§ Mr. O'DONNELLasked the Chief Secretary how many schools are there in Ireland with an average attendance of seventy and fifty, respectively; how many classed teachers are there in the service of the national board; what percentage of the whole body are at present recognised and paid as first-of-first and first-of-second, respectively; what percentage of the whole body would be in those two classes if all schools in Ireland with averages of seventy and fifty had teachers recognised as first-of-first and first-of-second; and, under the rules of the Board, how many years does it take a teacher entering the service since 1901 to reach first-of-first?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe Commissioners of National Education inform me that excluding convent and monastery national schools paid on a capitation basis, the respective numbers were 1,410 schools with an average attendance of at least seventy, and 3,411 schools with an average attendance of at least fifty pupils. On the 31st December, 1911, there were in the service of the Commissioners 13,033 teachers in the various grades. The percentage of the whole body of teachers who are at present recognised and paid in the first section of the first grade and second section of the first grade is 4.5 per cent. and 6.2 per cent. respectively. If all schools with an average attendance of at least seventy had teachers of the first section of the first grade, and all schools with averages of fifty but under seventy, had teachers of the second section of the first grade, the percentages would be 10.8 and 15.3 respectively. Promotions of teachers depend upon many considerations and qualifications. It would be very difficult to say how many years it would take a teacher entering the service since 1901 to reach the first section of the first grade.