Will he inquire into the situation, bearing in mind that many of the traditional camps are closed down and that the families are being chased around on the main roads? How can the children go to school in these circumstances? How can we ever hope to solve this human problem unless the children go to school, and what children need schooling more than these do?

Sir E. Boyle

The legal duty to send the children to school rests on the gypsy parents, and the authorities do everything they reasonably can to ensure that gypsy children go to school. The hon. Member tables a great many Questions on this subject. I can assure him that I correspond and inquire into it every time he raises the matter. But there are real difficulties in the case of caravan sites.

Mr. Dodds

If I give the right hon. Gentleman information about specific places where the children are not going to school despite what is done by the local education authorities, will he add his weight to that of the Minister of Housing and Local Government in an effort to get something done, because this is a disgrace to the country?

Sir E. Boyle

If the hon. Gentleman would care to refer a specific case to me, I should be glad to know about it, and I am sure that the local education authorities would be, too.

18. Mr. Dodds

asked the Minister of Education how many children of school age residing in caravans in the counties of Dorset, Essex and Kent, respectively, were not attending school at the latest convenient date; and how many, in each of the counties, are not attending school because of the failure to secure camping places within the law.

Sir E. Boyle

I understand from the local education authorities that there are 14 children in Dorset and two in Kent at present out of school. In neither county is this due to a failure to secure a camping place. The Dorset authority is trying to persuade parents to send their children to the appropriate schools in Poole. Kent is dealing with its two children who are probably new arrivals. No cases are known to the Essex authority.

Mr. Dodds

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that that situation is not correct? Is he not aware that last week there were on the A.2 seven caravans with 11 children of school age, and that these gypsies had been pushed on by the police; and if they had not moved they would have been fined £1 a day while they were there? How can children go to school in these circumstances? When are we going to do something about it? When is the right hon. Gentleman going to do something about it?

Sir E. Boyle

I do not want to be discourteous, but if the hon. Gentleman worked for a local education authority he would find that it is a great deal more difficult than he sometimes makes out. I gather that the parents of the 14 children in Poole want them all to attend the same school. Unfortunately, we do not have all-age schools in Poole, and so it is not easy. We all do our best about this, I can promise the hon. Member.