§ SIR WILLIAM ANSON (Oxford University)To ask the President of the Board of Education whether his attention has been called to the action of the local education authority in respect of the Aberdare town national schools; whether the authority declined to confirm the appointment of a head teacher for the school until the 14th November, although they were informed of a vacancy in the office before the end of July, and though the name of the teacher whose appointment they subsequently confirmed was submitted to them on the 3rd September; and whether they have declined to pay the salary of the head teacher allowed before the 14th November, and have now fixed his salary at a lower scale than that which they adopt for head teachers in their council schools.
(Answered by Mr. Birrell.) I had not heard of the case until my attention was called to it by the hon. Baronet's question. From investigations I have now made it would appear that the answer to the various paragraphs of the question is in the affirmative, except that I have not sufficient information before me to enable me to form a judgment as to how the salary fixed by the local authority compares with those paid to head teachers in the council schools.