§ MR. T. W. RUSSELL (Tyrone, S.)To ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether, in conformity with the undertaking given last session, he will direct the Commissioners of National Education in Ireland to have the average reduced from sixty to fifty to qualify for an assistant in national schools; will he state the number of teachers in each of the new grades in which they have been recently placed;
† See(4) Debates, cxix., 1102.971 and whether it is the intention of the Commissioners in future to insist on the same standard of proficiency in all schools in order to qualify for the promotion of a teacher to a higher grade.(Answered by Mr. Wyndham.) Respecting the first part of the Question, I must refer to my reply to the similar inquiry addressed to me on the 17th instant by the hon. Member for North Cork†. The following are the number of teachers as recognised in the different grades at present:—
The inspectors are directed when furnishing reports on schools to take into consideration (a) the locality of the schools; (b) the condition of the school house and premises; (c) the equipment of the schools; (d) the teaching staff; and (e)the social condition, ages, &c, of the pupils, when forming an estimate of the work done in the schools. Subject to these conditions the inspectors are to use the words excellent, very good, good, fair, middling, or bad, to express their opinion on the schools they inspect.
(A.) Principals. Grade. Men. Women I. (1) 273 216 I. (2) 429 284 II. 1,435 1,017 III. 2,467 2,135 (B.) Assistants. I. (1) 17 10 I. (2) 14 18 II. 14 28 III. 1,043 2,635