HC Deb 16 July 1912 vol 41 cc234-5W
Mr. LUNDON

asked the Chief Secretary whether, according to the conditions for promotion by the National Board of Teachers from the second-of-first to the first-of-first grade it is necessary that their schools should get at least one excellent report within three consecutive years; and, if one excellent report is not necessary, will he explain why a number of teachers who, after having been in receipt of the highest salary attached to the second-of-first grade, have got three consecutive very good reports have not been promoted to first-of-first grade, though their schools have the required average attendance of 70 or above?

Mr. BIRRELL

One of the conditions for promotion of a teacher to first-of-first grade is that the school in which he is serving has received "very good" reports for three consecutive years. It is not a condition that one of the reports must be "excellent." A number of teachers have qualified for promotion to the first-of-first grade and will receive the salary of that grade on the occurrence of vacancies, and the cases of several others are under consideration.

Sir JOHN LONSDALE

asked the number of male teachers promoted to the second-of-first and the first-of-first grades, respectively, for each of the years 1907, 1908, 1910, and 1911, whose length of service on the date of promotion was under fifteen years, fifteen years but under eighteen years, eighteen years but under twenty-one years, twenty-one years but under twenty-five years, twenty- five years but under thirty years, thirty years and upwards, respectively; was Rule 105 (a) observed as regards the promotion of the 1907 and 1008 teachers; has this rule and 108 (b) been observed as regards those teachers promoted in 1910 and 1911; did the teachers promoted in 1910 and 1911 fulfil the same spcified conditions as those promoted in 1907 and 1908; and, if so, will they receive the same financial treatment?

Mr. BIRRELL

The Commissioners of National Education inform me that the Return asked for could not be given without a minute examination of all the circumstances connected with each individual promotion during the years mentioned. It would take months to prepare, and its public utility would not be at all commensurate with the expense, labour, and loss of official time involved in its preparation.