§ Mr. WILLIAM PEELasked the President of the Board of Education whether some members of the higher staff of his Department are recruited otherwise than by means of open competition, chiefly from graduates of the universities of Oxford and Cambridge; whether the clerical staff is recruited by means of open competition; and how many promotions have been made to the ranks of the higher staff, junior examiners and upwards, from the members of the clerical staff during the last five years?
§ Mr. RUNCIMANBy Treasury minutes laid before Parliament the posts of examiner and inspector under the Education Department and the Science and Art Department were placed under the operation of Clause IV. of the Superannuation Act, 1859, and the holders of these posts under the Board are thereby exempted from obtaining certificates from the Civil Service Commissioners. This was done on the understanding that persons appointed to these posts should, as a rule, have obtained high honours at one of the universities (not necessarily Oxford or Cambridge). In practice, the persons appointed have, as a rule, had educational, legal, or other experience as well, and are appointed at a later age than the limit for the Civil Service, Class L., Competitive Examination. The clerical staff are supplied by the Civil Service Commissioners, either through the open competition for second division posts or through the competition for assistant clerkships which is limited to boy clerks. One promotion of a second division clerk to a junior examinership has been made within the last five years.
§ Mr. PEELDoes not the right hon. Gentleman think that there should be an opportunity for these clerks when they are otherwise capable of receiving the higher posts in the Education Department?
§ Mr. RUNCIMANYes. I not only think so, but I have acted on that principle and the one second division clerk who was promoted to the upper division was promoted by me.
§ Sir HENRY CRAIKDoes not the right hon. Gentleman agree that entirely different qualities are required of those who are to act as examiners and inspectors, from those that will probably be required from second division clerks, and has it not been found by experience to be necessary to follow the practice that is adopted?
§ Mr. RUNCIMANThat is perfectly true, and is well recognised in all Government departments, I believe. But there are exceptional cases sometimes, and when one comes across exceptional cases, I do not think it is absolutely wise to keep the second division in an absolutely watertight compartment.