Captain FABERasked the President of the Board of Education whether his attention has been called to the case of Henry Blackman, of Coombe Farm, East Meon, who was summoned for a breach of the by-laws for not sending his daughter, aged eight, regularly to school when ill; and if he will instruct the education authorities not to allow their attendance officers to press for medical certificates, owing to the expense this entails on the poor?
Mr. PEASEI have no official information with reference to this case. I must remind the hon. Member that this is a matter which has been left by Statute to the discretion of local education authorities, and I do not think it is one in which interference by a central authority would be justified.