HC Deb 29 April 1892 vol 3 cc1649-50
MR. HENRY J. WILSON (York, W.R., Holmfirth)

I beg to ask the Vice President of the Committee of Council on Education what experience in the teaching and management of public elementary schools each of the three recently appointed Inspectors has had; in which division of the certificate examination held by the Education Department's Examiners these Inspectors passed; whether one of these Inspectors, Mr. Marvin, has been examined more than once by the Civil Service Commissioners for the office of Inspector's assistant, and, if so, why; what was the duration of Mr. Marvin's experience as Inspector's assistant; and what academical degrees and what experience in the work of public elementary schools were possessed by the sub-Inspectors and Inspectors' assistants over whose heads Mr. Marvin was promoted?

* THE VICE PRESIDENT OF THE COUNCIL (Sir W. HART DYKE, Kent, Dartford)

Only one of the recently appointed Inspectors was a certificated teacher who had graduated in first-class honours, and of the other two, one was Senior Wrangler of his year, and the other, after obtaining the highest honours of his University, had been employed some years in tuition. The hon. Member is probably aware of the conditions under which Inspectors are appointed, as they are printed in a Memorandum which is freely circulated to all applicants, and also that every Inspector, when first appointed, is employed on probation with another Inspector in order that he may obtain sufficient experience of elementary schools under qualified supervision. I may further take the opportunity of reminding him that the most delicate and important part of an Inspector's duties lies outside the school, and that a higher equipment than the position and training of a certificated teacher can often afford, is required in order to qualify him to act as the agent of the Department in difficult negotiations with managers and School Boards, and as its adviser in dealing with the intricate questions of school supply.