§ Mr. LONSDALEasked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, whether, having regard to the fact that 49 assistant teachers in Irish national schools were dispensed with last year and 623 others were threatened with withdrawal of salary owing to a decline in average attendance, which may arise from emigration or other causes of diminution of population, the Commissioners of National Education will be given discretionary power to relax the rules relating to average attendance bearing upon the retention of an assistant teacher when once recognised in a school?
§ The CHIEF SECRETARY for IRELAND (Mr. Birrell)The powers of the Commissioners in regard to the retention of teachers, when the average attendance from any cause falls below the number specified in the Commissioners' rules as warranting the recognition of such assistance, are limited by the financial rules which have been approved by the Treasury. Under those rules they may continue to recognise as assistant teacher for four successive quarters of insufficient attendance, but beyond this they cannot go without the special consent of the Treasury. They have no discretionary power under which they could continue their grants for an assistant beyond four successive quarters, and it is not proposed to extend their powers in the manner suggested in the question.