Captain CRAIGasked whether the Commissioners of National Education are aware of the decline in the efficiency of the schools in Circuit 8 B since the 1st August, 1907, as shown by the reports of the senior and district inspectors; whether he is aware that for 1909 the reports of the 17G schools in the circuit were: 962W excellent, nil; very good, 15; good, 65; fair, 85; middling or bad, 11; whether the officials can account for so many inefficient teachers segregated in this particular circuit; whether the present district inspector of 8 B is closely related by marriage with one of the chief inspectors, and whether the late senior inspector, knowing this, asked for his transfer to 8 B in order to secure the chief's influence through him on behalf of his own promotion to a vacancy that was likely to take place in the chief inspection in 1907; whether he is aware that, owing to this influence with the chief and with his sanction and approval, the district inspector of 8 B pursues his methods towards the teachers under him, and that this relationship has rendered the right of appeal against reports to the chief inspector of no avail; whether they can state approximately the number of increments awarded in the different grades since 1st August, 1907; the number of teachers deprived of increments and promotion through reports being lowered by the district inspector in the year ended 31st March, 1909; the number of teachers, approximately, recommended for dismissal or retirement for inefficiency since 1907, and in how many cases have the Commissioners acted on his recomemndation; whether the district inspector of Circuit 8 B lowered the school reports by an official order in order to save money for the Treasury, and, if so, can the Commissioners state approximately the sum saved through the increments withheld from the teachers of this circuit since 1st August, 1907; and whether this lowering of reports in Circuit 8 B indicates that the educational efficiency and progress is in such a backward state, and, if so, do the officials of the Board imply that county Down, instead of being the most progressive county in Ireland, is the most backward in educational matters?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe Commissioners of National Education inform me that the district inspector of Circuit 8 B is not connected by blood or marriage with any chief inspector past or present, and the Commissioners do not consider that any useful purpose would be served by making a statement in reference to the various queries put by the hon. Member, which seem based mainly on an assumption of relationship between the district and chief inspectors, which has no foundation in fact.