Committee on Finance. - Vote 45—Office of the Minister for Education. – Dáil Éireann (12th Dáil) – Tuesday, 13 Jun 1944

Committee on Finance. - Vote 45—Office of the Minister for Education.

Aire Oideachais (Tomás O Deirg)

Tairgim:

Go ndeontar suim ná raghaidh thar £135,212 chun slánuithe na suime is ga chun íoctha an mhuirir a thiocfaidh chun bheith iníoctha i rith na bliana dar críoch an 31adh lá de Mhárta, 1945, chun Tuarastail agus Costaisí Oifig an Aire Oideachais.

That a sum not exceeding £135,212 be granted to complete the sum necessary to defray the Charge which will come in course of payment during the year ending the 31st day of March, 1945, for the Salaries and Expenses of the Office of the Minister for Education.

Na seirbhísí atá dhá riarú ag an Roinn Oideachais, tá siad faoi ocht Vótaí ins na Meastacháin. £5,406,241 an tsuim iomlán atá dhá hiarraidh ins na hocht Vótaí seo. Don bhliain seo chuaidh thart (1943-44), do hiarradh £5,208,358 (agus trí Meastacháin bhreise san áireamh sin). Is ionann sin agus £197,883, nó 3.8 per cent. de mhéadú. Ag seo leanas na difríochta is mó atá idir Vótaí an dá bhlian:—

Tá £6,524 de mhéadú ghlan ins an tsuim atá dhá hiarraidh fé Vóta 45— Oifig an Aire Oideachais. Tá £3,270 de sin ag teastáil mar gheall ar an mBónus Éigeandála atá deonuithe ó bhí an ladh d'Eanar, 1944, ann. Ina theannta sin, tá £1,700 den mhéadú ag teastáil toisc gur haistríodh ón Vóta le haghaidh Tailte an soláthar bhaineas le mo thuarastalsa mar Aire.

Tá soláthar dhá dhéanamh le haghaidh foirne ar a bhfuil 493 dhaoine, agus ortha sin tá 121 de Chigirí nó de Thimthirí. Is ionann sin agus 6 daoine de bhreis ar fhuirinn 1943/44. Ach tá 23 daoine den fhuirinn ar iasacht ag Ranna eile.

£4,063,039 an tsuim atá ag teastáil le haghaidh Vóta 46—Bun-Oideachais— rud is ionann agus £101,254 de mhéadú nua. Toisc gur hathruíodh ráta an Bhónuis Éigeandála ó 7/- go 10/- le haghaidh fear agus ó 5/- go 8/- le haghaidh ban, agus toisc gur hárduíodh an "tsíleáil" ó £399 go £500, béidh £104,000 de bhreis ag teastáil i geóir an Bhónuis seo. Teastóidh £439,000 le haghaidh Pinsean Oidí—rud is ionann agus £18,000 de mhéadú. Ins na Coláistí Ullmhúcháin, i seisiún a 1944/45, méadófar líon na ndalta ó 331 go 432, agus cosnóidh na Coláistí seo £3,929 sa mbreis. Meastar, freisin, go mbeidh £2,500 de mhéadú ag teastáil ins na Stát-deóntais chun scoileanna do théidheamh agus go ghlanadh, toisc an bhreis-chostais bhaineas le habhar teineadh.

Maidir le Vóta 47—Meán-Oideachas— do méaduíodh an Bónus Éigeandála do Mheán-Oidí mar do rinneadh i gcás Oidí na mBun-Scol, agus meastar go gcosnóidh an méadú sin £21,400. In ionad tuarastail na Meán-Oidí d'íoc go ráithiúil, mar ghníthear faoi láthair, tá socruithe go n-íocfar go míosúil iad ón ladh d'Abrán, 1944. Isé an socrú sin is fáth le £20,000 den £49,000 de mhéadú i bhFo-Mhír B. Teastóidh an t-airgead sin chun tuarastail míosa d'íoc i ndeireadh Mhárta, 1945, in ionad a bhfágáil gan íoc, mar ba ghnáth, go dtí an aithbhliain airgeadais.

Tá líon daltaí na Meán-Scol ag síor-mhéadú agus ní féidir do chostas na brainse seo oideachais gan bheith ag méadú dá réir sin.

Gidh go bhfuil laghdú ar an soláthar le haghaidh Scoláireacht (Fo-Mhír D), ní hionann é agus aon athrú do bheith ar pholasaí choiteann na Roinne ina dtaobh seo. 'Séard is príomh-abhar leis go bhfuil deireadh anois le breisuimhir scoláireacht do bronnadh i 1939, an uair ba lugha líon na ndalta ins na Coláistí Ullmhúcháin agus do socruíodh ar scoláireachtaí breise do thairgsint do dhaltaí as an bhFíor-Ghaeltacht ionnas go dtiocfadh siad sin chun na gColáistí Ullmhúcháin.

Tabharfar faoi deara go bhfuil socruithe againn athbhunú do dhéanamh ar na Cúrsaí Speisialta Samhraidh i nGaedhilg do Mheán-Oidí—Cúrsaí a bhí leighte ar lár ó 1939.

£362,997 atáthar d'iarraidh do Vóta 48—Ceárd-Oideachas. Tá £23,257 do mhéadú ghlan ansin, agus tá £22,237 den mhéadú ag teastáil mar gheall ar dheontaisí méaduithe do na Coistí Gairm-Oideachais.

Táthar chun £7,960 de dheontas speisialta do thabhairt do Chóiste Chathrach Bhaile Átha Cliath d'obair Chomhairle le Leas Oige ins an bhliain seo chugainn.

Tá socruithe ar Chúrsa Tréineála do bhunú d'Oidí Obair Adhmaid agus Foirgníochta. Mairfidh an Cúrsa ó Dheireadh Fómhair, 1944, go Mheitheamh, 1946. Meastar gur £1,958 an costas bheas leis seo go dtí 31adh Márta, 1945, agus gur £7,076 an costas iomlán.

Bunófar Gearr-Chursaí Samhraidh, freisin, i mBiadh-Eolaíocht, in Eolaíocht Tuaithe agus i Matamaiticí Ceárdúla.

An £54,816 atá measta do Vóta 49— Eolaíocht agus Ealadhain—tá sé £6,264 níos mó ná airgead vóta na bliana atá caithte. An Breis-Bhónus Éigeandála is fáth le £963 den mhéadú.

Chun leabhra do cheannach don Leabharlainn Náisiúnta tá £2,000 dhá sholáthar. £2,100 an tsuim do hiarradh anuraidh. Ba cheart dom a mhíniú gur £2,600 an gnáth-dheontas bliantúil a hiarrtaí roimh aimsir na hÉigeandála. Mar gheall ar bheith coigilteach, do laghduíodh sin go dtí £1,600 ach do méaduíodh sin go dtí £2,100 do bhliain a 1943-44. Tá sé curtha in iúl dúinn ag an Stiúrthóir gur ró-ghann £1,600 de dheontas bliantúil le haghaidh riachtanais na Leabharlainne agus tá socruithe ar a mhéadú go £2,000.

I bhFo-Mhír A. 7. tá soláthar nach raibh ann ariamh go dtí seo—soláthar chun neithe do cheannach do Mhúséum na nArmas. Tá an Múséum seo in Oifig na nGeinealach faoi láthair, agus ba é an Ulster King of Arms do bhunuigh é. Táthar ag brath cur leis an gcnuasach spéisiúil armas, etc. do réir mar bheas caoithe oiriúnacha ann lena aghaidh sin.

An £1,345 atá dhá sholáthar chun Mion-scannáin do dhéanamh de thuarascbhála Oifig na nGeinealach, do thárla ins an meastachán seo é ar an abhar nár críochnuíodh an obair in am lena híocaíocht do bhaint as Vóta 1943/44. Do réir mar mhínigh mé don Dáil nuair a tháinig an ní seo os a cóir don chéad uair, do socruíodh le Rialtas na Breataine go nglacfadh siad-san le cóipeanna mion-scannán de na tuarascbhála luachmhara seo in ionad na dtuarascbhál bunaidh ionnas go gcoimeádfaimis féin na tuarascbhála bunaidh i gCaisleán Bhaile Átha Cliath.

Ins an soláthar i bhFo-Mhír B. 1. le haghaidh costais Foillseachán i nGaedhilg, tá méadú ó £8,005 go £11,000 mar gheall ar leatnnú atá beartuithe a dhéanamh ar obair an Ghúim. Dá thoradh sin, táthar ag súil go luathófar foillsiú a lán leabhar don ghnáthphobal, agus ina theannta sin, tá soláthar dhá dhéanamh don chéad uair chun Téacs-leabhra Iolscol do chur dá n-ullmhú agus dá bhfoillsiú. Maraon leis sin, fágfar faoi'n nGúm obair na Stair Áitiúil—obair a mbíodh fo-mhír speisialta dhí féin aici go dtí seo.

An Deontas-i-gCabhair do Chódháil Náisiúnta na Gaedhilge, ní raibh sé sin, ach oiread, ins an Meastachán go dtí seo, cés moite de bheith i Meastachán breise trénar tugadh £500 don Chódháil mar gheall ar obair 1943-44. Is an-tábhachtach, dar leis an Rialtas, an obair atá beartuithe ag an gCódháil, agus táthar ag súil le toradh fónta do bheith uirthi maidir le haithbheochaint na teangan.

Vóta 50—Scoileanna Ceartúcháin agus Scoileanna Saothair: Is truagh liom é bheith d'fhiachaibh orm £8,606 de mhéadú ar Vóta na bliana seo thart d'iarraidh—rud fhágas £131,450 de votá iomlán le soláthar. Gidh gurb olc an scéal é, tá coirtheacht ag méadú léi i measc an aosa óig. Bhí 260 ar coinneáil ins na Scoileanna Ceartúcháin anuraidh, agus tá 290 ar coinneáil ionta i mbliana. Tá na scoileanna seo cho líonta agus is féidir dóibh bheith agus táthar ghá bhfairsingiú faoi láthair.

An t-ionad coinneála do bhuachaillí bhíos ag fanacht le triail, is i gCnoc Chríonáin do bhí sé le blianta fada; ach tá ionad is fairsinge agus is oiriúnaí ná sin dá úsáid anois i nGlas Naoidhean.

Vóta 51—An Gailerí Náisiúnta: Taobh amuigh de £93 de sholáthar breise mar gheall ar rátaí nua an Bhónus Éigeandála, níl aon athrú ar riachtanais an Ghailerí Náisiúnta.

