Major BARKERasked the President of the Board of Education whether it is the intention of the Board of Education to economise by closing evening schools during the session 1922–23; will the closure be partial or will the whole of the evening classes outside the technical schools be shut down; and, if not, what must be the average attendance of an evening 3chool in order to secure recognition by the Board?
§ Mr. FISHERThere will, I am afraid, be some curtailment of the evening school provision in 1922–23, but I am not in a position to say what the form or extent of the curtailment will be until I have the authorities' proposals before me. They are well acquainted with the needs of their areas, and the effective demand for various forms of instruction, and I am sure will proceed on the lines of dropping those classes which yield least return in the form of regular attendance and serious work by a substantial number ofbonâ fide students. I do not contemplate the prescription of a uniform minimum of average attendance as a condition of recognition for grant.