BOOKS FOR RURAL SCHOOLS 327 



empowering local authorities to make a by-law exempting 

 children after a certain age, if employed in agriculture, from 

 making more than 250 attendances in any year. This Bill 

 became an Act under the name of the Elementary Education 

 (School Attendance) Act, 1899. 



The Board of Education Act was passed in 1899, and came 

 into operation on 1st April, 1900. 



In February, 1900, the Council resolved that the instruc- 

 tion given in rural elementary schools ought to be adapted to 

 the requirements of country life, 'and that the attendance 

 of children at school during certain months of the year should 

 be dispensed with. At the same meeting a Committee was 

 appointed " to consider the existing text-books, and whether 

 simple lessons on the farm could be given at elementary 

 schools." Mr. (afterwards Sir Grant) Lawson was Chairman 

 of this Committee, which reported to the Council on 3rd April. 

 They expressed the opinion that the text-books then in use 

 were sufficient for the purpose for w r hich they were intended, 

 but that the readers and reading-books were more adapted 

 for urban and populous centres than for rural districts. 

 The Committee recommended that attractive readers, with 

 coloured illustrations, costing not more than 4d. each, and 

 dealing with the simple facts of rural life should be provided. 



The principal result of this expression of opinion was that 

 Mr. H. B. M. Buchanan, the squire of Hales, near Market 

 Dray ton, at once set to work to prepare a set of suitable 

 readers. His first book, " A Country Reader," was published 

 in 1901, and by the end of 1904 seven in all had been issued 

 by Messrs. Macmillan and Co. They are admirably adapted to 

 their purpose, and have been highly recommended for use 

 in elementary schools by inspectors of the Board of Education, 

 and other competent critics. The first six are most useful 

 books to present to any child. The last was written in colla- 

 boration with Mr. R. R. C. Gregory, and was especially 

 intended for the use of teachers.* 



* I., Senior Country Reader, Is. 6d.; II., Senior Country Readier, 

 Is. 6d.; III., Senior Country Reader, 2s.; IV., Junior Country Reader, 

 Is.; V., Junior Country Reader, Is. 2d.; VI., Junior Country Reader, 

 Is. 4d.; VII., Lessons in Country Life, 3s. Od. 