Vóta 70—Institiúid Árd-Léighinn Bhaile Átha Cliath: £18,290 an tsuim atá ag teastáil le haghaidh na hInstitiúide ins an mbliain atá chugainn—rud is ionann agus £1,040 de mhéadú ghlan. An costas mar gheall ar Fhoillseacháin, is é sin an ítim is mó dá bhfuil luaidhte i gclár an chaiteachais. Meastar go mbeidh £3,250 ag teastáil lena aghaidh sin, agus is maith an comhartha é go bhfuil toradh fónta ag teacht ar obair na hInstitiúide.

Maidir le Bun-Oideachas, taisbeánann na figiúracha freastail gur 457,660 líon iomlán na ndalta bhí ar na rollaí i 1942/43—rud is ionann, do réir chosúlachta, agus 910 níos mó ná bhí ar na rollaí i 1941/42. Ach, faoi scéim speisialta, idir an dá linn, do glácadh leis na Scoileanna Ceartúcháin mar Scoileanna Náisiúnta, agus tá 4,300 dalta ar rollaí na Scol (Ceartúcháin) Náisiúnta. Má baintear iad sin den líon iomlán atá luaidhte agam, beidh 3,390 de laghdú ar an líon iomlán, agus is léir uaidh sin go bhfuil uimhir pháistí scoile na tíre seo ag laghdú fós.

Ins na deich mbliana seo caithte, ní raibh an freastal faoi 82 per cent. ná ós cionn 84 per cent. den uimhir do bhí ar na rollaí; agus, i gcás na ndalta a mbaineann an tAcht Freastail Scoile leo (páistí idir 6 bliana agus 14 bliana d'aois), bhí meán-fhreastal na tréimhse sin os cionn 83 per cent. Meán-fhreastal 1943, bhí sé rud beag ní ba lugha ná meán-fhreastal 1942—83.7 per cent. in ionad 84 per cent.

I gContae-Bhuirg Bhaile Átha Cliath, Chorcaighe agus Phortláirge, áiteanna ina bhfuil Coistí Freastail Scoile ag feidhmiú, bíonn an freastal i gcomhnaí níos fearr ná mar bhíonn sé ins an chuid eile den tír. Chuaidh sé cho hárd le 86 per cent. agus le 87.5 per cent. ins na háiteanna sin.

Ins an mbliain dar dheireadh an 30adh de Mheitheamh, 1943, bhí 87.5 per cent. de mheán-fhreastal i gCathair Bhaile Átha Cliath ag na páistí idir 6 bliana agus 14 bliana d'aois; i gCathair Chorcaighe bhí 87.2 per cent.; i gCathair Phortláirge bhí 86.1 per cent. agus i gContae Chorcaighe bhí 86 per cent.

Maidir le páistí den aois chéanna i gceanntair eile, bhí 85 per cent. de mheán-fhreastal i gContae Chiarraighe, i gContae Bhaile Átha Cliath agus i gContae na hIar-Mhidhe. Acht i gcontaethe eile—Cill Mantain. Muigheo, an Mhidhe, Longphort, Dún na nGall, Muineachán, Liathdruim, Cill Dara agus Sligeach—bhí an meán-fhreastal faoi 82 per cent. Ó 18 per cent. go 21 per cent. de na daltaí a mbaineann an tAcht Freastail leo, bhí siad as láthair na scoile, gach lá, ins na contaethe sin.

Cuid an-mhór de dhaoine óga na tíre seo, ní fhághann siad oideachas foirmiúil ná tréineáil threoruithtar éis dóibh an Bhun-Scoil d'fhágáil, agus is léir uaidh sin gur rí-thábhachtach an t-oideachas agus an tréineáil a fáightear ins na Scoileanna Náisiúnta. Ní hé amháin gur riachtanach do dbaltaí na Scol sin eolas d'fháil ar na h-abhair léighinn a leagtar amach dóibh ins na Cláir fhoirmiúla. Is córiachtanach dóibh teagasc maith d'fháil ins na prionsabail a threoruíos daoine i mbealach na deagh-bheatha agus na deagh-chathardhachta. Ach ní féidir d'oide a dhualgas do chólíonadh ins an méid sin, mura bhfuil eolas maith aige ar na daltaí. Ní mór dó bheith in eolas na caoi bhíos ar na daltaí ins an mbaile—maith nó olc an chaoi í; ní mór dó aithne faoi leith do chur ar gach duine aca; ní mór dó a aithneachtáil gur féidir difríochta an-mhóra do bheith eatortha ó thaobh nádúra agus ábaltachta—agus ní mór dó an t-eolas sin go léir d'úsáid sa gcaoi ina rachaidh a theagase agus a thréineáil í gcion ar gach dalta dá mbíonn faoi n-a chúram. Is fusa go mór friotháileamh don dalta chliste ná friotháileamh don dalta atá gann i gclisteacht. Aithnítear an deaghoide ar an treoir thuigsionach a thugann sé do dhaltaí nach acfuinn dóibh foghluim thapaidh do dhéanamh. An t-oide a bhfuil fios a ealadhan aige, molann sé i gcomhnaí an saothar fírinneach, tugann sé misneach do na daltaí, cothuíonn sé muinín asta féin ionta agus cuireann sé i dtuigse go soiléir dóibh gurb é cuspóir ceart gach duine a dhícheall do dhéanamh, bíodh an dícheall sin sár-éifeachtach nó ná bíodh.

An eisiompláir is féidir le hoide do thabhairt dá dhaltaí tréna phearsantacht agus a iompar féin, tá sí ar na modhtha teagaisc is cumhachtaí dá bhfuil le fáil. Má thugann sé dá aire an scoil agus ionad na scoile do choinneáil glan slachtmhar i gcomhnaí, múinfe sé do na daltaí an áird chéanna do bheith aca ar an nglaine agus ar an slacht. Le linn bheith measúil air féin agus módhúil múinte le daoine eile, meallfa sé na daltaí chun na subháilcí céanna do chleachtadh. Tré bhriathar béil, féadann sé mórán do dhéanamh chun a chur ina luighe ar na daltaí gurb ionmholta agus gur luachmhar na neithe iad an chóir, an chneastacht agus an fhírinneacht; ach is éifeachtaí ná briathar ar bith béil deagheisiompláir an oide féin.

Is fíor go gcuireann a lán neithe isteach ar cibé treoir i mbéasaí a tugtar do pháistí ins na Bun-Scoileanna. Páistí na linne seo, is follas nach bhfuil siad faoi stiúir cho héifeachtach ag a dtuismitheoirí agus bhíodh páistí san am do chuaidh thart. Taobh amuigh, tá droch-thionchuir go leor nach mbíodh a leithéidí ann, ar chor ar bith. Ina theannta sin, fágann na daltaí an scoil sul a mbíonn a gcarachtair múnluithe go foirbhthe; agus, ar an abhar sin, is deacair dóibh gan géilleadh do na droch-thionchuir bhíos ina dtimpeall go flúirseach. Ach, dá ainneoin sin go léir, is áthas liom a thuigsint as tuarascbhála na gCigirí gurab eol d'fhurmhór na n-oidí a thábhachtaí agus tá an tréineáil úd atá luaidhte agam. Aithním ar na tuarascbhála go gcuireann na hoidí rómpa féin mar chuspóir an tréineáil sin do thabhairt uatha, agus go n-éiríonn leo go réasúnta maith. Oifigigh a bhfuil cleachtadh fada leathan aca, deireann siad go deimhin liom go bhfuil furmhór na n-oidí níos fearr ná mar bhí na hoidí bhí ann tuairim tríocha bliain ó shoin. Deireann siad go bhfuil oidí na linne seo níos feasaí maidir le modhtha teagaisc agus smachta—go bhfuil siad níos measúla ortha féin agus gur fearr an eisiompláir a thugann siad uatha tré na n-iomchur pearsanta. Deirtear, freisin, liom go bhfuil páistí na linne seo níos míne de ghnáth ina mbéasaí, gur réidhe ghlacas siad teagasc agus gur fearúla a spiorad.

Ach is truagh liom é bheith le rá nach n-oireann an deagh-scéal sin do gach cás. Go fóill féin, tá oidí ann nach léir dóibh cad is fiú an deagheisiompláir—oidí a mheasas go gcólíonann siad a ndualgas nuair a thugann siad uatha oiread de theagasc fhoirmiúil agus shábháileas iad ar bhriseadh rialach. Is beag iarracht a thugann a leitheidí sin ar a modhtha teagaisc do chur in oiriúint do gach dalta go pearsanta. Ní bhíonn foighid aca le daltaí atá maol-aigeantach, agus 'séard is droch-thoradh dá n-obair gur minic a thugann siad ar na daltaí fuath do thabhairt dá n-oide agus don scoil agus dá mbaineann léi.

Nuair a bhí mé ag cur Meastacháin na bliana seo thart os cóir na Dála, dubhairt mé go raibh ullmhúchán déanta chun scéim nua le haghaidh bronnadh Teistiméireacht Bun-Scol do chur i bhfeidhm i 1943. Ba é an rud do bhi beartuithe ins an scéim sin go gcuirfí faoi scrúdú i 1943 gach dalta dá mbeadh ins an Seisiú Rang ins na Bun-Scoileanna agus ag a mbeadh 100 freastal ar a laghad déanta. I mbliana, agus ins na blianta seo chugainn, 'seard atá socruithe go gcuirfear faoi scrúdú gach dalta dá bhfuil ar an rolla ins an Seisiú Rang, nó i Rang is áirde ná sin—cé's moite de dhaltaí do chuaidh faoi'n scrúdú cheana nó daltaí nach mbeidh an uimhir riachtanach freastal déanta aca.

An ladh de Mheitheamh, 1943, do bhí an chéad scrúdú ann faoi'n scéim seo. Tháinig 44,272 dalta chun an scrúduithe, agus d'éirigh an scrúdú le 31,535—rud is ionann agus 71% den iomlán do tháinig i láthair. Ar dhaltaí an Seisiú Ranga amháin do bhí an scrúdú sin éigeantach, ach is cúis áthais a bheith le rá gur cuireadh i láthair 13,500 dalta as an Seachtú Rang agus an Ochtú Rang.

Ba rí-dheacair scrúduchán d'eagrú dá leithéid sin de mhór-líon dalta, mura mbeadh có-chongnamh áitiúil le fáil ina chóir, agus is áthas liom bheith i ndon a rá gur cuireadh an có-chongnamh sin ar fáil ach i bhfíor-chorráit. Bhí beagnach 2,700 ionad scrúduithe ann, agus, ó thárla ag trácht ar an obair sin mé, ba mhaith liom focal nó dhó do rá le gach éinne dár chuidigh léi. Tairgim buidheachas do Bhainisteoirí na mBun-Scol ar fud na tíre, óir ba mhór a gcongnamh-san leis an scéim do chur in éifeacht. Tairgim buidheachas do na hUird Chreidimh, óir chuidigh siad go fial le heagrú na n-ionad scrúduithe agus le hobair a bhí có-thábhachtach léi—marcáil na bhfreagra do thug na daltaí uatha. Tairgim buidheachas, mar an gcéanna, do na hOidí agus do na daoine eile do rinne an obair do stiúradh.

