§ 58. Mr. Robert Gibsonasked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many headmasters or headmistresses there are in each of the cities and large burghs of Scotland, and how many of these have full-time and part-time clerical assistants, respectively; and whether he will consider extending the employment of such assistants, with a view to releasing headmasters or headmistresses for their ordinary functions of supervision and teaching?
§ Mr. ColvilleAs the answer is long and contains a number of figures, I will, with the hon. and learned Member's permission, circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.
§ Following is the answer:
| City or Large Burgh. | Number of Head masters or Head mistresses. | Number of Headmasters or Headmistresses having Clerical Assistants. | |
| Full-time. | Part-time. | ||
| Aberdeen | 39 | 6 | 14 |
| Dundee | 47 | 2 | 6 |
| Edinburgh | 107 | 16 | — |
| Glasgow | 257 | 39 | 10 |
| Arbroath | 6 | 1 | — |
| Ayr | 14 | 1 | — |
| Kilmarnock | 11 | 1 | 1 |
| Dumfries | 8 | 2 | — |
| Dumbarton | 9 | 2 | 2 |
| Clydebank | 8 | 1 | 2 |
| Dunfermline | 13 | 2 | — |
| Kirkcaldy | 12 | 2 | — |
| Inverness | 11 | 2 | — |
| Airdrie | 10 | 1 | 1 |
| Coatbridge | 16 | 3 | 1 |
| Hamilton | 11 | 2 | 1 |
| Motherwell and Wishaw | 20 | 4 | 2 |
| Rutherglen | 6 | 1 | 1 |
| Perth | 13 | 1 | 1 |
| Paisley | 23 | 5 | 2 |
| Greenock | 23 | 3 | — |
| Stirling | 8 | 2 | — |
| Falkirk | 10 | 2 | — |
| Totals | 682 | 101 | 44 |
§ I feel that the question of extending the employment of such clerical assistants is one which may properly be left to the discretion of the local education authorities in the light of their knowledge of the circumstances existing in their schools.