§ Colonel M'CALMONTasked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland how many male principals in the service of the Commissioners of National Education in Ireland in charge of schools with an average attendance of 140 and upwards, and having six years' continuous very good or excellent reports, were specially promoted in grade from 1st April, 1909; of such promotions how many were made from the third grade to the second section of the first grade, and how many from the second grade to the first section of first grade; what was the length of service as principals of the teachers so promoted; and how many teachers with the necessary records were refused special promotion to the first and second sections of the first grade owing to the Treasury device known as standard numbers?
§ Mr. BIRRELL:As regards the first part of the question, the Commissioners inform me that no teachers such as are mentioned in the question were specially promoted in grade from 1st April, 1909. In thirteen cases applications were received from managers for the special promotion to first grade of certain teachers not qualified under the rules, but these applications could not be considered by the Commissioners owing to the lack of vacancies in the higher grades in consequence of the limitation fixed by the standard numbers.
§ Mr. O'MALLEYasked the Chief Secretary for Ireland if his attention had been called to the fact that the attendance in the Irish national schools has fallen far below the normal in the current, quarter owing to the extreme inclemency of the weather; whether, in view of the fact that the position of assistant teachers depends on the average attendance, he will consider 653W the reasonableness of substituting the averages of the corresponding quarter of last year, at the option of the teachers, as was the case in the year 1895; and, considering the insecurity of the teachers owing to the rigid rule of averages, whether he will take steps to have the rules so modelled as to permit a reasonable margin between the averages which warrant an appointment and those that compel a dismissal?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe Commissioners of National Education have not yet received the Returns from national schools for the current quarter, and consequently are not in a position to report as to the effect on the attendance of pupils of the recent inclement weather. The substitution suggested in the question would not be permissible having regard to the terms of the existing rules, but the Commissioners have already ordered that, in cases in which it is shown that the insufficient attendance of pupils in the quarter ended 31st December last, or in the current quarter, was caused by the inclement weather, salary may be continued to assistant teachers for a period not exceeding two quarters subsequent to the close of the second quarter of insufficient average attendance. The Commissioners could not, without Treasury sanction, remodel the rules affecting teachers' salaries, and they do not consider that the present circumstances are such as to call for this action in connection with the matter referred to in the question.