§ 27 and 28. Mr. EDEasked the President of the Board of Education (1) if, in view of the policy of allowing to each elementary education authority an establishment of teachers, he will say in how many cases since 1st June, 1929, has an authority been called upon to reduce the number of teachers in its employment, either as a whole or in respect of teachers of a particular grade of professional qualification;
(2) if he will give the number of education authorities for elementary education who have been requested since 1st June, 1929, to strengthen the staff of teachers in their employment, distinguishing between those cases in which the total establishment has been the cause of the representation and those in which the staffing of individual schools has been concerned?
§ Mr. LEES-SMITHIt will be understood that the establishments of teachers which have been considered by the Board since let June, 1929, are those for the year ending 31st March, 1931. In three cases the Board suggested to the authorities that the establishment might be slightly reduced. In one case the Board approved the proposed establishment on condition that there should be a reduction in the number of supplementary teachers. In three cases the Board have suggested that the proposed establishments should be increased. I could not ascertain without very great labour in how many cases representations have been made either by the Board or by His Majesty's Inspectors as to the strengthening of the staff of individual schools. The results of these representations are normally reflected in the authorities' proposals for their teaching establishments. The establishments approved for the year 1930–31 represent a total increase of 2,000 teachers as compared with the previous year.