§ Mr. MERRIMANasked the President of the Board of Education whether, in view of the fact that the statement in the Report on the Training of Teachers (p. 59, lines 21 and 22) to the effect that the Manchester uncertificated teachers are less qualified than the Manchester certificated teachers is repudiated by the Manchester Branch of the National Union of School Teachers as not being in accordance with the facts, he is prepared to hold an inquiry into the status and qualifications of all Manchester school teachers?
§ Lord E. PERCYI do not find, in the passage of the Report to which my hon. Friend refers, any criticism of the uncertificated teachers employed in Manchester, but merely a statement that the Manchester authority has appointed no uncertificated teachers to their schools in recent years. It is true that the Committee refer to the fact that uncertificated teachers have "less than the full quali- 2831W fication," but a discussion as to what is the best mode of entry into the teaching profession should not be necessarily interpreted as a criticism on the competence of existing teachers. No such criticism having been made, no inquiry is needed.