asked the Minister for Education whether he has seen a resolution passed at the Teachers' Congress in Dublin a few weeks ago, requesting the Department of Education to withdraw the regulation made in August last, on the ground that it would have a detrimental effect on primary education, as it would debar from entrance to the Training Colleges the vast majority of the clever children of the poorer classes; whether, as this is practically the only chance the monitresses, ex-monitresses, and pupil teachers under the old scheme will have of entering a Training College, he will consider the advisability of postponing, for this year at least, the regulation made in August last, and of reverting to the rule in force for many years, that candidates must be called to training on the principle of merit, and merit alone.
CEISTEANNA—QUESTIONS. ORAL ANSWERS. - ENTRANCE TO TRAINING COLLEGES.
I have seen a copy of the resolution alluded to. I do not admit the contention contained in it. There was no new regulation issued by me in August. The regulation to which the Deputy refers is that contained in the regulations relating to the appointment of pupil-teachers issued in May, 1926.
It is not proposed to alter the regulations now in force with regard to entrance to training colleges. I do not admit that the interests of the clever children of the poorer classes are detrimentally affected under the Preparatory Colleges and New Pupil-Teacher scheme: at least equal provision is made for all clever children of whatever class. The principle of merit and of merit alone applies to the admission of all students to training, whether called on the result of the Leaving Certificate examination of the secondary system on the prescribed course or on the result of the Easter Scholarship examination.
It will be open to the candidates referred to in the question, if unsuccessful this year, to compete again for admission to training at the Easter Scholarship examination.
asked the Minister for Education whether he can state (i) how many candidates competed at the Easter Scholarship Examination of 1928 for entrance to Women's Training Colleges in September, 1928; and (ii) how many of these candidates were (a) monitresses or ex-monitresses; (b) pupil teachers appointed under the old scheme for intermediate students; (c) pupil teachers appointed under new scheme for intermediate students; (d) junior assistant mistresses employed in National Schools; (e) ordinary pupils of National Schools.
The answer to (i) is 617; and to (ii) is—(a) 140; (b) 60; (c) None as such; (d) 33; (e) 384 candidates, not coming under categories (a), (b), (c) or (d), competed; of these 373 were pupils of National Schools, preparatory departments, Secondary Schools, or other educational institutions. It is not possible to ascertain accurately, from the information at my disposal, the number who actually were ordinary pupils of National Schools but the approximate number was 150.
I may add that of the 140 monitresses or ex-monitresses referred to in answer to (ii) (a) above, 103 are ex-monitresses who had already competed in former years and did not succeed in obtaining places under the regulations then in force; and that, of the 60 pupil teachers (old scheme) 54 were ex-pupil teachers who had already competed and did not succeed.
asked the Minister for Education whether he is aware that the latest code of regulations issued by the Commissioners of National Education—which issue is still in force—contains a rule (No. 168) making it compulsory on the heads of Training Colleges to call candidates in order of merit; and whether this rule, which has been strictly adhered to up to the present, and which has given complete satisfaction, is now to be superseded by a new regulation as outlined by him in reply to a question put in 1927 on this subject.
The rule to which the Deputy refers applied to the Marlborough Street Training College, which is no longer in existence.
Rule 165, with note in the existing code which relates to the admission of students, in order of merit, to training colleges applies to candidates who compete at the Easter Scholarship Examination, and it is not intended to supersede it.
The preparatory colleges and the pupil-teacherships under the new system must be considered as preliminary training, and the entrance to these is by order of merit.
I cannot admit that the older system of recruiting for the training colleges was satisfactory.