The half-yearly Report of the Stockport School Board illustrates very
remarkably the benefit to education of the compulsory prin- ciple, i.e., of the reserved power of sending parents to prison, and also of the reserved power of remitting or paying fees for desti- tute children. " By reference to the reports of the 2nd and 14th of February, 1871, it will be seen," says the new report, " that—
The average number of children prosont was 3,980, now 5,000 Tho actual number during prosont week 4,618 „ 6,272 The number of children on book 5,570 „ 7,075 Being an increase of 1,020, or 26 per cent., average attendance. 1,654 „ 86 „ actual ditto.
ff 2,105 „ 38 „ number on books.
If these results be satisfactory, they will be the more so when it is known that the increase is not due to the number of children on the free list of the Board. In times like the present, when there is plenty of work for all, there is no great necessity for re- mission of fees, and the object of the Board has been to insist upon the payment of school fees by the parents themselves." And in point of fact, only 28 families have had the foes paid or remitted, that number of families including 47 children. Of these 47, however, 15 were transferred from schools under poor- law guardians, so that only 32 children's fees are really added to the rates. Of the children too poor to attend without remissions, 17 belong to Church-of-England schools, 10 to one Independent school, and 20 to three Roman Catholic schools, the total for paying school fees from the formation of the Board to the end of September being 1218s. Sid, ! Of course it would be more in times of distress. But the Stockport School Board has set a bright business example to London and Birmingham. If the various Boards do their duty in pressing the parents for the school pence, this terrible denominational fee-question would assume very small proportions, so small that the League would quite resent the loss of a respectable grievance. Stockport has about half the population of the City of London.
