§ 31. Mr. HARRISONasked the President of the Board of Education what would be the year's saving to the rates and taxes if teachers' salaries in London were reduced to the next term scale; and what would be the saving if the present scales were reduced by five per cent.?
Mr. WOODOn the number and composition of the total teaching staffs of public elementary schools at present employed in London, it is estimated that if Standard Scale III were substituted for the present Standard Scale IV the difference in cost would amount to, approximately, £600,000; and if for assistant teachers employed in aided and provided secondary schools in London the provincial salary scale were substituted for the London scale, the difference in cost would amount to, approximately, £71,000. The savings which would be effected by a 5 per cent. reduction in existing salary scales 3129 would, in the case of teachers in public elementary schools, amount to, approximately, £335,000; and in the case of assistant teachers in aided and provided secondary schools to, approximately, £35,000. I cannot give comparable figures for teachers in technical, etc., schools, as for several classes of them no scales of salary were recommended by the Burnham Committee.
§ Mr. HARRISONOwing to the financial magnitude of this question, I hope that the right hon. Gentleman can give us some assurance that he will keep in touch with the London County Council—[HON. MEMBERS: "Order!"]