Na teistiméireachta gnóthuítoar ins an Scrúdú sin na mBun-Scol, ba chóir go mba tairbheach iad do dhaltaí ar mhian leo dul i mbun cúrsa de mheán-oideachas nó de ghairm-oideachas, agus ba chóir go gcuideodh siad le daltaí do bheadh ag iarraidh postaí i gceárda no i dtionnscail a mbeadh caighdeán áirithe oideachais ag teastáil ina gcóir. Lena chois sin, tá an teistiméireacht ina cuspóir dheimhin ag an oide dalta scoile, agus ina congnamh ag an oide dá bhrí sin. Ina theannta sin go léir, tugann an teistiméireacht caoi do thuismitheoirí ar oideachas a gcloinne do mheas.

Tá mé cinnte go dtuigtear go coiteann an tairbhe bhaineas leis an Scrúdú seo. Ní hole an cruthú air sin, dar liom, 13,500 dalta as an Seachtú agus as an Ochtú Rang do theacht chun an scrúduithe, gidh nach raibh sin d'fhiachaibh ortha ar chor ar bith. Anois, ó thárla ar bhun nua é, tá mé ag súil nach fada go bhfaghthar có-chongnamh eagruithe ó na hoidí go léir. Is iondual deacrachtaí do bheith ag baint le scéim cho mór seo, agus ba réidhe do cuirfí in éifeacht í dá dtugadh na hoidí an có-chongnamh eagruithe sin uatha.

Mar a dubhairt mé cheana, do bheinn toilteanach, uair ar bith, ar dhul i gcomhairle faoi shlithe ar bith ina bhféadfaí có-chongnamh eagruithe na n-oidí d'fháil agus gan athrú do dhéanamh ar bhun-phrionsabail na scéime.

I mbliain a 1942-43, do ceaduíodh £246,278 de dheontais chun tithe nua scoile do dhéanamh agus chun feabhas no fairsingiú do dhéanamh ar thithe scoile do bhí ann cheana. Is mar seo do roinneadh airgead na ndeontas sin:—

Chun 25 de thithe nua scoile do dhéanamh, chun 4 de thithe scoile bhí ann d'fhairsingiú agus chun cur le deontais bhí tugtha cheana féin.	£224,602
Chun feabhsuithe agus troscáin do 175 de thithe scoile bhí ann cheana	£21,676
IOMLÁN	£246,278

I mbliain a 1943/44, do ceaduíodl! £221,971 de dheontais, agus do roinneadh! an t-airgead sin mar leanas:—

Chun 39 de thithe nua scoile do dhéanamh, chun 4 de thithe scoile bhí ann d'fhairsingiú agus chun cur le deontais bhí tugtha cheana féin.	£179,939
Chun feabsuithe, troscain, 7rl. do 286 de thithe scoile bhí ann cheana.	£42,032
IOMLÁN	£221,971

Ins an dá bhliain déag ó 1932-3 go 1943-4 (agus na blianta sin san áireamh) do ceaduíodh deontais, ar shuim iomlán dóibh £2,435,919, chun tithe scoile do dhéanamh nó d'fheabhsú. Do measadh go mbeadh £3,106,067 de chostas ag baint leis an obair ar ceaduíodh na deontais seo lena haghaidh—suim atá £670,148 níos mó ná na deontais do ceaduíodh. Do cuireadh ar fáil go háitiúil an £670,148 sin de dhifríocht idir an dá shuim. Na deontais do ceaduíodh ins an tréimhse sin an dá bhliain déag, 'séard a tugadh iad chun 439 de thithe nua scoile do dhéanamh, chun 170 de thithe scoile bhí ann cheana d'fhairsingiú agus chun 2,747 de thithe scoile d'fheabhsú.

Idir an ladh d'Abrán, 1932, agus an 31adh de Mhárta, 1943, do críochnuíodh 389 de thithe nua scoile agus do rinneadh mór-fheabhsú ar 680 eile. Ina theannta sin, do cuireadh i gcrích cuid mhór ar fad de mhion-scéimeanna feabhsuithe le linn na tréimhse céanna.

Mar a dubhairt mé sa Dáil le linn na Meastacháin do thabhairt isteach anuraidh, agus mar do luaidh mé sa Seanad i Mí na Nodlag, 1942, tá sé ar aigne againn clár áirithe d'obair iarchogaidh do chur i bhfeidhm maidir le déanamh agus fairsingiú agus feabhsú tithe scoile. Ó 10 mbliana go 15 bliana do thógfadh an clár oibre sin dínn, agus, do réir an eolais atá againn faoi láthair, beidh sé riachtanach

(a) 1,000 ar a laghad de thithe nua scoile do dhéanamh in ionad sean-tithe (500 de na sean-tithe seo, tá siad i ndroch-chaoi ar fad, ach féadfar bail réasúnta do chur ar na 500 eile, ionnas go ndéanfa siad cúis go ceann gearr-thamaill de bhlianta, nuair a beifear i ndon tithe nua do chur ina n-áit);

(b) fairsingiú nó feabhsú do dhéanamh ar 1,500 de thithe scoile.

Do réir mar atá luacha faoi lathair, cosnóidh an clár oibre seo idir £5,000,000 agus £6,000,000.

Ní féidir dul ar aghaidh lena leithéid sin de mhór-chlár oibre in aimsir ina bhfuil abhair foirgníochta cho gann agus tá siad le linn na hÉigeandála atá anois ann. Ach tá gach dícheall dhá dhéanamh chun riar do chásanna atá an-chruadhógach—go háirithe in aon chás ina bhfuil contúirt mí-shláinteachais i gceist. Mar atá luaidhte cheana féin agam, do ceaduíodh £246,278 de dheontais i mbliain a 1942-43 agus do ceaduíodh £221,971 de dheontais i mbliain a 1943-44—rud is ionann agus clár réasúnta mór d'obair foirgníochta san aimsir atá ann faoi láthair.

Is minic, cheana féin, do luaidh mé go bhfuil áiteanna ann ina gcuirtear fíor-bheagán suime i mbail na dtithe scoile nó na fo-thithe bhaineas leo. An deisiú beag do déanfaí cho luath agus chífí a riachtanas, is minic do sheachódh sé an deisiú costasach a mbíonn gá leis nuair a leigtear tithe in ainriocht do réir a chéile. Ní miste a rá go tréan go mba chóir bail do chur ar thithe scoile cho luath agus bheadh sin ag teastáil uatha. Sa sórt saoil atá anois ann—agus a bheas ann go ceann tamaill mhaith—is beag do b'fhéidir do dhéanamh maidir le foirgnimh nua do chur ar fáil no le trom-dheisiú ar bith do dhéanamh ar shean-fhoirgnimh.

Caithfe mé tagairt do dhéanamh do rud trom-chúiseach do rinneadh 'féacháil an laghdófaí an ceal oibre ata ar a lán Oidí Náisiúnta le tamall. Coláiste Naomh Pádraig, Druim Chonnrach (an t-aon Choláiste amháin atá ann chun tréineáil do thabhairt d'fhir Chatoiliceacha), do dúnadh é go ceann tréimhse nach fuide ná dhá bhliain.

Ní hionann sin agus go ndeachaidh an ceal oibre i méid le déanaí. Bachóra a rá gur thárla sé do bharr plean atá dhá chur i bhfeidhm ar feadh tamaill de bhlianta. Tar éis scrúdú do dhéanamh, roinnt bhlian ó shoin, ar an soláthar agus ar an riachtanas, ba léir nár ghá, go gceann tamaill eile de bhlianta, cur leis an líon oidí do bhí ar fáil cheana. Mar sin de, do stadadh go sealadach de thabhairt abhair oide isteach ins na Coláistí Ullmhúcháin, óir is tríotha sin a thagas furmhór na n-abhar oide chun na gColáiste Tréineála.

I mblianta a 1939 agus 1940, níor leigeadh buachaillí ná cailíní isteach ins na Coláistí Ullmhúcháin; i mbliain a 1941, do leigeadh isteach cailíní, ach do coinníodh dúnta coláistí na mbuachaillí. Maidir leis an scrúdú oscailte iomaíochta (an tslí eile ina dtagann abhair oide chun tréineála), níor cuireadh buachaillí ná cailíní faoi scrúdú i 1938, i 1939 ná i 1940, agus do coinníodh dúnta an scrúdú in aghaidh buachaillí i 1941 agus ina dhiaidh sin. Ós ní gur cúrsa cheithre mblian a cuirtear isteach ins na Coláistí Ullmhúcháin, do thárla, de bhárr na gcosc úd, nach raibh daltaí nua ar bith i gColáiste Naomh Pádraig i 1943, agus nach mbeidh go dtí 1946.

Tá buachaillí dhá leigint isteach ins na Coláistí Ullmhúcháin arís ó bhí 1942 ann, óir meastar go mbeidh a thuilleadh fear-oide ag teastáil faoi'n am a gcríochnóidh na buachaillí sin a gcúrsa dhá bhlian sa Choláiste Tréineála tar éis dóibh bheith sa Choláiste Ullmhúcháin ar feadh ceithre mblian. Mar sin de, déanfar Coláiste Naomh Pádraig d'ath-oscailt i Meán Fomhair, 1946, an seal is moille.

Tar éis comhairle do ghlacadh le lucht stiúrtha an Choláiste agus leis an Aire Airgeadais, tá sé socruithe agam go gcoinneófar an fhuireann agus na foirgnimh faoi réir, ionnas go n-athtosnófar ar thréineáil oidí faoi cheann tréimhse an dá bhlian—nó níos luaithe, má bhíonn gá leis. Acht caithfe mé a rá nach dóigh liom a leithéid de ghá do bheith ann. Ceisteanna airgeadais agus ceisteanna eile bhaineas leis an tréimhse idir-dhá-linn, níl siad réitithe go hiomlán fós; ach tá socruithe cheana féin nach ndéanfaidh an dúnadh sealadach aon laghdú ar chearta ná ar chaoithe na ndaoine atá ar an bhfuirinn lán-aimsire d'ollúin an Choláiste faoi láthair.

Meán-Oideachas: Mar adubhras cheana tá na Meán-scoltacha ag dul i líonmhaire do réir a chéile in aghaidh na bliana. Tá na daltaí ag dul i líonmhaire dá réir. Ins an mbliain scoile 1929-30 bhí 27,645 daltaí i Meán-Scoltacha na tíre; 40,040 dalta atá ionta i mbliana, agus is cinnte go mbeadh níos mó ná sin féin ionta marach an bhail atá ar an saol agus na deacrachtaí atá ag baint le cúrsaí taistil.

