asked the Minister for Education whether it has been decided to give preference in future to leaving certificate and pupil teacher candidates for entrance to training colleges, even though they were not placed so highly on the list of successful candidates as others competing at the entrance examination; if so, whether the position of candidates who have been preparing for scholarship and entrance examinations for the past three or four years has been considered in the light of that decision; and whether, in view of the shortness of the notice, he will consider allowing all candidates to compete on equal terms for at least another year.
CEISTEANNA—QUESTIONS. ORAL ANSWERS. - ENTRANCE TO TRAINING COLLEGES.
It has not been decided to give preference in future to leaving certificate candidates. It has been decided to give preference to candidates from preparatory colleges and to pupil-teachers both of which classes are specially trained for entrance to the training colleges. In both cases the candidates must have passed the leaving certificate examination as a condition of their entrance to the training colleges. The entrance examinations for the training colleges are held for the purpose of assigning candidates to the vacancies that still remain in these colleges after the successful candidates from the preparatory colleges and the pupil-teacher centres have been assigned. The pupil-teachers and preparatory college pupils, therefore, do not compete at the entrance examinations and the case could not arise in which they would be placed lower on the list of successful candidates at such examinations.
Full consideration has been given to the position of candidates who were preparing for the entrance examination prior to the introduction of the new scheme. In view of the need of getting the best trained candidates into the training colleges it is not considered desirable to make any change in the existing arrangements.