§ 28. Lieut.-Colonel HURSTasked the President of the Board of Education whether he is aware that the Rhondda Education Authority has decided that no
§ The following Table shows the number of unemployed persons registered at Employment Exchanges and Branch Offices and the numbers in receipt of unemployment pay at the nearest dates for which particulars are available.
§ person will be employed by it unless he or she will join a certain union, and thus to exclude members of the National Union of Women Teachers from its service; what view is taken by the Board of Education as to such decision; and whether he will take action with the object of withholding State grants from any authority which thus interferes with the freedom of teachers to select their own unions?
§ The PRESIDENT of the BOARD of EDUCATION (Mr. Fisher)I have already said, in reply to a question of the hon. Member for the Springburn Division of Glasgow, that I am strongly of opinion that a teacher should have full liberty to join or not to join any union or association of teachers as he thinks best. The appointment of teachers in schools provided by the local education authorities rests with the local education authority. If, however, a local education authority adopts a rule limiting their own discretion in the appointment or employment of such teachers, and the operation of that rule prejudices the efficiency of the schools, I should be bound to intervene. The particular resolution of the Rhondda Local Education Authority strikes me as very unfortunate, but I understand that it is to be reconsidered.