§ Mr. FERENSasked the President of the Board of Education how many of the 943W education authorities are using the syllabus issued by the Education. Department for the teaching of hygiene and temperance, and in how many individual schools is the syllabus regularly used?
§ Mr. RUNCIMANThe syllabus of lessons on temperance for scholars attending public elementary schools issued by the Board of Education in 1909 is in use in the areas of 214 of the local education authorities of England and Wales. It is not to be inferred that in the areas of the remaining 108 authorities no lessons on temperance are given. The Code commends the instruction of the older children in hygiene, particularly in relation to food and drink, including alcohol. Such lessons on this subject as are not based on the new Official Syllabus of 1909 will be found as a rule to follow the suggestions for the teaching of hygiene and temperance which were issued in 1905. I am unable to give information as to the actual number of schools in which the syllabus is used. Such information could only be obtained by an inquiry addressed to each of the public elementary schools in the country, which number more than 22,000.