Rinne mé tagairt anuraidh do na hathruithe a bhí ar tí a ndéanta ar an gcaighdeán le haghaidh Onóracha fháil i scrúduithe na dTeastas. Go dtí anuraidh níor ghá do iarrthóir ach Onóracha a fháil i ndá ábhar agus gheobhadh sé pas le Onóracha sa scrúdú ar fad ins an Árd-Teistiméaracht. Anuraidh níorbh fhuláir do iarrthóir Onóracha fháil i dtrí hábhair ionnus go bhfuigheadh sé pas le Onóracha sa scrúdú ar fad. Tá an coinníoll céana ann i mbliana, agus i n-a theanta sin, tá an caighdeán i gcomhair Onóracha in ábhar ar bith árduithe ó 50 per cent. go dtí 60 per cent. Maidir leis an Meán-Teistiméaracht, bheadh Onóracha le fáil roimhe seo sa scrúdú ar fad ach Onóracha fháil i dtri hábhair nó 50 per cent. fháil i gceithre hábhair. Maidir leis na hOnóracha a bhíodh le fáil ag an té a gheobhadh 50 per cent. i gceithre hábhair tá athrú déanta air sin i mbliana. Sa gcás sin ní bheidh Onóracha sa scrúdú ar fad le fáil feasta ach ag an té a gheobhas Onóracha (60 per cent.) i ndá ábhar agus 50 per cent. i ndá ábhar eile.

Tá Tuaith-eolaíocht ina ábhar ar Chlár na Meán-Scol den chéad uair i mbliana. Mar a mhíníos anuraidh, is i gcóir scoltacha a bhfuil feilmeacha dhá gcuid féin acu nó a mbeadh talamh le fáil go héascaidh chuige sin acu ins an gcomharsanacht, is dóibh-sean is mó a cuireadh an t-ábhar sin ar an gclár. Eolas -teoiriciúil agus obair saotharlainne is eadh cuid den chúrsa, ach tá gnáth-obair na feilme agus garradóireacht ina gcuid de, freisin. Tá an cúrsa leagtha amach i gcaoi is gur le gnáth-obair na feilme a caithfear roint mhaith den am a bheas ceaptha don ábhar. Le súil go dtarraingeodh na scoltacha an Tuaith-eolaíocht chuca mar ábhar léighinn, agus le cuidiú a thabhairt dóibh leis na húirlisí riachtanacha a chur ar fáil, tá socruithe na gnáth-dheontais a bhíodh iníoctha ar ranganna Eolaíochta Turgnamhaighe a árdú do réir 50 per cent. Tá sé cinn déag de scoltacha tar éis an t-ábhar a ghlacadh chuca i mbliana, agus tá 'chuile chosúlacht ann go dtiocfaidh an t-am a mbeidh an t-ábhar ar a gclár oideachais ag 'chuile scoil atá cóirithe chuige.

Tá socruithe cúrsa Samhraidh don Ghaedhilg a chur ar bun i mbliana i gcóir Oidí Meán-scoile. Is i gcóir na hócáide sin an t-árdú beag atá tagtha ar an gcaiteachas a bheas ann fá Mhírcheann F de Vóta 47. Gidh go bhfuil bail mhaith ar an nGaedhilg i bhfurmhór na Meán-scoltacha, tá an caighdeán íseal go maith fós i roint bheag acu, agus tá uimhir bheag de na hoidí nach bhfuil an teanga ar a gcomhairle féin acu, fós. Bhéarfaidh cúrsa Samhraidh cleachtadh dóibh sin ar labhairt na teangan. Séard atá ceaptha an cúrsa sin a leagan amach i gcaoi is go bhfuighe siad léargus ar na cuspóirí atá rómpa agus teagasc fá'n gcaoi is fearr leis na cuspóirí sin a bhaint amach. Múinteoirí a bhfuil eolas maith acu ar an teangaidh cheana, táthar ag súil go mbainfe siad sin féin tairbhe as an gcúrsa sin.

Gairm-Oideachais: Gidh nach seisiún gan deacrachtaí a bhí i seisiún na bliana 1942-3 cho fada is bhaineas le Gairm-oideachas, bhí 63,443 duine cláruithe ar rollaí na scoltacha sin. 63,975 ainm a bhí ar na rollaí ionta an seisiún roimhe sin. Na deacrachtaí a bhain le cúrsai taistil agus an t-éileamh a bhí ar na gasúir sa bportach agus ar an bhfeilm—sin é ab údar leis an laghdú a tháinig ar an tinnreamh ins na Scoltacha Gairm-oideachais fá'n tuaith. Is beag athrú a tháinig ar an tinnreamh i scoltacha na gContae-bhuirg ná i scoltacha na gCathrach. Sé toradh an scéil go léir gur thuit an tinnreamh a bhí ghá dhéanamh ar chúrsaí lán-aimsire lae ó 14,184, an uimhir a bhí ann i 1941-42, go dtí 13,212 i 1942-43. Tháinig ardú beag ar an tinnreamh i ranganna tráthnóna na Scoltacha Gairm-oideachais. Na ranganna a chuir na hoidí Gaedhilge a hoileadh le gairid ar bun a b'údar le cuid den mhéadú seo, agus an t-éileamh a bhí fá n tuaith ar ranganna innealtóireachta acu seo a bhí ag soláthar muilte gaoithe fá chóir solais ab údar leis an gcuid eile dhe.

Tá an obair ins na Scoltacha Gairm-oideachais fá'n tuaith ag dul ar aghaidh go maith ar bhealach a fheileas do shaol na tuaithe. Is beag ceanntar nach bhfuil scéim ann i gcóir duaiseanna ar obair garradóireachta a déantar sa mbaile, agus a bhíos bunuithe ar an teagasc praiticiúil a tugtar i ngarraí na scoile. Déanann tuairisc na gcigirí tagairt, ní hamháin don mhéadú seasta atá ag teacht ar an uimhir atá ag cur isteach ar an gcomórtas, ach ina theanta sin, don deágh-thoradh atá ar an obair a déantar ins na garranta sa mbaile. Rud is tábhachtaí ná sin arís, do réir tuairisc na gcigirí, seadh an chaoi a bhfuil an obair seo sna garranta sa mbaile ag dul i bhfeidhm ar na daoine fásta. Is iomdha sin scoil tuaithe a bhfuil buidheanta díospóireachta agus caidrimh do dhaoine fásta bunuithe inti fá stiúradh an oide le Tuaith-Eolaíocht. Bunuíodh tuairm agus céad buidhean acu sin i rith an tseisiúin seo. Cineál fá leith do ranganna tráthnóna seadh an "buidhean díos póireachta" nó an "ciorcal staidéir". Gidh nach ndéantar faillí ins an teagasc fhuirmiúil ins na raganna sin, sén díospóireacht imeasc baill an ranga an rud is mó a cleachtar. Sén chéad chuspóir atá ag na gnóthaí sin staldéar a dhéanamh ar na prionsabail eolaíochta ar a bhfuil an dúil bheo agus obair na talmhan bunuithe.

Ag an gCódháil bhliantúil a bhí ag Cumann na nOidí Gairm-oideachais sa mbliain 1942, mholadar có-oibriú níos fearr ná mar a bhí a bheith idir Coistí Gairm-Oideachais agus Coistí Talmhaíochta ar fud na tíre. Dá thoradh sin, tháinig ionadaithe ón gCumann réamhráite, ionadaithe ó Roinn an Oideachais agus ionadaithe ó Roinn na Talmhaíochta le chéile sa mbliain 1942, agus socruíodh ag an gcruinniú sin go gcuirfeadh an dá Roinn cearcallán le chéile le cur chuig na coistí go léir, ag míniú dóibh an ghéar-ghá a bhí le có-oibriú an-dlúth a bheith idir an dá chineál coiste fá neithe a bhain le hoideachas talmhaíochta agus fá ábhair gaolmhar dó. Cuireadh an cearcallán amach i Mí na Nodlag, 1943. Míníodh go cruinn ann na neithe ba mhó a raibh gá le cóoibriú maidir leo, agus luadhadh go speisialta roint neithe fá thalmhaíocht —neithe a bhéas ar an gelár i geóir buidheanta díospóireachta na rang tráthnóna.

Mhínigh mé anuraidh an chaoi ar ghlac na hoidí Tuaith-Eolaíochta ortha féin síol arbhair a thástáil do na feilméaraí, rud a rinneadar ar iarratas an Aire Talmhaíochta. I rith an tséasúir seo scrúduíodh ar an gcuma sin, i 94 de na scoltacha Gairm-oideachais, breis agus 10,000 sompla de shíolta agus tugadh toradh na tástála do na húinéaraí. Is mór an chosaint an tastáil sin ar chaillteanas, tré loiceadh iomlán nó pháirt-loiceadh an tsíl.

Gan trácht ar an tairbhe a fhághas an feilméara go díreach as an scéim seo, cuidíonn sé leis an teagasc agus an oiliúint a tugtar ins na Scoltacha Gairm-Oideachais a cheangal le saol na ndaoine agus lena gcuid oibre. Ina theanta sin tarraingeann sé súil na dtuismitheoirí ar obair na scoltacha sin, agus tugann sé le fios dóibh na buntáistí atá le fáil ag a gclainn de bharr freastal ar na scoltacha. Is féidir a rá gurb é an ceangal a thárla idir an baile agus na scoltacha, de thoradh scéim tastáia an tsíl, is mó ab údar le leathnú rang na mbuidhean díospóireacht tráthnóna do dhaoine fásta agus leis an bhfás a tháinig fá thinnreamh na rang sin. Is maith liom é bheith le rá agam go raibh sé ar chumas na Roinne seo agamsa socrú a dhéanamh arís i gcóir deagh-oibre sin thástáil an tsíl i rith an tséasúir seo.

Tá deágh-thoradh ag teacht anois ar an obair a rinneadh ag na cúrsaí Samhraidh a bhí i gCorcaigh sna blianta 1942 agus 1943. Is ar an leas ab fhéidir a bhaint as cumhacht aeir agus uisce i gcóir solais fán tuaith a tugadh na cúrsaí. Is iomdha sin rang fa'n ábhar céanna a bunuíodh ins na sráid-bhailte tuaithe agus is minic nach raibh slí ann don uimhir a bhí ag iarraidh freastal ortha.

Is údar áthais ar chuile bhealach é nach bhfuil aon lá dá n-eirgheann grian nach bhfuil níos mó meas ag tíocht ar Scoil Mhuire le Tigheas atá fá stiúradh Choiste Ghairm-Oideachais Chathrach Átha Cliath. Is léir ón móruimhir, ní hamháin atá ar rollaí na, gcúrsaí lán-aimsire lae ach ar chúrsaí teichniúla an tráthnóna, go dtuigeann na daoine go maith an áis atá ghá fháil acu.

