SCHOOL LEAVING AGE

Hawera Star, Volume L, 20 February 1931, Page 5

SCHOOL LEAVING AGE

GOVERNMENT BILL REJECTED OPPOSITION OF UPPER HOUSE

‘ ‘ECONOMY NOT THE AIOTTVE’

(British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, Feb. 18. The House of Lords by 168 votes to ! 22 rejected tho Government’s Education BilL raising the school-leaving age ' from 14 to 15 years. Lord Sanderson, ex-principal of Buskin College, Oxford, said all the arguments against tlie Bill were the same as those issued against every educational advance during the past 60. years. Much of his life had been spent in teaching working men and women who found it most difficult to bridge the gap which was lost by' leaving school longer had not better brains but were better equipped for further studies. Earl Beauchamp advocated the postponement of the Bill. Local authorities already had permissive powers to extend the school age. Lord Gorell, as a member of the Haddow committee for the reorganisation of education, expressed the opinion that tho opponents of tho Bill would he voting against educational progress. Lord Ponsonby said economy was not the real motive of the opposition. “Yon are going to vote en masse against the principle of an extra, year’s schooling for poor children. The country will thus interpret your action.’’ Tlie 22 votes for the Bill included 14 Labour Peers, three Conservatives (Viscounts Cecil, Eslier and Lord Taynham) one Liberal, Lord Sandhurst, and the Archbishop of York and the Bishops of Liverpool, St. Albans and Southwark. Lobbyists state, the Government will reintroduce the Bill in the House of Commons next session. Under Parliament. Act procedure, if the Bill is carried twice it must bo passed, despite the Peers. The Bill in any event cannot come into operation till accompanied by a. Aloney Bill providing for church schools, regarding which an agreement with the managers has not been reached. The Government in the circumstances does not regard the situation the House of Lords has created sis seriously inconvenient.