asked the Minister for Education whether his attention has been called to a statement by Mr. W. McMillan in a recent address at the Pembroke Technical Schools to the effect that 75 per cent. of the lads entering industrial life in Dublin were unable to pass a simple qualifying examination necessary to enter the Technical Schools; whether there are any statistics or information available in his Department which would substantiate or disprove this statement; whether he can say if there is a standard entrance examination for all technical schools, or is each school free to adopt its own standard, and if the Department's officials take any part in setting these examinations or prescribing what subjects are to be examined; whether there is in Dublin or elsewhere any form of leaving-certificate available for a child when leaving a National School which would show the standard of proficiency which such child has reached, and whether he has in contemplation any scheme whereby a leaving-certificate obtained by a child on the completion of his primary course would automatically secure his entrance to a Technical School.
CEISTEANNA—QUESTIONS. ORAL ANSWERS. - ENTRANCE TESTS IN TECHNICAL SCHOOLS.
My attention has been drawn to a newspaper report containing the statement referred to. There are no statistics available in my Department which would substantiate or disprove the statement. There is no standard entrance examination for all Technical Schools; each school conducts its own examination in order to carry out one of the Department's regulations for Technical Schools and Classes, which requires that the pupils admitted should have reached the standard of education necessary to enable them to take full advantage of the instruction provided in the classes to which they seek admission. The officials of my Department do not take part in the setting of these examinations but, when it is considered necessary, they check and revise the results.
There are two forms of certificate of the nature referred to in the latter part of the Deputy's question. One of these called the "Certificate of Merit," may be awarded under Rule 119 (c) of the Code for National Schools to a pupil over 13 years of age who has been enrolled for one year in the Seventh Standard of a National School and who, in the opinion of the Inspector, has attained to a satisfactory standard in English, Arithmetic and Geography; applications for this form of certificate are very rarely received. The second form of certificate is available for pupils leaving a primary school in the Dublin district; it is called the "Higher Grade Certificate" and is awarded by a committee of representative teachers, in association with the Department's Inspector, to pupils who have attended regularly for at least one year in the sixth or a higher class, and have reached a satisfactory standard in the subjects of the programme. The authorities of the City of Dublin Technical Schools, of the School of Commerce, Rathmines, and of the Dun Laoghaire, Blackrock and Pembroke Urban Technical Schools, exempt holders of the higher grade certificate from their entrance examinations. In addition, the Blackrock Technical School grants free exhibitions to holders of this certificate.
The question of the advisability of making arrangements for the issue of a Primary School Leaving Certificate on the lines implied in the Deputy's question will receive consideration.
Is the Minister aware that the statement referred to was embodied in the report of the Industrial Education Conference held in Dublin in 1917, at which Conference Mr. MacMillan was a member; is the Minister also aware that the Dublin National Teachers' Association was also represented at that Conference and agreed to the report containing this statement; is the Minister further aware that the Commissioners of National Education were also represented at that Conference and approved of the statement referred to?
Is the Minister aware that the statement, as reported in the newspapers, had reference to the present state of affairs rather than to the position ten years ago?
There is no qualification of time whatever in the statement as reported in the newspapers. What Mr. MacMillan actually said I do not know. In the report in the newspapers, there is no reference whatever to 1917, and anyone reading it would be under the impression that it referred to statistics dealing with the year 1924 or the year 1925.
Would the Minister say if there was any compulsory Irish in the national schools when that report was issued, or how far Irish was responsible for the state of affairs then?
I cannot divulge where the information came from. If Deputy O'Connell, or Deputy Baxter, refers to Deputy Seán Good— (laughter)—perhaps he might help them in the matter.
Might I ask the Minister if he has read this report referred to? If he has not, I can assure him that he might read it with much interest.
I shall certainly read it with interest.
I wish to withdraw question 9, as I am informed a settlement has been arrived at in the case.