§ 90 and 91. Mr. Dumpletonasked the Minister of Education (1) why, in approving schemes for assistance to pupils at direct grant and independent boarding schools, he requires that they include conditions relating to social circumstances, such as lack of suitable home, instead of leaving local education authorities free to make awards on educational grounds alone and to have regard to the wishes of parents;
(2) why in approving schemes for assistance to pupils at direct grant and independent boarding schools he requires that they include the condition that the pupil has passed the county entrance examination for grammar school or equivalent; and whether he will give encouragement to boarding school education of all types where the parents desire it for their children.
§ Mr. TomlinsonI have imposed no such conditions and I am anxious to see a progressive development of all types 79W of boarding education for suitable children. Since, however, most of the existing direct grant and independent boarding schools give an education of the grammar school type it is natural that local education authorities should satisfy themselves that the pupils they assist at such schools will be able to profit by that form of education. Also in Administrative Memorandum 225, of which I am sending my hon. Friend a copy, the point was made that at present owing to the shortage of boarding accommodation it was to be expected that greater attention would have to be given to a pupil's extraneous circumstances than will, I hope, later be required.