§ MR. J. N. RICHARDSONasked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Whether in April, 1878, Mr. Alexander Hamilton, Inspector under the Board of National Education in Ireland, refused to allow the teacher of Stangmore National School, in county of Tyrone, to earn results fees on the examination of six scholars who, he stated, had not made the requisite number of attendances; whether, upon the application of William Barcroft, esquire, patron of said school, an investigation was held by the Head Inspector of the district, Mr. James Morel, and as the result of such investigation the six scholars were proved to have made the requisite number of attendances, and three pounds ten shillings of results fees forwarded to W. Barcroft, esquire, for the teacher; 449 whether in 1880 the said National Board of Education advised the Department of Science and Art at South Kensington not to allow results fees to the same teacher; whether, on Mr. Barcroft again applying for an investigation into the state of the school, he received for reply that the National Board had full confidence in Mr. Hamilton; and, whether the Government will order the Report made in 1878, respecting Stangmore School, by Mr. Morel, to be printed?
§ MR. TREVELYANI find, Sir, that in 1878 results fees were disallowed to this teacher in eight cases, because Mr. Hamilton, the Inspector alluded to, reported that the requisite number of copy lessons to entitle the teacher to the fees had not been written. On the application of Mr. Barcroft, the patron of the school, the head Inspector was sent down to investigate the matter. In one case he found that the necessary requirements had been fulfilled; in the other seven he could get no evidence bearing on the matter in dispute; but, as a mistake was found to have occurred in one case, the National Board took an indulgent view of the matter, and paid the fees in all eight cases. In 1881 the Board, acting on a general rule, objected to the recognition of the science class of this school by the Science and Art Department, in consequence of the unsatisfactory condition of the school, as reported by the Inspector in his Results Report for 1880. The Board did send the answer to a further application from Mr. Barcroft, as quoted in the Question. The Reports of the Inspectors have invariably been regarded as confidential and privileged documents; and although I understand that the publication of this particular Report would cause no official embarrassment, I cannot consent to establishing the dangerous precedent of granting it.