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CIRCULAR LETTER TO OVERSEERS OF THE POOR.

GENTLEMEN,

Local Government Board, Whitehall, S.W., 15th September, 1877.

1. I am directed by the Local Government Board to forward for your information a copy of a Circular Letter which the Board have addressed to Guardians of the Poor, on the subject of the expenses of the School Attendance Committees appointed by them.

2. The Board desire me to add, that as it is provided by section 31 of the Elementary Education Act, 1876, that the fund out of which these expenses are to be paid is to be raised out of the poor rate of the several parishes, it will be incumbent upon the overseers to pay out of the poor rates the sums which may be called for by the guardians; and consequently, it will not be necessary, except where the jurisdiction of the School Attendance Committee extends over part only of the parish, that the overseers should keep any separate account with reference to these transactions, but the payments will be entered in their ordinary account, in the Receipt and Payment Book.

3. In any case in which the jurisdiction of the School Attendance Committee extends over a part only of the parish, it is provided by section 49 of the Act that "the overseers of the entire parish shall be deemed to be the overseers of such part of a parish, and a rate in the nature of a poor rate may be levied therein by such overseers, either as a separate rate or as an addition to the poor rate;" and further, that the guardians shall "have the like power of obtaining payment of a contribution from the said part of a parish as they have of obtaining a contribution from the whole parish." The Board consider that in any case of this kind the overseers should keep and submit to the auditor, under the provisions of 39 & 40 Vict., c. 61, s. 87, a separate account of this special levy, whether it be collected as a separate rate or as an addition to the poor rate.

I am, Gentlemen, your obedient servant,
JOHN LAMBERT, Secretary.

SCHOOL ATTENDANCE-WORKHOUSE SCHOOLS.

ORDER OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT BOARD.

To the Guardians of the Poor of the several Unions and separate Parishes in England and Wales;

To the Boards of Management of the several District Schools formed under the Poor Law Amendment Act, 1844, and the Acts amending the same; and to all others whom it may

concern.

WHEREAS by section 5 of the Elementary Education Act, 1876, it is enacted as follows:

"A person shall not, after the commencement of this Act, take into his employment (except as hereinafter in this Act mentioned) any child

(1.) Who is under the age of ten years; or,

(2.) Who, being of the age of ten years or upwards, has not obtained such certificate either of his proficiency in reading, writing, and elementary arithmetic, or of previous due attendance at a certified efficient school, as in this Act in that behalf mentioned, unless such child, being of the age of ten years or upwards, is employed and is attending school, in accordance with the provisions of the Factory Acts, or of any byelaw of the local authority (hereinafter mentioned) made under section seventy-four of the Elementary Education Act, 1870, as amended by the Elementary Education Act, 1873, and this Act, and sanctioned by the Education Department."

And whereas by section 48 of the said Act it is provided that the term "certified efficient school" in that Act means (among other schools) "any workhouse school certified to be efficient by the Local Government Board;"

And whereas by Rule No. 11 in the first schedule to the said Act it is provided that attendance for the purpose of that schedule includes, where the attendance is at a workhouse school, such attendance as may be from time to time directed for the purpose by the Local Government Board:

Now therefore, we, the Local Government Board, in pursuance of the powers given by the statutes in that behalf, hereby direct, for the purpose of the said schedule as regards children who attend a workhouse school certified by the Local Government Board to be efficient, as follows:

ARTICLE I.-An attendance of a child at a workhouse school certified as aforesaid shall be deemed to be an attendance for the purpose of the said schedule, where such child has attended the school and been under instruction in secular subjects at the morning or afternoon meeting of the school for not less than two hours if the child is above seven years of age, or for not less than one hour and a half if the child is above five and under seven years of age.

Provided, that where a child, if above seven years of age, has so attended and been under instruction in secular subjects for not less than three hours in the morning and one hour in the afternoon of the same day; or if above five and under seven years of age, for not less than two hours in the morning and one hour in the afternoon of the same day, each such attendance shall in each case be deemed to be an attendance for the purpose aforesaid.

ARTICLE II.-Any time which may be devoted to instruction in drill or to industrial training, other than a reasonable time for needlework in the case of girls, shall not be included in the time prescribed for an attendance for the purpose aforesaid.

ARTICLE III.-In this order

The word "union" includes any union of parishes incorporated or united for the relief or maintenance of the poor under any Act of Parliament.

The term "separate parish

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means a parish or place

which is under a separate Board of Guardians.

The word " guardians" includes any governors, directors, managers, acting guardians, vestrymen, or other

officers, appointed or entitled to act in the distribution or ordering of relief to the poor from the poor rates under any Act of Parliament. The term "workhouse school" includes any school, certified as aforesaid, belonging to a union or separate parish, which is under distinct management from that of the workhouse, whether the school buildings are part of the workhouse premises or, being separate from the workhouse, are situated either within or without the limits of the union or separate parish, and also any school belonging to a school district formed under the Poor Law Amendment Act, 1844, and Acts amending the same.

Given under the Seal of Office of the Local Government Board, this twenty-seventh day of October, in the year one thousand eight hundred and seventy-seven.

G. SCLATER-BOOTH, President.

DANBY P. FRY, Assistant Secretary.

REGISTER OF ATTENDANCE AND TIME-TABLE

IN WORKHOUSE SCHOOLS.

ORDER OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT BOARD.

To the Guardians of the Poor of the several Unions and separate Parishes in England and Wales;

To the Boards of Management of the several District Schools formed under the Poor Law Amendment Act, 1844, and the Acts amending the same; and to all others whom it may

concern.

WHEREAS the Local Government Board, by a general order dated the 27th day of October, 1877, gave directions with respect to the attendance, for the purpose of the Elementary Education Acts, of children attending workhouse schools certified by the Board to be efficient; and it is expedient that provision should be made with respect to the registration of attendances in every workhouse school, as hereinafter mentioned:

Now therefore, we, the Local Government Board, in pursuance of the powers given by the statutes in that behalf, hereby order as follows, with respect to the registration of the attendance of children in every workhouse school :

ARTICLE I.--The schoolmaster or schoolmistress, as the case may be, shall, within fifteen minutes from the commencement of the required instruction in secular subjects, mark the attendance of each child present at every meeting of the school in an attendance register, according to the form No. 1 in the schedule to this order; and shall from time to time make out a summary of the attendance register according to the form No. 2 in the said schedule, which summary shall be duly examined and signed by the clerk.

ARTICLE II. The attendance registers shall be produced to the visiting committee, on their visits to the school, and to the guardians or the Board of Management, at such times as they may direct.

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