§ Major O'NEILLasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether the Commissioners of National Education in Ireland have requested the Treasury to allow the substitution of the average attendances in the quarters ending September and December, 1917, for the averages of the corresponding quarters in 1918 in view of the abnormally low attendances in 1918 due to the influenza epidemic; and, if so, whether the Treasury will accede to this request?
§ Mr. BALDWINThe Treasury have agreed to regulations designed to prevent a reduction in the emoluments of teachers as a result of the diminution of attendances due to the epidemic of influenza.
§ Mr. LYNNasked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether he is aware that a part of the unrest in Ireland is due to seditious teaching carried on in schools which are under the control of the National Board; what steps he proposes to take to prevent State-supported schools from disseminating seditious opinions; and whether national school teachers in Ireland have been asked to take the oath of allegiance to His Majesty the King?
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§ Mr. A. SAMUELSThe Commissioners of National Education inform me that in view of statements which were made in 1916 after the insurrection in Easter week as to the disloyalty of national school teachers the Commissioners inquired from their inspectors whether they had observed any evidence of seditious teaching in the schools. The reports of the inspectors showed that there were no grounds for concluding that disloyal ideas were inculcated to any appreciable extent. Should any case of the character suggested by the question be brought under the notice of the Commissioners they will cause inquiry to be made with a view to taking such measures as may be necessary for the prevention of the dissemination of seditious opinions. The answer to the last part of the question is in the negative.
§ Major O'NEILLasked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether the use in the Irish national schools of certain seditious text-books of history has been prohibited; and, if so, whether a list of such books has been issued and published for the information of inspectors, managers, and teachers?
§ Mr. SAMUELSIn 1916, as a result of a special examination of the text-books on history then authorised to be used in national schools, the Commissioners of National Education withdrew sanction from three of these works because, in addition to containing many inaccuracies in matters of detail, the presentment of historical facts in these books was, in their opinion, misleading and open to reasonable objection on political grounds. No list of such books has been issued, but the inspectors were duly advised that sanction had been withdrawn from them. It is not the practice to give general intimation to managers and teachers when sanction for books is withdrawn, as under Rule 124 (b) the books to be used in each national school are submitted to the inspectors for approval at the beginning of each school year, and no books other than those so approved are permitted to be used in the schools.