§ 37. Mr. BRIDGEMANasked the President of the Board of Education if the present head teacher of Towyn Church school, having paid superannuation money for years, is allowed to continue his annual contributions while that school remains unrecognised by the Board; and if he will be entitled to the same superannuation benefit as he would if the school had been kept on the Grant list?
Mr. PEASEThe answer to both questions is in the negative. The Towyn Church school is not recognised as a public elementary school, and service in that school is not "recorded service" for the purposes of the Elementary School Teachers (Superannuation) Act, 1898. Consequently no contributions to the Deferred Annuity Fund are payable in respect of such service.
§ Mr. BRIDGEMANIs it the view of the Board that not only the parents, who prefer this school to the county council school, but also the teachers are to be penalised in order to gratify the feelings of the local authority?
Mr. PEASEThe school is not a recognised school, and, therefore, does not come within the purview of the Superannuation Act.
§ Mr. BRIDGEMANAre there not sixty children on the roll, and is the school to be allowed to go down rapidly owing to the action of the local authority, seeing that since the managers have had it in their hands, at least sixty children have been in average attendance?
Mr. PEASEI think the figures quoted by the hon. Gentleman do not really stand investigation. They have fluctuated and, at the present time, I do not think that there are sixty in attendance, and a -very large proportion of the children are under the age of five.