§ Sir FRANCIS BLAKEasked the President of the Board of Education whether, in fixing the appointed day for the purposes of Section 8 (1) and (2) of the Education Act, 1918, he will give local education authorities at least three months' prior notice of the date so fixed, in order that in those areas when hitherto a considerable proportion of the children have been able to leave school before attaining the age of fourteen the authorities may have sufficient time to make necessary arrangements?
§ Mr. FISHERAs regards Section 8 (1), I would refer the hon. Baronet to the last paragraph of the Board's Circular 1095, of which I am sending him a copy. Section 8 (2) merely empowers local education authorities to raise the age of compulsory school attendance to fifteen, and it hardly seems necessary to give the authorities three months' notice of the day on which it will come into force.