EVENING SITTING.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 13821, 25 August 1910, Page 8

EVENING SITTING.

The House resumed at 7.30 p.m. THE EDUCATION ACT. Mr SIDEY moved the second reading of tho Education Act Amendment Bill, which was intended to provide for erompulsory continuation classes. Tho Hill only aimed at the extension of the principle of free and compulsory education. Money spent on education was largely wasted owing to the discontinuance of education at the ago of 11 vesrs. Mr FOWLDS said bo agreed with what Mr Sidey had said in regard to children dropping away from school at the ago of 14 years or thereabouts. This meant the loss to a great extent of a great deal of what these children bad learnt. -Mr G. W. RCSSELL said he thought the youth who did not want to go to school should not be forced to elo so, as such a course was a wasto of time anel resource. He believed that education nowadays was too hidebound. He would give the Boards of Education more elasticity of power. Mr LUKE referred to the growing tendency to employ female labour in place of*__a!e labour, and quoted figures to show that female labour was more in demand than male labour. After further eliscussion. the Bill was read a second time., and referred to tbe Education Committee. The House rose at 11.25 p.m.