asked the Minister for Education if he will state the total number of A schools and B schools in Dublin City and County for boys and girls; and if he will state the total number of each group of schools in which Irish is not entirely the language of recreation hours, and if he will state what is the reason for this; whether it is a regulation applicable to these schools that Irish shall be the language of recreation hours; and, if so, if he will state if the regulation has been waived in respect of any of these schools.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Progress of Irish in A and B Schools in Dublin.
The number of A schools and B schools in Dublin City and County in the school year 1933-34 was as follows:—
|
Boys |
Girls |
Total |
||||
|
A. |
3 |
2 |
5 |
|||
|
B. |
7 |
13 |
20 |
|||
|
10 |
15 |
25 |
||||
The regulation which requires that Irish shall be the ordinary language used by teachers and pupils in Class A. schools is understood to apply to all the time during which the pupils in such schools are under the care of the school authorities during the school day. This regulation has not been waived in any case, and as far as my Department is aware, it is observed by the schools concerned.
Class B schools include schools at various stages of Gaelicisation, from the school in which two classes are taught one subject (other than Irish) through the medium of Irish, or two subjects are taught to one class through that medium, to the school which closely approximates to an A school. No information is available regarding the extent to which Irish is used during recreation time in the Class B schools, but the Department's inspectors are fully alive to the importance of the use of Irish during this time and, where necessary, impress this upon the school authorities.
Will the Minister say how it happens that the Department's inspectors are not so much alive to the conditions that even in A schools in the city the Irish language is not the language used during recreation hours in some of these schools and will he say what steps the inspectors take to see that in such schools Irish will be the language during recreation hours?
Has the Deputy made an official complaint on the matter—I want to put him the question if he has made an official complaint on the matter—and if not, why does he raise a matter of this kind without having taken steps to substantiate it or to communicate officially on the matter?
Is the Minister aware that it is a fact that there are A schools in the City of Dublin in which Irish is not the language of the recreation hours and will he say what are the Minister's inspectors doing in the matter?
The Minister is not aware of any such thing and considers that that statement should not have been made here without some submission having been made to me or my Department in the matter.
Will the Minister take note of the fact that Irish is not the language of——
Next question.