§ Mr. RUPERT GWYNNEasked the President of the Board of Education whether he is aware that a child boarded out by the Newhaven Board of Guardians in the area of the Southampton education authority has been refused admission to the public elementary school in the parish in which he is residing on the ground that the Newhaven Board of Guardians decline to pay a fee for such education; whether he is aware that there is no Act of Parliament which makes it compulsory on boards of guardians to pay the cost of educating boarded-out children residing in another county; whether he is aware that the East Sussex education authority, in which Newhaven is situated, do not charge for the cost of educating boarded-out children from other counties residing in their area, and that, in the case mentioned, owing to the action of the Southampton education authority, sanctioned by the Board of Education, the child is at present receiving no education whatever; and will he state what action he proposes to take in these cases?
Mr. PEASEGuardians were specially empowered by the Elementary Education Act of 1900 to contribute to the expenses of local education authorities in respect of the maintenance of a public elementary school attended by boarded-out children. In view of the hardship to local education authorities caused by requiring them to provide accommodation for Poor Law children from other areas than their own, we are inclined to consider it reasonable for a local education authority to exclude a child boarded out by guardians of a union outside their area unless the guardians are willing to contribute to the maintenance of the school to which the child is sent. We have been informed of the facts in this case, and have explained our attitude to the guardians and are hoping to hear from them further.