§ MR. SLOAN (Belfast, S.)To ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether, in accordance with the promise made last session relative to the reduction of the average to fifty for an assistant, he will direct the Commissioners of National Education to put the new rule in force.
(Answered by Mr. Wyndham.) No promise was given by me last session that the average require for assistant teachers would be reduced to fifty. What I stated was that a proposal to this effect, involving an additional charge of £24,000 per annum on the Estimates for public education, had been made; but that, in the opinion of the Irish Government, an addition of so large a character should be considered in relation to all other educational demands.