§ MR. J. MACVEAGH (Down, S.)To ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether he can state if the Commissioners of Irish National Education have placed the girls' department of Ballymoney, County Antrim, model school, at the disposal of private teachers of German and elocution; what rent these teachers are paying for the use of the said premises and the equipment and attendance which have been originally provided at the public expense; will the Board undertake to provide for the other teachers in the town and district the facilities in the way of fire, attendance of a servant, etc., as provided out of the public purse for this school; and whether the Board has sanctioned a special system of organisation for Ballymoney model school, girls' department, by which a junior and senior fifth standards are recognised, so that pupils who, in other schools, would be put in the sixth standard are placed in the model girls' school in the senior fifth standard.
(Answered by Mr. Birrell.) The Commissioners of National Education inform me that two special teachers are employed in the Ballymoney model school to give instruction in German and elocution on Saturdays to such pupils as desire it. No extra expenditure from public funds is incurred in connection with these classes, and no payment is made to the teachers, who are remunerated by small fees paid by the pupils. No rent is paid by the teachers. The Commissioners have no funds at their disposal out of which to provide fires, etc., such as are provided for model schools. No special system of organisation has been sanctioned for the Ballymoney girls' model school.