School Attendance (Foreign Countries). (Hansard, 31 March 1911)

§ Mr. RUNCIMAN

As regards the age at which school attendance begins to be compulsory in some of the countries mentioned in the question, I must refer the Noble Lord to the White Paper issued by the Board of Education in 1906 (Cd. 2968); while with regard to the age at which com- 1769W pulsory education ceases in the countries mentioned (with the exception of South Africa), I must refer to the White Paper issued by the Board of Education in 1908 (Cd. 4132). The annexed statement for the compilation of which I have had to rely on such documents as are available in the Library of the Board must be regarded as containing in some cases later information than was contained in the statements

Country.	Age at which attendance at the elementary school becomes compulsory.	Age at which compulsory attendance at the elementary school ceases.
France	On the completion of the sixth year.	On the completion of the thirteenth year. Children who obtain the Certificat d'Etudes may be exempted from further attendance. This Certificat can be obtained at the age of eleven.
German Empire, Baden.	On the completion of the sixth year. The school year begins at Easter. If a child attains the age of six between Easter and the 30th June in any year it becomes liable to school attendance at the opening of the school session in that year.	The child leaves school at Easter in the year in which it attains its fourteenth birthday provided that birthday falls before June 30th.
Bavaria	On the completion of the sixth year.	On the completion of the thirteenth year.
Prussia	There is no general school law which applies to all the provinces of this Kingdom. In some parts of the Kingdom the obligation to attend school begins on the completion of the child's fifth year; in the rest of the country one year later but as a matter of general practice, children are not compelled to attend school before they have completed their sixth year.	On the completion of the fourteenth year.
Saxe-Weimar	On the completion of the sixth year.	On the completion of the fourteenth year. Children may be retained until the completion of the fifteenth year if their progress is unsatisfactory.
Saxony	The obligation is to attend the elementary school for a period of eight years, which, as a rule, begins on the completion of the child's sixth year.	On the completion of the fourteenth year.
Wurtemberg	On the completion of the seventh year.	The end of April in the year in which the child attains its fourteenth birthday. Children may be retained at school an additional year, if their progress is unsatisfactory.
Austria-Hungary Austria.	The beginning of the school year after the child has attained its sixth birthday.	On the completion of the fourteenth year. Children receive leaving certificates on leaving school, and if they cannot obtain their certificates, they must remain at school beyond the compulsory limit.
Hungary	Six years of age	Twelve years of age
Holland	Seven years of age	Twelve years of age. Children who do not succeed in reaching a prescribed standard may be retained at school till the age of thirteen.

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above referred to. In the case of those countries, provinces, or States in which the conditions have remained, so far as the Board are aware, unchanged since 1908, the information contained in the White Paper issued in that year supplements the information now given, since that statement also gives some account of the systems of compulsory continuation schools, where such systems exist:—

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Country.	Age at which attendance at the elementary school becomes compulsory.	Age at which compulsory attendance at the elementary school ceases.
Italy	Six years of age	Twelve years of age; except in the case of communes, which make provision only for the the lower elementary course, in which case children are exempt at the age of nine.
Portugal	Six years of age	Twelve years of age. Pupils who obtain the Certificat d'Etudes du I. Degré, may be exempted before reaching the age of twelve.
Canada—
Alberta	Seven years of age	Fourteen years of age. Children who have passed the Public School Leaving Examination, may obtain exemption at an earlier age.
British Columbia.	Seven years of age	Fourteen years of age.
Manitoba	No statutory compulsion	——
New Brunswick	There is a Compulsory Attendance Act, which it is optional for the School Trustees of a district to make operative in that district. This Act requires children to attend school between the ages of seven and twelve years inclusive in rural districts, and between the ages of six and sixteen inclusive in cities and towns. Exemption may be granted to children over twelve if necessity compels them to work.
Nova Scotia	Compulsory attendance loft to local option. There are two Acts under which compulsory attendance may be enforced (1) The Education Act of 1900 and (2) The Town's Compulsory Attendance Act of 1900. The latter which requires attendance between the ages of six and sixteen but admits of exemption in the case of children over twelve who have passed a specified examination, can be adopted in incorporated towns only. A rural area which desires compulsion can enforce it by adopting the compulsory clause of the Education Act 1900 which requires attendance between the ages of seven and twelve.
Ontario	Eight years of age	Fourteen years of age. Children who have passed the entrance examination for high schools may obtain exemption before the age of fourteen.
Prince Edward Island.	Eight years of age	Thirteen years of age.
Quebec	No statutory compulsion.	——
Saskatchewan	Seven years of age	Twelve years of age.
Australia—
New South Wales	Six years of age	Fourteen years of age. Exemption may be obtained at an earlier age it the child holds a certificate of having reached a prescribed standard, i.e., reading, writing and arithmetic up to the standard of the Fourth Class of the primary school.
Queensland	Six years of age	Twelve years of age. Exemption may be obtained at an earlier age if the child holds a certificate of having reached a prescribed standard, i.e., a competent knowledge of reading, writing and arithmetic to the satisfaction of an inspector of schools.
Sth. Australia	Seven years of age	Thirteen years of age. Exemption may be obtained at an earlier age if the child has been educated up to the compulsory standard, i.e., reading, writing and arithmetic, as specified for the fourth class of the primary school.
Tasmania	Seven years of age	Thirteen years of age. Children who have been educated up to the compulsory standard, i.e., proficiency in reading, writing and arithmetic to the satisfaction of an inspector of schools, may obtain exemption at the age of eleven.
Victoria	Six years of age	Fourteen years of age. Children who have obtained a merit certificate, may obtain exemption at the age of twelve.
Wstn Australia	Six years of age	Fourteen years of age.

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Country.	Age at which attendance at the elementary school becomes compulsory	Age at which compulsory attendance at the elementary school ceases.
Australia—cont.
New Zealand	Seven years of age	Twelve years of age. Children who hold certificates of having completed the fifth standard, may obtain exemption at an earlier age.
South Africa—
Cape of Good Hope Province	Any school board may pass a resolution to make attendance at school compulsory on all children of European parentage who have completed their seventh but not their fourteenth year.
†Natal Province	Seven years of age	Fourteen years of age. Children who have completed the fifth standard of primary schools and are in regular employment, may be exempted at an earlier age.
†Orange Free State Prov'ce	Seven years of age	Sixteen years of age. Children who are in regular employment and have completed the course of the fourth standard of primary schools, may be exempted at an earlier age.
†Transvaal Province.	Seven years of age	Fourteen years of age. Children who have completed the course of the fourth standard of primary schools and are in regular employment, may be exempted at an earlier age.
†Applicable only to white children.