§ MR. CONOR O'KELLY (Mayo, N.)To ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland if he will state the number of assistant teachers in Irish national schools graded higher than third class, and their special qualifications to be so graded; and whether he will state the reasons why the assistant teacher in school No. 12,555, centre 10a, who was classed first-of-first under the rules in force previous to 1900, and who is a trained teacher, holding a first-of-first class diploma and having certificates in the following special subjects, Irish, drawing, singing, elementary science, kindergarten, and hand and eye training, and who, apart from performing her due share of ordinary school work, has conducted and conducts a singing class of about 100 pupils, without ever having had an unfavourable report, is not graded higher than third class.
(Answered by Mr. Bryce.) I am informed by the Commissioners of National Education that there are eighty-eight assistant teachers in receipt of salaries of the first or second grade. In 1900, when the new system of payments came into force, these persons were in receipt of incomes, exclusive of residual capitation grant, of greater amount than the maximum limit of the scale assigned for assistant teachers. They retain such higher incomes as long as they remain assistants under the provisions of Rule 844 200 of the Code of 1903. The status of the teacher, to whom it is assumed that the Question refers, is determined by the rule quoted, which provides that assistant teachers in the service before the 1st April, 1900, who had incomes, exclusive of the residual capitation grant, less than the maximum limit of the scale of incomes assigned for assistant teachers, are eligible for increase of income by increments to the maximum limit of the scale. This teacher's salary was raised to the maximum limit on 1st April, 1903.