§ MR. O'DOWD (Sligo, S.)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether he is aware that in most of the rural districts in Ireland the national teachers are held responsible for the proper equipment of their schools, and have to pay cost of same out of their salaries; and whether he will consider the advisability of allocating an annual sum under the provisions of the Development Grant Bill for the purpose of relieving teachers from this liability.
§ MR. ATKINSONAll schools when take into connection with the Board of National Education receive an equipment supply of books and other requisites, free of cost. Equipment supplies for 539 elementary science teaching and manual instruction are also granted free of cost, wherever there is a teacher competent to use them. Teachers are required to keep their schools stocked with books and requisites for sale to the pupils. But they are not expected to distribute these without payment. The suggestion at the end of the Question that books should be supplied to pupils free of charge will be considered by my right hon. friend, but I can hold out no hope that it will be adopted.