§ Mr. Peter Freemanasked the Minister of Education whether her attention has been called to the case of a boy, aged 14, at Kirkby in Ashfield, Nottinghamshire, who recently committed suicide rather than go back to school where he had been threatened with further corporal punishment after his father had given him a beating for staying away from school for one day; and whether she will circularise local education authorities to the effect that such action by schools is detrimental to the welfare of children for minor offences and should be abolished.
§ Miss HorsbrughI have received a report on this sad case from the local education authority. The authority tell me that no punishment of any kind had been threatened by the school; that no corporal punishment had been administered to this boy by the school at any 91W time, and that there was no suggestion at the inquest or in the coroner's verdict that the boy was afraid to return to school. The answer to the last part of the Question is "No."