Education campaign leads to fine (From Malvern Gazette)

Education campaign leads to fine

7:50am Friday 27th January 2012 in Malvern Memories

"THE freedom of every parent in the country to educate his children as he thinks best is the aim towards which an institution known as the Parents' Defence League is striving," reported the Gazette 100 years ago.

"The president of the league is the Hon Ernest Pomeroy, eldest son and heir of Viscount Harberton. Malvern, who is well-known in this district where he once resided.

"Mr Pomeroy is an ardent opponent of the 'tyranny' of the Education Act, all its works, and particularly all its attendance officers, who spy out children absent from school and summon the parents.

"In the course of this campaign, it transpires that he tapped William Arthur Jones, a Chester school attendance officer, on the nose, and for this offence, he was fined ten shillings at Chester.

"The Hon Ernest Pomeroy is 44 years of age and was formerly captain in the Dublin Royal Fusiliers, serving in the South African war.

"Three years ago, he published a volume called The Education Tyranny."