§ Mr. PATRICK WHITEasked the Chief Secretary whether privileged assistants who are first class retain their full salaries, even though the average falls below 35, while the principal teacher of the same school if first class loses his when the average falls below 35; and, if so, whether there is any precedent for this rule?
§ Mr. BIRRELLWhen two schools are amalgamated in the interests of education, and the principal teacher of one becomes recognised as privileged assistant in the amalgamated school, he receives, under an arrangement specially sanctioned by the Treasury, a salary not less than that paid to him and warranted by the average attendance in his school at the time of the amalgamation. A first grade salary could not be allowed to the privileged assistant unless the average attendance in the school of which he was formerly principal teacher reached or exceeded thirty-five units for the calendar year preceding the date of the amalgamation, and it would not be equitable to reduce his salary to a figure lower than 1511W that to which he was entitled at the date of the amalgamation consequent upon any fluctuation in the attendance, as it could not be established that the necessary average attendance would not have been maintained had the school of which he was previously principal remained under his charge.
§ Mr. PATRICK WHITEasked the Chief Secretary whether the moiety of results fees paid by the unions of Meath and the corresponding moiety paid by the Treasury was included in the consolidated salaries of first-class teachers in Meath in 1900; are these moieties withdrawn when the average falls below thirty-five; and, if so, on what grounds; when the salary of first-class teachers who reside in union districts that were contributory are reduced; are they paid the same amount as teachers who reside in union districts that have not been contributory; and will he call for a special Report from the Commissioners as regards the payment of salary to first-class teachers in Meath?
§ Mr. BIRRELLIn fixing the consolidated salaries of teachers in 1900, the average of their incomes from all State sources and from contributory unions was, as a rule, the basis of the calculation in each case, and these moieties no longer exist as separate items. The fact that national schools were formerly in contributory or non-contributory unions is not now adverted to in the application of the existing regulations. No special report on the subject is necessary. The teachers in County Meath have been dealt with under the same rules and regulations as teachers in the other counties of Ireland.