§ MR. JOHNSTON (Belfast, S.)asked ' the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Whether the Commissioners of National Education in Ireland have deducted 20 per cent from the amount of pupils' fees due to the teachers of their Model Schools for the quarter ending 31st March, 1887, and £4 per annum from the salary of each 1094 assistant; whether in the Model Schools examined since 31st March, 1887, the results earned have been withheld; whether Her Majesty's Government will direct the Irish Board of National Education to pay to the teachers these sums deducted without further delay; and, whether the Government will interfere to prevent any further similar encroachments on the small incomes of these teachers?
§ THE PARLIAMENTARY UNDER SECRETARY (Colonel KING-HARMAN) (Kent, Isle of Thanet)(who replied) said: The Commissioners of National Education report that they have deducted 20 per cent from the amount of the pupils' fees accruing to the teachers of model schools for the quarter ended the 31st of March, 1887, and £1 from the special supplemental salary of each assistant therein. The results fees accruing on examinations held since March last have been provisionally withheld. This action was unavoidable in consequence of the falling off in the receipts of school fees last year, causing a deficiency of £160 in the sum of £2,000 due to Her Majesty's Exchequer out of the fees. The £160 deducted cannot be refunded, since the full amount of the £2,000 must be paid to the Exchequer. But the teachers, by reason of this full payment to the Exchequer, secure their results fees and other conditional awards, amounting in the aggregate to about £5,000.