§ 15. Mr. CRUMLEYasked whether, in July last, the senior inspector of national schools held an investigation at Aghavoory national school, Fivemiletown, county Fermanagh, into the reasons why the then manager of the school, the Rev. Walter Browne, Clooneen Rectory, served the principal teacher, Mr. James Primrose, with a three months' notice of dismissal; that the result of the investigation was that Mr. Primrose's services as principal teacher were continued; that the Rev. Mr. Browne has since resigned the managership of the school and was succeeded by a Mr. Lendrum; that Mr. Lendrum visited the school on 16th December ultimo, entered his name in the daily report book, and left without speaking to the teacher; that on the following day he again visited the school, produced No. 3 form of agreement naming his referee, and asked the teacher to sign it; and that Mr. Primrose refused to sign the agreement unless the Commissioners of National Education were named as referee; and can the Chief Secretary state why the Commissioners, on being appealed to by Mr. Primrose, have declined to act in such capacity, although one of their own rules provides that the Commissioners themselves may be named as referee, and having regard to the fact that there are grounds for the suspicion that the former manager resigned so that the teacher may be compelled to enter into a new agreement with the present manager by which he can be dismissed on three months' notice without right of appeal to the Commissioners?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe Commissioners of National Education inform me that in July, 1911, the senior inspector of the circuit in which this school is situated held an investigation as stated. As a result of the inquiry Mr. Primsose was continued as principal teacher of the school on trial. The Rev. Mr. Browne has since resigned the managership of the school and has been succeeded by Mr. Lendrum. The Commissioners have been informed that Mr. Lendrum acted as stated in the question, but they have no independent evidence on the point. The form of agreement between the former manager and teacher provided for a referee. The referee named in the agreement having died, the Commissioners acted as referee pending the execution of a new agreement. On the appointment of the new manager a fresh agreement was necessary, and the manager offered the teacher his choice of three names, but the teacher declined to accept any of them, and asked that the Commissioners should be appointed as referee. The manager desired to have a local person appointed who had personal knowledge of the school, and in these circumstances the Commissioners declined to act. The Commissioners have no information as to why the Rev. Mr. Browne resigned the managership of the school. Any teacher who has a well grounded cause of complaint against his manager can appeal to the Commissioners.