§ 20. Sir J. LONSDALEasked the names of the Committee appointed to investigate the system of inspection of national schools in Ireland; and whether the Chief Secretary is able to extend the scope of the inquiry to cover the grievances of teachers known as paper promotion?
§ Mr. BIRRELLI have already communicated to the hon. Member the names of four persons who have consented to act on the Committee. Paper promotion, save in so far as it arises from the Commissioners' practice of making promotions before there are vacancies, is altogether a Treasury matter, depending on 1666 the number fixed for the several grades of teachers. I cannot, therefore, include it in the terms of reference to the Committee.
§ Sir J. LONSDALEWill the right hon. Gentleman not consider, in view of the enormous number of representations that have been made to Members of Parliament in regard to this grievance by national school teachers, whether it would not be desirable to settle this matter one way or the other by including it in the scope of the inquiry?
§ Mr. BIRRELLI am afraid I could not settle it one way or the other unless there were a Treasury representative on the Committee, and I do not think that is desirable, because there are so many questions which want to be got out of the way, and I determined to keep the Treasury out of this business.
§ Mr. HUGH BARRIEWill the right hon. Gentleman not consider the advisability of nominating a representative of the teachers to this Committee?
§ Mr. BIRRELLNo, Sir, that is the very thing I want to avoid. If I nominated some one to represent the teachers I should have to nominate somebody to represent the Board. I would sooner not do that, and I prefer an Educational Committee of experts well acquainted with the operation of inspection, both in England and in Ireland. I cannot go further than that.