§ MR. SLOAN (Belfast, S.)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland if he can state the number of national school teachers who, during the three years ending 1903, have either been fined, reprimanded, dismissed, or had their increments and promotion stopped on the statement of a school manager, and without any opportunity being given to the teachers to disprove or explain charges made against them.
§ MR SLOANI beg also to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether he is aware that it is the practice of the Commissioners of National Education to fine, dismiss, or have the increments and promotion stopped of teachers on the statement of a school manager, though the Board's inspectors may for the three previous years have commended such teachers as diligent and efficient, and reported the state of their schools as most satisfactory; and, if so, will he explain why these punishments are inflicted without the teacher being called upon to explain or disprove the charges made against him.
§ MR. WYNDHAMIt is not the practice of the Commissioners to fine, dismiss, or otherwise punish a teacher on the mere statement of a school manager. They invariably call upon the inspector to make a report to them on all the circumstances. A teacher who has a well-grounded cause of complaint against a manager is at liberty to make a statement of the case to the inspector, who is instructed to refer it to the Commissioners. If the hon. Member will communicate to me the facts of any individual case which he may have in view I will cause further inquiry to be made.