§ Mr. PIRIEasked whether he is prepared to sanction an arrangement whereby rural schoolmasters whose schools are not higher grade may be encouraged to bring on selected pupils for the full three years term of the intermediate certificate course, provided the necessary teaching equipment has been provided; and whether the extra grants in the second and third year and any equipment grants will be allowed, more especially so seeing that the extra cost for an intermediate curriculum appears to be a very minor part of school maintenance?
Mr. McKINNON WOODProvision for such cases as the hon. Member appears to have in view is made in the second footnote to Article 21 of the Day School Code. As a rule, however, it is not to the advantage of pupils to have their entrance to higher schools delayed any longer than is absolutely necessary. While, therefore, presentation for the intermediate certificate from purely primary schools is permissible and permitted, it does not seem desirable that the practice should be encouraged by the offer of extra attendance Grants. The "Equipment Grants" referred to by the hon. Member are presumably those available under Section 17 (8) of the Education (Scotland) Act, 1908. If so, the hon. Member's attention is directed to the first paragraph of Section 18 (b) of the Department's memorandum of April, 1909, as to Section 17 of 1802W the Act, where committees are urged to give special consideration to the claims of ordinary primary schools.