Tháinig daoine as ceanntair eile le freastal ar an gcúrsa i mBainisteoireacht Tighe, agus tá scoláireachtaí luachmhara ghá mbronnadh anois ag a lán Coistí Gairm-Oideachais lena chur ar chumas mic léighinn mhaithe freastal ar an gcúrsa bliana seo i mBaile Átha Cliath. Tá ag eirghe cho maith céanna leis an gcúrsa i mBainisteoireacht Institiúite—tá postaí i dtithe aoidheachta agus i mbialanna ar fud na tíre fáighte cheana féin ag furmhór na ndaoine a rinne freastal ar na cúrsaí sin an seisiún seo a chuaidh thart.

De thoradh socruithe a rinneadh le Có-Chumann na Loingseoireachta, Teoranta, cuireadh dian-chúrsa gearr ar bun sa scoil fá chóir cócairí luinge, agus tá postaí anois ar longa de chuid Chomhlucht Loingseoireachta Éireann, Teoranta, ag an triúr mac léighinn a rinne freastal ar an gcúrsa agus ar eirigh leo sa scrúdú a leagadh amach ina chóir. Cuireadh scrúduithe praiticiúla fá choir teastaisí do chócairí luinge ar naonúr eile agus d'eirigh le hochtar acu sna scrúduithe.

Chuir an Roinn seo agamsa le cabhair Choiste Ghairm-Oideachais Chathrach Átha Cliath gearr-chúrsa speisialta i mbia-eolaíocht ar bun sa gColáiste le Tigheas i rith Samhradh na bliana, 1943. D'fhonn deis a thabhairt do na múinteoirí nárbh fhéidir caoi a thabhairt dóibh freastal ar chúrsa na bliana anuraidh, atá sé ar intinn an cúrsa sin a chur ar bun arís i mí Iúil, 1944.

Táthar tar éis deagh-chríoch a chur ar chúrsa oiliúna na céad-bhuidhne de chaide-phrintíseacha sa Scoil MuirOiliúna Sóisir a theigheas le Ceárd-Scoil na Gaillimhe agus d'éirigh go han-mhaith ins na scrúduithe leis an seachtar mac léighinn a chuaidh fá scrúdú. D'éirigh le seisear acu meánmharc nach raibh i bhfad as 80 per cent. fháil ins an scrúdú go hiomlán. Tuigtear dom go mbeidh post le fáil go gairid ar shoithigh de chuid. Chomhlucht Loingseoireachta Éireann, Teoranta, ag beirt nó triúr de na buachaillí sin. Cuireadh tús i Mí Meáin Fhómhair anuraidh ar chúrsa oiliúna den chineál céanna do bhuidhean eile.

Scéim eile dár chuir Comhlucht Loingseoireachta Éireann, Teoranta, tús léi i gCeárd-Scoil de Crafórt i gCorcaigh i Mí Eanair, 1944, séard is aidhm dí daoine feiliúnacha a oiliúint le dhul mar innealtóirí i Seirbhis MuirThráchtála Éireann. De thoradh scrúduithe comórtais, bronnadh 3 scoláireachtai arbh fhiú £50 an ceann iad i dteannta táillí teagaisc. Beidh ar na printíseacha cúrsa áithrid a leanacht ar feadh thrí mblian ins an gCeárd-Scoil, agus beifar ag súil go sroichfe siad caighdeán có-ionann le Cuid A de Theastas Dhara Grád na nInnealtóirí Mara. Áirmheofar mar chuid de thréimhse printíseachta cheithre mblian dhá bhliain de na trí bliana a chaithfeas siad ag freastal na Ceárd-Scoile. Ní féidir an Teastas Iomlán fháil gan scrúdú a sheasamh arís tar éis don iarrthóir tréimhse áirithe bheith caithe aige ar muir.

D'fhonn ceist na Gaedhilge sna Scoltacha Gairm-Oideachais fheabhsú, rinne an Roinn beart áirithe le gairid. I mí Lúnasa 1943, cuireadh clár speisialta ar fáil do Choistí Gairm-Oideachais lena chur in úsáid i ranganna céad-bhliana na Scoltacha Leanúna. Ar mhodh múinte na haimsire seo a bunuíodh an clár úd, agus leagadh amach é d'fhonn cuidiú a thabhairt do na daltaí labhairt na Gaedhilge a chleachtadh go nádúrdha i ngnáthghníomhartha a saoil. Ionnus go múinfí an Ghaedhilg mar is ceart, tá socruithe ina theanta sin ag an Roinn gan aoinne a cheapadh feasta ina mhúinteoir lán-aimsire Gaedhilge ach daoine a fuair oiliúint speisialta fá'n Roinn i gcóir na hoibre. Cuireadh comhairle, freisin, ar na Coistí Gairm-Oideachais fán obair ba cheart a chur ina gcuid scéimeanna ar mhaithe leis an nGaedhilg, agus cuireadh i dtuigsint dóibh an scód a leigfí le hoidí—bídís lán-aimsireach nó páirt-aimsireach—a ghlacfadh páirt in obair cosúil le feiseanna, le céilithe, le drámaíocht, leis an gCaisceadal nó le cluichí.

Bhí cúrsa Samhraidh ar a ndearnadh tinnreamh maith ar siúl sa mbliain 1943, le hoiliúint a thabhairt d'oidí Gaedhilge i Modha Múinte na teangan agus i gcúrsaí Gaedhealacha eile, go háithrid cúrsaí a bhaineas leis an aos óg a stiúradh. Tá sé ar intinn a mhacasamhail eile de chúrsa a chur ar siúil an Samhradh seo chugainn.

Is áthas liom tuairisc a bheith le tabhairt agam fána fheabhas a d'éirigh leis an teasbántas de pheictiúirí na bPríomh-Ealadhantóirí Eireannacha a tugadh i Scoltacha Gairm-Oideachais na tíre. De thoradh an chó-oíbrithe a fritheadh ó Phríomh-Ealadhantóirí agus ó Bhailitheoirí na hÉireann, tá an Roinn taréis 61 peictiúr a léiríos ealadhain Gaedheal fháil ar iasacht. Sa gCeárd-Scoil i bPortlairge, i Mí Mheán Fhomhair, 1943, an chéad áit ar teasbánadh an bailiúchán seo, agus sul a raibh deireadh na bliana ann teasbánadh, freisin, iad i dhá scoil déag eile de chuid an Ghairm-Oideachais i gCondae an Chláir, i gCiarraighe, i Luimneach, agus i dTiobrad Arann. Níl aón áit dar teasbánadh iad nach ndeachaidh a lán daoine ag féachaint ortha agus nár cuireadh suim mhór ionta. Tá sé ar intinn leanacht den teasbánadh seo nó go dtaisbeántar na peictiúiri i ngach Scoil Gairm-Oideachais ónar fritheadh iarratais ortha.

Tá na scoltacha Gairm-Oideachais ina n-ionaid leathnuithe, freisin, i gcóir na léachtaí bliantúla a chuireas Cumann Ríoga Bhaile Átha Cliath ar bun.

Leanadh i gCathair Chorcaighe de na cúrsaí éigeantacha a bunuíodh fá Chuid V de Acht Ghairm-Oideachais na bliana 1930, agus d'éirigh go maith leo. In ainneoin ar thárla de ghalraí, rinneadh meán-tinnreamh do réir 80 per cent. ar na cúrsaí sin.

Tá dul chun cinn maith seasta déanta ag an gComhairle le Leas Óige a bunuíodh i Mí na Márta, 1942, fa Choiste Gairm-Oideachais Chathrach Átha Cliath, le iarracht a dhéanamh ar léigheas fháil ar cheist díomhaontais an aosa óig i bPríomh-Chathair na hÉireann. Tá obair mhaith ghá dhéanamh ins an dá ionad don aos óg atá fá stiúradh na Comhairle, i mBrugh Phádraig atá ar an taobh theas den chathair agus i mBrugh Mhuire atá ar an taobh thuaidh. Tá os cionn 300 buachaill ag freastal ar Bhrugh Phádraig agus os cionn 250 ag freastal ar Bhrugh Mhuire. Tá an-tóir ar na ranganna praicticiúla ins na ceirdeanna ealadhanta, ar na ranganna in obair ádhmaid, in obair leathair agus in obair mhiotail. I dteanta an dá bhrugh sin, tá 23 chlub eile a ghníos obair den chineál céanna tar éis a gceangal leis an gComhairle, agus baineann siad leas as múinteoirí oilte agus as teagascóirí aclaíochta na Comhairle.

Ar an oiliúint phraicticiúil a tugtar atá oiliúint ar Ealadhain agus ar Cheárdaíocht (ar a bhfuil ábhair atá bunuithe ar obair ádhmaid), ar Línechlódóireacht, ar Mhúnlaíocht, ar Cheirdeanna éadtrom-mhiotail, ar Chaoladóireacht, ar Obair Leathair Ealadhanta, ar Tharraingeoireacht agus ar Cheapóireacht, ar Dhathadóireacht, ar Obair Feilte agus ar Dhéanamh Bréagán. Ar ghnéithe éagsúla d'oiliúint agus d'eagrú an aosa óig a tugtar na léachtaí agus na cainteanna.

Ó bunuíodh é, tá tuairm agus 17 mbliana ó shoin ann, tá Brainse na bhFoillseachán, nó "an Gúm" mar ghoireas an pobal go coitianta dhe, tar éis 804 leabhar Gaedhilge a chur ar fáil. Leabhra Gaedhilge ó bhonn 352 acu sin, aistriúcháin 332 acu, billeogaí nó leabhra ceoil 112 acu agus téarmaí teicniúla atá in ocht gcinn acu. Téacs-Leabhra i gcóir na Meán-Scoltacha 102 leabhar den mhéid iomlán a foillsíodh, agus is beag cineál den litríocht i gcoitinne nach bhfuil ins an gcuid eile. Tá leabhra ina mease, cuir i gcás, ar bheathfhaisnéisí, ar Thaisteal, ar Bhéaloideas, ar Fhilíocht, ar Stair agus, ina dteanta sin, aistí, leabhra don Aos Óg, leabhra tagartha, eagráin de scéalta agus de dhréachta curtha i nGaedhilg na haimsire seo, leabhra Crábhaidh, leabhra fá Eolas ar an Dúlraidh, etc. Ins na leabhra ar fad dár fhoillsigh an Gúm tá tuairm is 140,000 leathanach d'abhar i nGaedhilg nár foillsíodh ariamh cheana. 540,000 a díoladh ar fad de leabhra an Ghúim.

