§ Mr. MILLSasked the President of the Board of Education if he is aware that many local education authorities are terminating the engagements of women teachers because they are married women; if this is done with his knowledge and consent; and, in view of the fact that, since these married women teachers are unable to secure employment elsewhere owing to the present widespread policy of dismissing married women teachers, this practice of the local authorities is tantamount to suspending the teachers' certificate, which is the sole prerogative of the Board of Education, what, if anything, he is prepared to do to prevent local authorities adopting this practice?
§ Mr. FISHERWith regard to the first and second parts of the question, I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. and gallant Member for the Moss Side Division of Manchester (Lieut.-Colonel Hurst) on the 13th February last, a copy of which I am sending him. As regards the third part, the suspension of a teacher's certificate involves prohibition of employment in a public elementary school and is certainly not the same thing from the teacher's point of view as failure to obtain employment. I have no authority to interfere with the exercise of the local authorities' discretion in the matter.