§ MR. JAMES O'CONNORI beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether he is aware that Mr. M'Millan, Inspector of National Schools, recently appointed to the Bantry district, has largely reduced the result fees hitherto earned by the teachers of the district, the reduction in some cases amounting to nearly one-half of what they had previously been earning; and will he explain upon what grounds have the reductions been made.
§ THE CHIEF SECRETARY FOR IRELAND (Mr. G. W. BALFOUR,) Leeds, CentralI am informed by the Commissioners of National Education that the amount of results fees earned by teachers in this district has suffered a reduction in most, though not in all cases, on the examination of the new Inspector, Mr. McMillan, held up to the present this year, as compared with what was received last year by the same teachers, on the examinations of his predecessor. Only in a very few cases, however, has the difference been as large as stated in the question. As many circumstances, such as the number of pupils presented for examination, the classification of the pupils, the prevalence of sickness, or other local cases, are liable to affect the results from year to year, it would not be safe to draw any general conclusion as to the change being attributable solely to over severity on the part of the inspector. The matter will, however, be inquired into.