§ Viscount WOLMERasked the Secretary of State for War whether he is aware of the discontent caused among Army schoolmistresses by the provision in the new pay and pension regulations that they are to be deprived of all chances of promotion unless they qualify for the Board of Education certificate; and whether, in view of the fact that existing schoolmistresses entered the service under conditions where Army trained mistresses were preferred before civilian certificated mistresses and that, being fully employed at their work, they have no leisure time to study for new examinations which were not contemplated when they entered the service, it can be arranged that the new Regulations in regard to the necessity of obtaining a Board of Education certificate should only apply to schoolmistresses who enter the service subsequent to the publication of the Regulations?
§ Sir A. WILLIAMSONObjection has been made by a small proportion of Army schoolmistresses. The demand of Army schoolmistresses has long been for increased pay and improved status. The former has been calculated with special reference to the civil scale; the latter depends on their obtaining recognition as certificated teachers. The two things are inseparable. Those who were serving as 1st Class Army schoolmistresses are not required to pass any new examination, and it is still under consideration whether or not it may be possible to make the same concession to a limited number of those who served as 2nd Class Army schoolmistresses. A very large proportion of those who served as 2nd and 3rd Class Army schoolmistresses are at present preparing to take the certificate examination.