I láthair na huaire tá 123 leabhar i lámha na gclódóirí ag an nGúm. Táthar ag súil go bhfoillseofar 60 díobh sin taobh istigh de bhliain. Ina theanta sin tá 154 leabhar ar láimh nár cuireadh chuig na clódóirí fós. Táthar ag súil go scaoilfear tuairm is 50 acu sin ohuig na clódóirí taobh istigh de bhliain.

Ar na leabhra a fhoillsíos an Gúm tá leabhra litríochta i gcoitinne, idir bun-leabhra agus aistriucháin, i gcóir an ghnáth-léitheora. Ina theanta sin ullmhuítear agus foillsítear téacs-leabhra a meastar a bheith oiriúnach do na Meán-Scoltacha (Mír-cheann E de Vóta 47). Tá tugtha síos fá'n Mír-cheann sin, den chéad-uair, i Meastacháin na bliana 1944-45 suim i gcóir foillseacháin téacs-leabhar i nGaedhilg don Iolscoil. Ionnus go dtiubhradh scríbhneoirí fá leabhra a scríobh a d'fheilfeadh don Iolscoil tá sé ar intinn rátaí íocaíochta a bhéas roint mhaith níos aoirde ná an ráta a híoctar ar litríocht i gcoitinne a thairgsint. Is i gcóir téacs-leabhra seasta a bhéadh ag teastáil 'chuile bhliain ó mhic léighinn Iolscoile agus nach mbainfí den chlár i ngeall ar an ngnáth-athrú a déantar ar chlár léighinn na hIolscoile, is ortha sin amháin a tairgfear na rátaí árdíocaíochta.

Thairg an Roinn, le gairid, ráta maith íocaíochta do dhaoine a scríobhfadh Startha Áitiúla. Táthar tar éis roint stair acu sin a ghlacadh isteach i gcóir a scrúduithe, agus táthar ag súil go gcuirfear roint startha ar fáil ar ball, fá cheantair éagsúla den tír.

General Mulcahy

When we look back over the difficulties this country surmounted during our lifetime we cannot but recollect what a stimulus the educational ideals and outlook of some of the principal public men of our time was in the overcoming of those difficulties. The difficulties and asperities of the times were blunted for us by the idealistic outlook which we had on general education matters. This morning, we listened to the Minister for Finance speak with commendable hope and courage of the spirit in which he hoped we should survive the economic and other difficulties that lay in front of us. We all share his hope and courage. Coming to consider education, the Department of Education and the Minister for Education, speaking for myself, I must say that my hopes and my courage are called upon to bear a burden which I do not think should be placed upon them. If we are to surmount our difficulties, it is urgently necessary that they should not be called upon to bear that burden. The Minister in his statement said that, following upon the shutting down of the preparatory colleges and some of the training colleges, St. Patrick's Training College was to be shut down for two years. Every country which is alive at present realises that its future, both spiritual and material, will rest on the foundations of education. Even though many countries are struggling with the appalling work of war, they are making gigantic efforts not only to solidify their educational foundations but to plan in a systematic way for increasing the number of teachers, increasing the number of institutions, organising in a better way the curricula and, generally, preparing for the improvement of primary, secondary, technical and university education. At a time when all other countries are so engaged we are all but educationally dead so far as plans for the future are concerned.

The Minister gives no hint in his statement that the Department of Education is on the defensive against public criticism from almost every class in the country—from those who want to see the Irish language restored, from those interested in the general development of the intelligence and capacity of our young people and from those interested in the commercial, manufacturing and technical life of the country. From every direction there is a challenge of criticism which puts the Department of Education and our whole educational machinery on the defensive. Nothing is being done to suggest that our Department of Education realises that it lives in a modern world, facing a completely new future, which is pulsating with the realisation that it is only by education—spiritual and material—a people can be developed who will be able to face that future. There is no sign in the Minister's statement that he realises the keen, heart-felt criticism that is directed to the Department of Education. That is all the more remarkable when we consider the stimulus which our educational ideals were to us. I recall Terence MacSwiney saying in the middle of our struggle that it was a pity we did not accept the Councils Bill of 1908 because, as he said, it would have given us control over education.

On the eve of the Rising of 1916, and at a time when Padraic Pearse was considering whether in the interests of supporting the Home Rule Bill of 1912 he would allow himself to be dragged into politics, or whether he should stick to his educational work, he wrote An Barr Buadh, which he published anonymously. Events moved too swiftly and made it impossible for himself or anybody else to do for this country what could be done for education. He left his educational work and became not only a politician but a soldier. With all the freedom that these men gained when they turned their backs on their educational work and their ideals, in order to help to carve out that freedom, and when educational ideals are rising to great heights in the world, we have here no conception of it at all. We have tremendous work to do here, and a tremendous stimulant in the past to go ahead with that work. When the late Professor of Education in the National University was giving evidence before the Primary Programme Conference in 1925, he threw his mind back to what education had meant for this country. He stated positively that the strength behind the O'Connell movement was in the schools. He emphasised particularly the ordinary schools to which the ordinary working people of that time were forced to go. Amongst other things was the marked excellence in these schools of the standard of mathematics. He traced the strength of the democratic movement to these schools.

Here, with all that inspiration in front of us, and with a realisation of what education means, we want to do more than is normally done in the schools; we want to restore and bring back in all its vigour, and in all its appeal, the Irish language. One would have thought that a Minister with any kind of imagination, whatever the causes that brought about the necessity to close down educational establishments, would have thought it providential that our preparatory training colleges and training colleges would be shut down for a while, so that after a new national grip had been got on education, and a new national experiment with regard to the Irish language in the schools, he would make use of the opportunity to empty the training colleges and to bring back for special courses and for special direction some of the teachers who for such a long time had been engaged under great difficulty on educational work. However, so far from making any attempt to assist them in any way to deal with their work in these modern times, and so far from making any attempt to review in a systematic way the work that has been done there, the training colleges have simply been shut down. Take the Irish side alone. A new slogan of a political kind has been raised around the Irish language—that English must go. If there was one thing that the Irish language did for us during difficult times it was to keep before our minds the difference between Caesar and God. We kept in touch with the Irish language because it was traditionally the language of our people.

Perhaps at the beginning of our youth we did not think it was there but we learned that it was, and were directed to it by whatever movement was there. What did we find in it? We found at a time when people were very much concerned with politics, and in difficult times, that we were brought into contact with a language that knew nothing of politics, that brought us into touch with people in Irish-speaking districts, that brought us up against humanity, human nature, God's creation, without any reference to the trouble of politics. While we were dealing with politics and dealing with our language, we had a kind of refuge to which we could go that revived our spirits, one that gave us the necessary outlook on creation and humanity. Now we are in the very great danger that the Irish language is being made a thing of Caesar, and that the real essence and what it means to us is being lost sight of. We are asking what our schools are doing to save the Irish language, and why it is necessary to run the danger of making it a matter of politics. Let us take the last report of the Department of Education on the position of the Irish language in the primary schools, where the Minister intimated what a big factor the primary schools are in the whole educational life of the country. We know that a tremendously big percentage of our children are entirely dependent on the primary schools for any education that they get. We find this on page 15 of the report:—

"Labhairt na Gaedhilge—an dul chun cinn ins na hÁrd-Ranga.

"Ar a shon gur féidir a rádh go bhfuil labhairt na Gaedhilge go maith i gcoitchinne ins na hárd-ranga, agus i bhfad níos fearr na san i scoil annso agus annsúd, ní deintear an dul chun cinn go mbeidhfidhe ag súil leis ó'n gcaighdeán a sroichtear de ghnáth ins na ranga ísle. Is minic a leigtear i ndearmad ins na h-Árd-Ranga cuid mhaith de'n eolas a bhíonn ag na daltaí ag teacht ó na bun-ranga i n-ionad a ngreim ar an eolas san do láidriughadh, agus é do chur i ndoimhne agus i leithne. Fiú amháin nuair ná leigtear dóibh an t-eolas a bhíonn aca do dhearmad ní cuirtear le'n a gcuid múnlaí cainnte ná le'n a bhfoclóir do réir mar is gábhadh é. Fágann san ná bíonn sé ar a gcumas na smaointe agus na tuairimí a thagann le fás intleachta agus le féachaint amach níos leithne ar an saoghal mór-thimcheall do nochtadh. Múintear cuid mhaith téarmaí teicniceamhla, acht leigtear do na daltaí bheith ag braith de shíor ar na briathra, ar an ngnáth-fhoclóir, agus ar na múnlaí cainnte d'fhoghluimeadar ins na ranga ísle. Ní h-annamh a chídhtear á múineadh do dhaltaí an chúigmhadh ranga na ceachta céadna a múineadh dóibh nuair a bhíodar sa tríomhadh rang. Claoidhtear ró-mhór le ‘ceist agus freagra' mar mhódh teagaisc, bídhtear sásta le h-aon fhreagra a bhíonn ceart gan bacaint le cruinneas ná líomhthacht; agus uaireannta nuair a bhíonn scéal, nó agallamh, nó cainnt leanamhnach de shaghas ar bith ar siubhal cuirtear isteach rómhinic ortha le síor-cheartúchán agus cáineadh i dtreo go mbriseann ar a misneach agus ar a bhfonn chun iarrachta. Ní h-iongnadh, mar sin, ná tagann acht an chaol-chuid de na daltaí isteach ar an nGaedhilg do labhairt go nádúrtha, agus i roinnt mhaith scol ní deintear aon iarracht fhóghanta ar í chur dá labhairt már ghnath-theangain chaidrimh."

That is a report on the subject of Irish in the higher classes. It says that very often, in the higher classes, much of the knowledge the children had coming from the lower classes is forgotten instead of their grip on that knowledge being strengthened, deepened and broadened. It says: "Not seldom do we see children in the fifth class being taught the same lessons as they were taught in the third class." It says further: "It is no wonder, therefore, that only a very small portion of the students get any facility in talking Irish, and in many of the schools there is no reasonable attempt made to use the language as the spoken tongue."

That is what we find after 22 years of work for Irish in schools that the greater part of our children have to depend on for their education. That is the official report of the Department of Education with regard to that position. As people who stood over the development of the Irish language in the schools, and had considerable experience of how it went and developed, and had a certain amount to do in pressing that the language would be used properly and effectively as a weapon for education, we ask that those whose children have Irish should have an opportunity of getting their children educated through the medium of Irish. What has the Minister for Education to say to those of us who are concerned with the Irish language, and what has he done about it in the schools? What has he to say to us about that report? We are also concerned to know what he has to say to the people who for one reason or another make the complaint that Irish is injuring the general work of education in the schools. We do not believe it. What we believe is wrong is that a lot of the work for Irish and for other subjects is not done well, and that it is there that the real cause for criticism of the schools arises. It is fantastic, and strikes a heavy blow at the Irish language, that the Minister should go down to Cashel, and echoing the political cry of the Taoiseach, say that the English language has to go; that there are difficulties at the present time with regard to Irish in the schools, but that things will be better.

