HC Deb 23 August 1883 vol 283 cc1735-6
MR. BIGGAR

asked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Whether an official Letter read by certain inspectors of the Board of National Education to teachers, threatening them with the cancelling of all results fees if they presumed to use any books, stationery, or requisites other than those on the Board's sale stock-list, was signed by Mr. John E. Sheridan, now acknowledged as the author of an English grammar on same list; whether Mr. Sheridan takes part in the selection of books for sale to schools; and, whether any work on English grammar has been marked "objected to" in his office, before being submitted to the Commissioners?

MR. TREVELYAN

Sir, the Commissioners of National Education inform me that they presume that the first paragraph of this Question refers to a Circular issued in July, 1881, by their order, and signed by their joint Secretaries, Messrs. Newell and Sheridan, directing Inspectors to caution teachers against using objectionable books in their schools, and threatening the cancelling of results fees whenever such warning should be disregarded. With regard to the second and third paragraphs of the Question, the selection of books is made by the Commissioners themselves, and not by either of their Secretaries; and Mr. Sheridan has not marked any books "objected to," except such as had already been condemned by the Board.

MR. BIGGAR

asked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Whether, within the past four years, any teachers of national schools have been censured or otherwise punished for using in their schools plain stationery copybooks, or written exercise books, not sold at the Commissioners' store in Dublin; and, whether Her Majesty's Government would approve of or sanction such proceedings on the part of the Commissioners or their representatives, especially in cases where it could be proved that the article condemned was superior to that which could be got from the Board at the same price?

MR. TREVELYAN

Sir, I am informed by the Commissioners of National Education that the rule to which this Question refers is as follows:— Teachers are strictly prohibited from using in their schools any hooks, &c, not expressly sanctioned by the Board, and from making any profit from the sale of requisites to their pupils. Some teachers persistently violated this rule, and were warned or censured. A year ago the application of the second part of the rule was modified, and the prohibition from making pecuniary profits by the sale of requisites to pupils applies (except in flagrant cases of abuse) only to the books or other requisites issued from the Board's stores. Mere blank exercise books, such as are mentioned in the Question, need not be submitted for approval by the Board.

MR. T. P. O'CONNOR

asked whether a similar kind of supervision was exercised over schools in England; was it not a fact that the matter was left entirely in the hands of the local authorities?

MR. TREVELYAN

said, he was satisfied that in England, as elsewhere, teachers were not allowed to make an inordinate profit out of stationery supplied to their school children.

MR. T. P. O'CONNOR

The point I wished to direct attention to is this. In England there is practically free trade in the supply of books, whereas in Ireland there is practically a monopoly.