COMPULSORY EDUCATION.
[TO THE EDITOR OF THE "SPECTATOR.")
SI11,—Some weeks ago, in one of your articles on Elementary Education, you suggested that compulsion for parents refusing to send their children to school might be applied by a simpler method than a Board, with all its appliances, affords. It is to be hoped that ultimately some such method may be discovered by Parlia- ment, and be applicable to towns and villages in which it has been -determined that the Voluntary school system shall be retained. What weighty, reason can be assigned against giving the power of compulsion to the managing body of each denominational school, or to such bodies in combination, where there is more than one school of the same denomination in a town? Each body might appoint its own officer to look up its own stray sheep, and when necessary, apply compulsion to recalcitrant parents. The evils and hardships attendant upon the police system of the Boards, hinted at by the Marquis of Ripon in his speech of Thursday, the -30th October, would be mitigated, as each denomination would be likely to treat its own members with tenderness, and yet would generally enforce attendance.
I should like to ask one other question. Why should not the provieions of the Act for Agricultural Children be extended to those not employed in agriculture ? The value of the, labour of children is the principal reason why parents now keep them from school. If it were made a penal offence to employ children between certain ages without a school certificate, it would seem that this provision alone would be almost enough to enforce attendance, and that in the least offensive manner.—I am, Sir, &c.,
A CONSTANT READER.
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