Mr. A. T. DAVIESasked the President of the Board of Education what is the annual cost of the inspectorate of public elementary schools; whether the inspectors, sub-inspectors, and assistant inspectors have their time fully occupied; who allots the work and time spent in doing it; whether there is an appreciable number of schools which have not been examined in reading, writing, and arithmetic during the past five years; and what is the rule of the Department as to conferences of inspectors and teachers, collective and individual, in order to inform the teachers of the varying requirements of inspectors in different areas?
§ Mr. FISHERThe total estimated cost of the Elementary School Inspectorate (England and Wales) during the current financial year is:
866W
£ For salaries 181,652 For travelling 31,850 Total 213,502 I am satisfied that the time of the inspectors of all grades is fully occupied: they are, indeed, overburdened with work. The allocation of their work is under the direction of the district inspector, subject to the supervision of the divisional and chief inspector. During the War a large number of the inspectors were withdrawn for service with the Forces or other war work, and the regular work of school inspection was in consequence very considerably curtailed; but it is not the case that an appreciable number of schools have remained without inspection during the past five years: I would remind the hon. Member that the annual examination of children in public elementary schools was abolished 25 years ago. The Board have made no rules as to conferences between inspectors and teachers; the frequency of such conferences is left to the discretion of the inspector.