§ MR. MACVEAGHTo ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether he can state how many first of first class national teachers who had no report higher than good received increments at the end of the last triennial period; how many having the requisite average attendance and with no reports lower than good received no increments; and whether the practice of the Board since August has been to award increments to all first of first class teachers whose incomes had been £139 or upwards, provided their average attendance was over 70 and that their reports for the preceding three years had been good or a mixture of good and fair, whilst first of first class teachers whose incomes are below £139 are for that 785 reason denied increment, unless they receive two excellent reports for the preceding three years.
(Answered by Mr. Wyndham.)Teachers who were entitled to increments of good service salary by length of service, average attendance, etc., on 1st April, 1903, were granted increments if the reports on their schools for the triennial period were good. A few doubtful cases are still under consideration. First of first class masters, having incomes of £139 or over and less than £175, were recognised as in the first of first grade, and were granted increments if the reports on their schools were good and the average attendance 70. No teacher, no matter what his class or income, was refused an increment of good service salary on the ground that the reports on his school were not excellent, but teachers were not promoted to the first of first grade and the consequent increase of grade salary unless the last three reports on their schools were excellent or very good and the average attendance 70.