§ MR. SLOAN (Belfast, S.)To ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland if the date of the annual inspection of each national school is fixed by the inspector in charge or by the senior inspector of each group of districts, or by the Education Office; whether any instructions have been issued within the past year to inspectors to hold the third examination before the usual time, or to exercise any exceptional exactness in cases in which the two preceding examinations were up to the required standard to warrant the promotion of teachers; and whether it is customary for inspectors to send, with the formal minute on each school, private information which may be used to the detriment of the teachers' interests.
(Answered by Mr. Birrell.) Under the Commissioners' rules, inspectors are not bound to make formal annual inspections of all national schools; but, when it is intended to make such an inspection, the date is fixed by the inspector in charge, with the concurrence of the senior inspector and subject to the approval of the Education Office. The Answer to the remaining parts of the Question is in the negative.