RETURN OF EVACUEES ALTERS BRITISH PLANS

As numerous air raids on the East Coast appear to foreshadow a new more intense phase of air warfare, the dilemma of compulsory evacuation or neglected education of nearly a million schoolchildren confronts the British Government. The carefully planned voluntary evacuation scheme is now admitted to have been seriously dislocated by the return of some 70,000 evacuees to homes in air raid danger zones.

The Nation-wide plan provided for the removal of 1,500,000 schoolchildren, establishment of education facilities for them in districts where they were billeted, and shutting off all school in evacuated areas, but only 675,000 youngsters actually went and it is estimated that around ten per cent have since come back to aggravate the awkward situation caused by the presence of close to 1,000,000 children in towns now without schools or teachers. ...

It is emphasized that while expenses of the exoduses already conducted were borne by the State, future undertakings of this kind will be a matter for the individuals concerned.

The Monitor is looking back at the events of World War II.