§ Mr. AMMONasked the President of the Board of Education whether, in view of the fact that the deputation from the National Association for Head Teachers that waited on him on 23rd February last were informed that it was not the intention of the Board of Education to advise local education authorities to make rules as to the number of hours head teachers should teach, nor to include a definite number of hours in the time-table, and that subsequently, in response to a request for a definite ruling, the director for education for Birmingham was given quite contrary instructions, he will make a further statement on the subject?
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§ Lord E. PERCYI think there is no inconsistency between the statements made by my right hon. Friend to the deputation from the National Association of Head Teachers and the letter addressed to the Birmingham Local Education Authority on the 14th March, of which I am sending the hon. Member a copy. The Board expressly state that they have no desire to impose on head teachers any rigid or uniform system of allocating their time or to lay down any rigid rules either as to the character of the work or the amount of time which should appear on the head teacher's own programme of work, though the Board add that they would find it difficult to consider that the requirements of the Code are satisfied if the head teacher were found to be taking less than 10 lessons a week.
§ Mr. J. MURRAYasked the President of the Board of Education the number of schoolmasters in England and Wales who are in charge of exceptionally large elementary school departments with an average attendance exceeding 650?
§ Lord E. PERCYThe number of men head teachers in charge of departments the average attendance in which, during the year 1921–1922, exceeded 650 was 55.