HC Deb 03 March 1884 vol 285 cc342-3
MR. W. J. CORBET

asked the Secretary of State for War, Whether his attention has been drawn to the Report made last year by the Committee appointed to inquire, amongst other things, into matters connected with the Royal Military Asylum, Chelsea, and the Royal Hibernian Military School, Dublin; whether he is aware that it was an Instruction to the Committee— To inquire and Report as to the management of these schools, with a view to assimilate the regulations in force for the two institutions; whether he has observed that the proportion of teachers to pupils at Chelsea, as stated in the Report (page 19), is 1 to 121, and at the Hibernian School 1 to 137, while the salaries and emoluments of the teaching staff in the latter are much below the former; what is the reason, if any, for the inequality; and, whether he will carry out the apparent object of the inquiry, by causing the assimilation of the two institutions as regards the payment of the staff, as well as in other respects?

THE MARQUESS OF HARTINGTON

The discrepancy in the proportion of teachers to pupils in the two schools is due to the fact that on the death of one of the four teachers at the Hibernian School in 1880, the Governing Body of the school represented that it was unneccessary to appoint a successor. As regards the difference of the salaries of the teachers, these at the Duke of York's School are all Army schoolmasters, and are paid in accordance with Army rates, their salaries increasing triennially up to 18 years' service. They only hold their appointments for seven years, and are liable to foreign service. The teachers at the Hibernian School are civilians, and are not liable to be moved from their appointments. It would obviously be inequitable to pay these teachers at the same rate as Army schoolmasters. On vacancies occurring at the Hibernian School I shall consider whether it is not desirable, as recommended by the Committee referred to, to fill them with Army schoolmasters, who would be paid as at Chelsea.

MR. ARTHUR O'CONNOR

asked whether it was a fact that the children were poorer and less robust in the Chelsea school, owing to insufficient feeding, than these sent to ordinary schools; and, whether the condition of the children in the Dublin school was not even worse than these in Chelsea?

THE MARQUESS OF HARTINGTON

That raises a totally different point, and I would ask the hon. Gentleman to give Notice of it.