§ Mr. JOHN WALSHasked the Chief Secretary for Ireland how many masters in Irish national schools were, on the substitution of gradation for classification, receiving salaries, exclusive of capitation Grant, amounting to from £117 to £138 per annum, £139 and upwards, respectively; how many places for masters were at the disposal of the Commissioners to fill in each of the following grades:—Second grade, second section of first grade, first section of first grade, when the new system was introduced; what was the average number of vacancies in the second grade since the adoption of the grading system; could the Commissioners have filled these vacancies by promoting assistants; and, in view of the sum saved to the British Treasury by withholding these promotions, will he recommend that the sum thus saved be refunded to the Commissioners to pay the increments and arrears of salary due to the paper-promoted teachers of 1909, 1910, 1911, and 1912?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe Commissioners of National Education inform me that on 31st December, 1901, there were 416 male principal teachers and eighteen male assistant teachers in receipt of salaries exclusive of residual capitation Grant ranging from £117 to £138 a year, and 241 male principal teachers and thirteen male assistant 635W teachers in receipt of salaries of £139 a year and upwards. The number of places for masters at the disposal of the Commissioners when the new system was introduced were as under:—
Second grade 2,500 Second division of first grade 500 First division of first grade 300 It would be difficult to say what was the average number of vacancies in the second grade, but on 31st December, 1901, the total number of vacancies was nearly 2,300 for men and women. The total number at present is only about 1,700, of which about 800 are for men. Assistant teachers are not eligible for promotion beyond the third grade unless in exceptional circumstances. There is no power to act on the suggestion in the concluding paragraph.