The children who are attending the schools to-day—those whose work has been reported on by the Department of Education in their report for the year 1941-42—will soon be leaving school, and will be the parents of the children that will be attending the primary schools in a few years. The Minister's hope of parents assisting their children at Irish in a few years' time is very slender indeed if it is based upon what the inspectors in his Department have set down in this report as to the work done by those parents when they were at school.

Later in the report, in discussing the question of reading in English and Irish in the higher classes, the report criticises some of the ways in which the teachers deal with the work, and winds up in these words:—

"Cailleamhaint an-mhór do na daltaí é sin mar ní bhíonn dúil sa léigheamh aca de bharr a gcuid scolaidheachta."

That is to say, that they leave school without having any interest in reading whether it is in English or Irish. For years past I have pressed on the Minister, in various ways, to take particular branches of instruction in the primary schools and have them specially examined and reported on. I have asked why we could not have some of the most experienced teachers throughout the country removed from their work and given the special task of examining the general way in which, say, geography is taught throughout the country, another group to be asked to do the same with regard to history, and the same with regard to mathematics, so that both people and Parliament would get from a systematic examination some kind of a clear report on the standards that have been arrived at, and of the systems adopted in dealing with various school subjects in the primary schools. Not only has that not been done in a systematic way, but the fact is that the education reports that we used to get are no longer given to us.

It seems to me that the primary certificate examination has been introduced simply because the inspector system seems to have broken down. Whatever is wrong, neither the Department nor anybody else is able to get, through the inspectorate system, any kind of idea of the condition of the instruction that is being given in the schools to-day. There was a scheme introduced some years ago for dealing with music. It was an organising inspectorate. The results that have attended the improvement of music in the primary schools should have indicated to the Minister what a useful thing it would be if something similar were done with regard to other special subjects. However, nothing like that has been done and, apparently, nothing like that will be done until some people— maybe Deputies or others-in the country take a more systematic and energetic interest in the Department of Education. Otherwise, we are going to drift along as at present and the opportunities which can only be obtained to-morrow for our people's happiness and prosperity will be let slip from our grasp.

On the Irish question alone, I have repeatedly asked that the Irish-speaking districts be made a separate inspectorate. If we adopt the political catch-cry: "English must go", why cannot the Irish-speaking districts be taken and made a separate inspectorate? Why have the inspectors looking after the work in the Irish-speaking districts to keep one leg in those districts and one leg in the English-speaking districts? There is no common sense and no systematic approach to anything inside the Department of Education. If things were being done rightly, we would expect a vigorous aggressive propaganda from the Department against all the people who complain with regard to Irish or other subjects. In the interest of public opinion as a whole, and in the interest of the work being done in the schools, all this criticism should be challenged, if it be challengeable. If it cannot be challenged, the situation is all the more serious.

Here we have all the raw materials for attending to our educational work, but instead of those materials being made use of, and instead of people being encouraged to take an interest in education, those people who systematically try to do constructive work—whether right or wrong in their conclusions—instead of being taken and reasoned with and the matter explained to them and public opinion set at rest, are rather challenged as if they were anti-national. One cannot allow a position to develop here in which any aspect of our educational work is made a political issue. The attempt is being made to take the Irish language and to seize it for Caesar, instead of allowing it to be what it was with us when it was an inspiration and a help to us—a thing of God's. If we allow the language to become a matter about which there is to be political division, then we are sounding the death knell of the Irish language.

It is a most unexplainable thing that, either through positive action on the Minister's part or through neglect, the Irish language should be dragged into politics by a Department which can stand over a situation reported in the terms which I have read out, and which refuses to look at the Irish-speaking districts as districts which, from the educational point of view, require separate treatment and a separate inspectorate. The Minister is continuing to look to the Irish-speaking districts for a large part of his primary school teachers for the future, in spite of the fact that he knows that that material has been criticised to some extent by both the educationists there, through whose hands they have passed, and by others connected with the professional side of education. Nevertheless, he persistently resists treating them as areas requiring special educational inspection and review. It is quite impossible to understand the Minister or the Department.

This time, immediately after the general election, is not an appropriate occasion for systematically asking Parliament to review in detail various aspects of the work of this Department; but it is the time to issue a challenge to the Department and to tell the Minister that we do want inspiration, that we do want energy and activity there. If the various other Departments and the Government generally, looking forward to the future, can outline a £7,000,000 plan for housing, a £16,000,000 plan for roads, a £7,000,000 plan for drainage, and more plans for other things running up to £60,000,000 or £100,000,000, why is it that there is no move at all to consider education as one of the important aspects of our national life, in which there must be planning and progress?

Mr. Dillon

Summerhill is closed. Ten weary years of battering at the walls of Summerhill have at last brought them down. Deputies may remember the Taoiseach saying year after year that he thought Summerhill a very nice place, and a place to which he would send his own children if they did not behave themselves, and the Minister protesting loudly that there was nothing wrong with Summerhill. Ten weary years and Summerhill is closed. These occasions are the compensation of public life. Sometimes one feels a little futile in public life, and then there falls from the cliff of obscurantism one fragment, and one begins to realise that the waves have not battered on that base in vain.

I am delighted, Sir, to learn that Summerhill is closed. I would be glad if the coy Minister who closed it so quietly would give us some account of the alternative accommodation he has provided in Glasnevin, and what he hopes to provide there ultimately, when all his plans have been carried to completion. Is it going to be simply a juvenile prison, or is it going to be a properly equipped clinic, where children can be adequately examined, and necessary information compiled for the guidance of the district justice whose responsibility it is to determine what will ultimately be done with the child who is on remand?

Before I pass from that section of the Department of Education, I observe that the Minister deplores the increase in juvenile delinquency, and blames it on the parents. Of course, it is a very popular thing if there is anything wrong to blame somebody else for it. I am not in a position to challenge the Minister when he says that the parents of this country are completely failing in their duties. Some of them may be, but others are not. I think it is a mistake to give the impression generally that we are all convinced that the whole system of parental control in this country has broken down. We are living in queer times, and I suppose every country is experiencing the same difficulties that we are experiencing. When general chaos obtains in the world you cannot expect children to act in an entirely normal way. I have no doubt that parents are doing their best, and if there is any lack of control on their part I would describe it as a reluctance on the part of certain parents adequately to support the authority of school-masters and school-mistresses. But this, I think, should be borne in mind, that in the thousands of cases where parents do support the reasonable and proper exercise of authority by school-masters, we hear nothing, but in the odd case where you get some "daft" father or mother who comes down and dances the can-can in the school——

Cormac Breathnach

Tá an ceart agat.

Mr. Dillon

——because the schoolmaster has punished the child, that is plastered all over the newspapers, and there is great fuss and pother about it. I do not think that is typical at all, and if less publicity were given to the activities of these unbalanced parents, probably that would be a valuable help to the maintenance of a proper standard of conduct amongst the young.

I applaud the sentiments expressed in the Minister's discourse on the duties of national teachers, more especially when he dwells on the vital importance of teaching the peculiar sanctity of truth. I never indulge in criticism of the masses of the people without thinking of Deputy Cafferky's fate when he had the temerity to mention some of the shortcomings of the people. Deputy Ó Cléirigh fought a complete election campaign on that. I have no doubt that there are people who will say that I have described the entire juvenile population of this country as inveterate liars, but however my words may be misrepresented, I conceive it to be my duty to say I do not believe sufficient emphasis is laid in our schools on the sanctity of truth itself. I think there is an accepted convention that if telling the truth will get you into trouble, no reasonable man should be expected to tell the truth; but provided telling the truth involves nothing but commendation or indifference, it is on the whole a desirable thing to do. If it means trouble or inconvenience or danger, then the general rule should be suspended and you are free to tell a lie or prevaricate, and, upon my word, if I had any message to deliver to teachers it would be to try to teach the children that a good, tough liar is infinitely preferable to a prevaricator. The boy who throws his shoulders back and goes as near damning his soul as a child can by telling deliberately a lie seems to me to be more worthy of respect than the poor, wriggling worm who has not the courage to tell a lie and does not dare to tell the truth. However, the limitation of time imposed on the discussion of the Estimates does not permit me to pursue that question as far as I would like to go. Suffice it to say, that I am 100 per cent. with the Minister in the emphasis he laid on the necessity of teaching the children of this country not only the stuff that is in their school books, but that most important quality of manhood and decency—the ability to tell the truth, whatever the consequences may be.

The Minister deplores that the industrial schools are filled to overflowing and fresh accommodation is now required. May I direct his attention to a matter I mentioned when the Estimate for the Department of Local Government was under consideration? Industrial schools in this country are packed with children, orphan children, foundling children, never guilty of any delinquency and therefore in no sense problem children. There is not a single one of them who would not be infinitely better off if he or she was incorporated in some Christian family. The Minister knows rural Ireland as well as I do and I think he will agree with me when I say that in every country town you will find very often respectable widowed women and sometimes respectable married couples who have incorporated in their family circle an orphan child and it is true that after the first 12 months 90 per cent. of their neighbours virtually forget the fact that that child does not belong to the family circle. Often it is deemed to be a nephew or a blood relative of some kind that is being taken charge of and the fact that it is a foundling which has no family background is completely lost sight of.

The child grows up in a normal way and when the time comes to get a job or to marry it has a background, there is a house, a home, a father and mother, and there are brothers and sisters. Compare that child's case with the condition of a child brought up in the best industrial school—and some of them are very good. The schools that are run by nuns are sometimes too good to the children; they turn them out too soft. Taking the best of that kind of school, where the children are blooming, in physical health and a definite credit to the nuns that bring them up, the time comes when the child gets a job. In due course that child may lose or leave the job. Compare the lot of that child with the child who has been brought up in the family circle by an adopted mother and you will find it is pitiable in the extreme. There is no home, no background. Take the case of such a boy or girl who is about to marry. There is no mother or father to write saying they approve of the fiancé or fiancée; there is no home to bring the best boy or girl into; there is no background.

I would commend to Deputies a most moving piece that was recently broadcast by the British Broadcasting Corporation relating to that very point of a foundling who became engaged to a girl who represented herself as being the daughter of a family in London and produced a wire from her mother conveying her good wishes and saying she looked forward to meeting this foundling boy to whom she was to be married. It subsequently transpired that the girl herself was a foundling and had no actual family background. The prospects of the foundling boy of getting into a good family circle and having a good background, with parents to write to, were set out in a most touching manner. I would urge the Minister to consult with the Minister for Local Government in order to get as many children as possible taken out of the industrial schools, where they are sent for no other reason than that they are orphans or foundlings, and put them into good Christian families.

