Brigadier-General CHARTER ISasked the Secretary for Scotland whether his attention has been directed to the situation which has arisen with regard to the action of the education authority in enforcing the resignation of the schoolmaster at Beattock; whether he is aware that this resignation was obtained under what was directly a threat two years ago, and that the decision to enforce this resignation was passed at a recent meeting of the education authority by 12 votes to 10; and whether, as the enforcement is virtually a dismissal and as the majority is not the two-thirds majority demanded by Statute, an inquiry will be held into the matter by the Board of Education for Scotland?
§ Sir J. GILMOURThe reply to the first part of my hon. Friend's question is in the affirmative. But Section 21 of the Education (Scotland) Act, 1908, restricts the Department's right of intervention to cases of formal dismissal under Section 24 of the Education (Scotland) Act, 1918.