§ 23. Lieut.-Colonel POWNALLasked the President of the Board of Education whether, in view of the greatly increased salaries now paid to teachers, steps can now be taken to withdraw the grants-in-aid now given to teachers attending evening classes, especially in rural areas, and also for holiday courses?
Mr. LEWISSpecial classes and courses designed to improve the professional equipment of teachers and to enable them to bring to the teaching of particular subjects of the curriculum fresh knowledge and new methods are, in my opinion, very fruitful in securing the best return for the public money spent on the schools. My right hon. Friend is not prepared to say that it would be in the public interest to withdraw all grants-in-aid of such classes and courses and say that the whole of them, especially in rural areas where travelling expenses must be considered, must be defrayed either out of the rates or by the teachers themselves.