§ 17. Mr. EDEasked the President of the Board of Education in how many instances during the past 12 months his Department has complained of the over-staffing of public elementary schools; in how many instances his Department has complained of the under-staffing of public elementary schools; in how many cases of over-staffing his representations have had the effect he desired; in how many cases of under-staffing his representations have had the effect he desired; and the net increase or decrease in the number of certificated teachers employed that would have resulted had all his representations, been carried out by the local education authorities?
Mr. WOODAs the answer to the question is rather long, I will, with the hon. Member's permission, circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT. I may, however, say that in the last few months the representations made to local education authorities against carrying reductions of staff 1691 too far have been more numerous than those asking whether further reductions are not practicable.
§ Following is the answer prepared:
§ The Board have, during the last 12 months, been discussing with local education authorities, in correspondence and through their inspectors, the question whether a modification of their staffing arrangements is called for either to secure greater efficiency, or to givve effect to those considerations of economy to which attention is called in the Prefatory Memorandum to the Code; but it would be misleading to assume that in all these cases the representations made to local education authorities amounted to complaints. The last part of the question is hypothetical, and I cannot possibly make a numerical estimate of what might have been the result if the Board had proceeded by way of specific demands instead of by the ordinary method of discussion. My latest information is that the number of certificated teachers employed in the schools was less by about 600 on the 30th June, 1923, than on the same date in 1922.