On Wednesday, Mr. Sexton made a speech complaining of the
low salaries earned by the Irish teachers in primary schools, male and female, the average head-master's salary being £79, and head-mistress's, £66; while the average male assistant-teacher's salary is 248, and female assistant-teacher's, £39. He also complained of the unnecessary restrictions enforced on Roman Catholic schools attended by no Pro- testant child, as regards the use of religious symbols in the school, and remarked on the inadequacy of the provision for University teaching for Catholics, and the unpopularity of the Queen's Colleges. Mr. Balfour made a very important speech in reply, after complimenting Mr. Sexton on the modera- tion of his tone. He admitted the inadequate payment of Irish teachers, but said that it was not due to any want of liberality on the part of the State, but to the unwillingness of the Irish people to pay for education. The contribution made by the State to the English head-master's salary is only £57, while to the Irish head-master's salary it is £64; and the English head-mistress, in like manner, receives from the State £39, while the Irish head-mistress receives 254. Indeed, the State pays four-fifths of the whole salaries of the Irish teachers. It is not, then, any want of liberality in the disposal of Imperial funds which is in fault. Indeed, we pay £77,000 a year towards the support of Irish convent and monastery schools, which are, of course, in effect, strictly denominational. Mr. Balfour, however, agreed that wherever in Ireland there are schools for the separate denominations, it might not be
necessary to enforce the restrictions hitherto imposed upon denominational schools, as it is necessary to enforce them where there is any chance of a mixed attendance.
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