Duchess of ATHOLLasked the Secretary of State for Scotland what Scottish county councils or education committees have asked for a postponement of the raising of the school-leaving age to a date later than 1st April, 1931; what in these cases is the date suggested; and what county councils or education committees have asked for a postponement without mentioning any date?
Mr. W. ADAMSONThe county councils of Moray and Nairn, Wigtown, Renfrew and Orkney; the town council of Aberdeen; the education committees of Perth and Kinross, Angus, Edinburgh, West Lothian and Midlothian; and a conference of representatives of a number2000W of education authorities held at Edinburgh on 28th November have urged that the raising of the school age should be postponed to a date later than 1st April, 1931. The county councils of Renfrew and Orkney, the education committee of Edinburgh and the conference I have mentioned suggested 1934, the education committee of Midlothian postponement "until after 1934," the Aberdeen Town Council 1935. The other authorities mentioned no date. On the other hand, I have received representations in support of an early raising of the school age from the Educational Institute of Scotland, and many of its local branches, the Workers' Educational Association, the Scottish Socialist Teachers' Society, the Inverness Trades and Labour Council, the Inverness-shire Divisional Labour party.