§ Mr. PRINGLE(by Private Notice) asked the Secretary for Scotland whether he is aware that teachers of the new military age are being called up with the consent of the Scottish Education Department, and that many schools in. Scotland are thereby depleted of male school teachers; whether, in view of the new arrangements as to the grading of the men of the new military age he will ask the National Service Department to suspend the calling-up notices in order to secure the best possible distribution of the available male teachers among Scottish schools?
§ The SECRETARY for SCOTLAND (Mr. Munro)Teachers in Scotland are being called up in terms of the Military Service (No. 2) Act, 1918, the consent of the Scottish Education Department being neither asked for nor required. In certain cases, however, school boards or managers have represented to the Department that serious consequences would be entailed by the removal of individual teachers from particular schools. These representations have been considered, and recommendations in favour of a postponement of the calling-up have been made to the Ministry of National Service wherever Inquiry showed that without such postponement the interests of education would be gravely endangered. The new arrangements as to grading may conceivably alter the position; and, consequently, since the announcement of these was made, in the case of any representation where the teacher concerned is of the new military age, the Department have asked for the postponement of the calling up, pending an understanding on the general question being reached. As my hon. and learned Friend will recognise, however, such an understanding cannot be limited to Scotland alone.
§ Mr. HOGGEWhat reply did the Scottish Education Department get from the National Service Department?
§ Mr. MUNROI have had certain Departmental communications, but I 307 propose to supplement them by consultations with the Minister of National Service at the earliest possible moment.