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may require by summons any parent or employer of a child, required by a bye-law to at- tend school, to produce the child before a court of summary jurisdiction, and any person fail- ing, without reasonable excuse to the satisfaction of the Court, to comply with such sum- mons shall be liable to a penalty not exceeding 20 shillings.“ According to the Education Act of 1876, Chapter 79, Section 12(see above), the maximum of the fine itself amounts to 5s including costs, say, fine 6¹, costs of summons 4 ⁄64. Mr. W. Leigh, Chairman of the Stockport School Attendance Committee, stated before the Commission of the Education Department, Session of May 11th, 1887:„When a summons comes before a Magistrate for non- attendance, he will not fine, if it is a first offence, but will give a month for better atten- dance. If the attendance has not improved, a fine of half-a-crown would be imposed. Then a fine of 5 s., and that fine will be repeated, whenever the parent comes before the Magis- trate afterwards. The defaulters are sent to gaol in every case where they refuse to pay.“ In the same session we hear that in Birkenhead out of 1555 cases of irregular attend- ance or non-attendance, 90 of the defendants were imprisoned. In London, in 1887, 8400 parents were summoned before the Magistrates for not giving a sufficient excuse for the non- attendance of their children.¹

If the Magistrate sees that non-attendance is not the fault of the parent, but of the child, the parent is not fined(see Education Act of 1876. 4), but the child is sent to an Industrial School where it is kept for a few years. These Industrial Schools are either sub- sidized or supported by the Government or entirely by voluntary philanthropic subscriptions. The child may also be sent to one of these Schools, if the parents are not considered ca- pable of looking after it.

One of the chief causes of irregularity of attendance is the indifference of the parents, and the want of a proper spirit amongst them. The poverty of parents is also a serious obstacle, although the fees are very low. England must make her instruction gratuitous. Mr Matthew Arnold, the great English Schoolmaster, says, on the subject of free education: „A wise statesman would do well to adopt and organize free popular schooling.“² The sub- ject of free education has lately occupied the minds especially of Liberals and Radicals, and I anticipate its realization at no distant date.

The Department have laid it down as a principle, that the fees should depend upon the ability of the poor in each district to pay the fee demanded. It is generally accepted that, although some scholars, say one section or class, may pay more than 9 d. per week, fees must not, as a rule, exceed that amount.

At Oldfield Road School, Finsbury Division, London, the weekly fee is 3 d. and, for each following child of the same family, 2 d. These fees must be paid a week in advance every Monday morning, and the teachers collect them. In Warrington British School the fees begin at 4 d. and increase up to 7 d. a week; some few children, who are able to pay it, give 9 d. Admission is refused to any child who does not prepay the weekly school fee, unless the parent is prevented by poverty from paying the same. In this case, the parent. must make application for the remission, and the notice is sent on to the Divisional Com- mittee of the School Board.

In many cases, irregularity of attendance is ascribed to the want of personal influence of some managers and teachers, to their indiscretion and to their practical indifference, as shown by their refusal to heartily co-operate with local authorities.

It is very remarkable to what expedients the English are having recourse in order to secure regular attendance. In some cases of regular attendance, school fees are returned wholly, or in part. Even entertainments and School treats, once or twice a year, are given in some places to all those who obtain a certain percentage of attendance. In Oldfield Road School, London, reward-cards with a picture on one side are given for regular attendance during a quarter. I possess such a card on one side of which we read:„This Card is awarded

Pädagogischer Jahresbericht von 1888, herausgegeben von Albert Richter. * Parliamentary Papers. Vol. 23. Page 267.—