I can assure the Minister that the only serious obstacle in the way of achieving that is one of money. If the Minister will get his colleagues, the Minister for Finance and the Minister for Local Government, to provide for suitable foster parents remuneration on the same scale as the State is paying to industrial schools for the maintenance of children, half the number of children in industrial schools at the present time will go into decent families and will grow up much better citizens than they otherwise can and his problem of congested industrial schools will be very largely resolved.

I want to say a word about the teaching of Irish. Sometimes I think it is a disease that some of us suffer from that we love the language, but I cannot help suffering from it. I get the same kick out of being able to talk Irish and having people talk it to me as I get when I arrive at Dun Laoghaire after being absent from this country for six months or more. I do not think there is any rational explanation for that. I think it is a deep instinct that some of us have and I think if the truth were told the vast majority of the Irish people have that instinct. Some people argue themselves out of it because they think it is an irrational kind of reaction. I think it is a very good reaction, a very natural reaction, and it is a reaction I rejoice in having. I reprobate most strongly the tendency to which the leader of the Opposition has been making reference to-day, that is, the attempt to monopolise the Irish language movement, not for Caesar, but for de Valera. We may as well be blunt and plain. The present fiction that is being actively developed in this country by the Fianna Fáil Party is that unless you are a "Dev" man you are no good to the language movement. Of course, I blame Sinn Féin for that, quite frankly. The Sinn Féin movement was the first political movement in this country that ever tried to monopolise Irish and tried to drive out of the Gaelic League anyone who was not of good standing in the Sinn Féin movement. I thought after the State had been set up here that the error of that procedure was realised by everybody and that a very genuine effort was going to be made to get back to the position in which all sections of the community, whatever their political outlook might be, would be mustered and gladly welcomed in the ranks of the language movement. There is not the slightest doubt now that an effort is being made to turn Irish into a monopoly of the Fianna Fáil Party. We have all seen the immense amount of ground that was lost as a result of the Sinn Féin incursion into the Gaelie League. The Gaelic League is now one of the most disreputable bodies in this country and no respectable man—

I do not want to say anything to-say calculated to exacerbate feeling, though I could say plenty. I do not want to exacerbate feeling because I am passionately anxious to secure that our people should be able to speak Irish—and English. With that stated, I want to make this clear, that if the language movement in this country is going to be founded on the thesis that English must go; that our people are going to be turned into a monolingual Irish-speaking people, I will fight it with all the resources at my command. Is that plain? We may as well be clear on it. If the new departure is that our people are to be stripped of the English language, which has been a bulwark of strength to them during years of oppression and assault upon this country, which has enabled them to make the case of Ireland heard all over the world when those who were concerned to destroy us could have done so, had we not that invaluable means of communication for the defence of our legitimate rights, if the policy of the Department of Education is to strip our people of that and to put them in the same position as Poles or Greeks in the United States of America, or throughout the Commonwealth of Nations, wherever our young people may elect to go in pursuit of an opportunity of earning their living or making their fortunes, then I will fight any such policy with all the resources at my disposal. If, on the other hand, the Department is concerned to enable every educated person in this country to speak Irish with the same fluency that he speaks English, 95 per cent. of the people of goodwill in this country will be prepared to help them.

I strongly appeal to the Minister, representing the Fianna Fáil Party, not to split this country to its foundations on the language question, because if you do you will kill the language. There is no need to split; there is no ill-will; there is no one against you on the question of reviving the language itself. There is no appreciable section of our people opposed to that. The only deep difference between us is one as to method. For the resolution of that difference, I ask you to set up a commission to inquire into the last 20 years' work and see how your methods can be improved.

I see the Minister plans to erect a large number of new schools. Well, indeed, it is not before its time. A great many national schools in this country are a disgrace. That is largely his fault, but it is partially the fault of the school managers, or the parish priests who do not exert themselves to get their schools put into proper condition. I trust that the Minister will exert himself vigorously and, where a parish priest acting as a school manager, fails to take sufficiently active measures to set on foot an adequate building scheme for the schools in his parish which require to be rebuilt, that the Minister will ginger him up and direct his attention to the fact that he is failing in his duty as a manager if he does not make proposals to the Department for the repair of his schools.

I am regretfully compelled to say that all the evidence suggests to me that he has done so in this case, and I am obliged to bring these facts before the House. I should be long sorry to do any member of the Civil Service of this country any injustice, but I am bound to direct the attention of the House to these facts, and that on the clear understanding that I know none of these gentlemen. I have never conversed with them; I have never been in correspondence with them; and I never had any contact with any of them, except to see Dr. O'Sullivan dancing in Ballingeary College 20 years ago when he was, I think, teaching there and I was learning the Irish language.

The present chief inspector of the technical education division of the Department, Dr. O'Sullivan, has no Irish University degree at all. He is a Doctor of Philosophy of the University of Freiburg in Germany. He was subsequently employed there as a lecturer in English, and his employers in that University speak highly of his work as Professor of English. He then came home and, I think, in 1925, was appointed inspector of national schools. In 1936 he became divisional inspector. When he was appointed to that position some surprise was expressed at the rapid progress he had made in the service, considering the academic qualifications which he was in a position to display. Then, there was this transfer from the division in the Department in which he had done all his work to the technical branch, and having been seconded there for two years, where he was training teachers of Irish for the vocational technical schools and conducting summer courses in Irish for vocational teachers, and doing nothing else, he was suddenly appointed chief inspector of the technical branch.

Some people might say that there was nobody else in the division fitted for the job, but there was an officer there who was educated from the first day he went to school, in Ballingeary, which is in the Gaeltacht. He was an honours student at school; he secured a scholarship to the College of Science; he is an Associate of the Royal College of Science in the Faculty of Applied Chemistry. He is a B.A., a Master of Science of Queen's University, Belfast, and first class, first division, City and Guilds of London Institute, Mechanical Engineering, which is not a very high qualification although it sounds very beautiful when you read it out. He had 16 years' teaching experience and he had been in sole charge of a primary school. He was a teacher of Mathematics and Applied Science in a secondary school and head of the engineering department, Methodist College, Belfast, for many years before he joined our Civil Service. He was an extra-mural lecturer in Physics in Queen's University, Belfast, and a lecturer in Mathematics, Plane and Solid Geometry and Physics, Municipal College of Technology, Belfast. In addition, he was I believe a very fluent Irish speaker. He was a member of an coisde ceanntair of Connradh na Gaedhilge in Belfast, and has every conceivable qualification from the point of view of the language that a man could have.

There was also in the Department another officer who was an A.R.C.Sc.I., Bachelor of Science in the National University and had the National Diploma in Agriculture. He got first place in the British Isles and was the winner of the Fream Memorial Prize. He conducted courses in rural science for national teachers and has a string of qualifications. There was also another officer in that division who was a Bachelor of Engineering, an A.R.C.Sc.I, and who had 24 years' service as an inspector in the technical division. He had teaching experience and had been employed in engineering works in America and was the author of several works on literary criticism.

There was another officer in that department who was a Doctor of Science, London University. He had 24 years' service as an inspector in the technical branch and is the author of an economic history of Ireland. He had specialised in economics and commerce. Another officer was a Master of Science of the National University of Ireland. He had been a secondary teacher and had 15 years' service as an inspector of the technical branch and had a number of high qualifications in Irish. He specialised in Mathematics and Science. Yet when the choice had to be made of chief inspector of that Department, Dr. O'Sullivan was chosen, and so far as I know, Dr. O'Sullivan had no special qualifications at all for the position.

In justice to the chief inspector of the technical division, in justice to the Department, in justice to the other officers of the Department and the country as a whole, I think it behoves the Minister to tell the House why he gave this officer the special preferment he received, when he was in the primary branch and was made a divisional inspector, and why, having given him that special preferment in the primary branch, he chose to remove him from that branch and give him unprecedented preferment over the heads of other distinguished men who had given long service to the Department in a branch where Dr. O'Sullivan had virtually no experience whatever as compared with the officers to whom he was preferred. Let me reaffirm that there is no conceivable reflection on the personal character or integrity of Dr. O'Sullivan, or any other officer of the Department. Their personal character is not involved in this matter. It is merely a question of how the Minister will satisfy the House that he discharged his statutory obligation by recommending to the Minister for Finance not only a competent officer for preferment in the service but the most highly qualified person available to him in the service.

I want now to draw the attention of the House to a very odd interlude and to ask the Minister to tell us what the end of it was. Some time ago, an enterprising gentleman approached the Department of Education and inquired if they would be interested in a glossary of words from the Dingle peninsula. The Department said that they would be very much interested, and he said he was prepared to depart to the Dingle peninsula and return in due course with a glossary of words used, if not exclusively, primarily in the Dingle peninsula. The Dingle peninsula is a pretty limited area and the Department apparently thought that its geographical limits imposed certain etymological limits on a glossary which was to be exclusively derived from that restricted area, and accordingly, they were persuaded to enter into an arrangement with this enterprising etymologist that they would pay for his work at the rate of £2 per 1,000 words.

I think the Department were under the impression that they were getting a bargain, but they had not reckoned with the enterprise of the etymologist. He furled his umbrella, brushed his hat and disappeared into the Dingle peninsula. Nothing more was heard of him until he emerged therefrom with 100,000 words. The Department, looking a bit green about the gills, stumped up, whereupon he furled his umbrella and disappeared again. He next emerged with 250,000 words, and the Department, looking greener still, stumped up. When he had produced his 2,000,000th word, the Department began to say: "Is there any end to the number of words which he can produce?" He was furling his umbrella and starting on the third million, at which stage the Department said: "Really, a halt must be called to this", and some arrangement was made whereby the etymologist was tamed. We are now in possession, I believe, of something like 2,200,000 words from this etymological research in the Dingle peninsula, and what I want to know is whether we are going to publish them, because there will be an acute paper shortage if the fruits of this gentleman's research are to be committed to print. I want the Minister to tell the House whether he is satisfied that the etymological research conducted in the Dingle peninsula required the employment of 2,200,000 words, and whether he will have the mighty oak which sprang from so small an acorn competently pruned before it is committed to book form? I think the Department, to say the least of it, was surprised—I will not say more than that—by the result of this business, but I suppose it is an error into which any of us might fall. It will not happen again, I am sure, but I think we should take effective measures to ensure that the glossary will not be published as it has been submitted, and that competent hands will be employed to reduce it to reasonable compass if it is ever published at all.

There is another matter which I want to mention, and that is in relation to the Institute of Higher Studies. When the proposal to set up that institute came before this House, there was a good deal of difference of opinion as to its merits. I defended it on the grounds that I thought it was a good and proper thing to provide a place where scholars of first quality would be assured of a reasonable income and proper leisure to do the peculiar type of work that men of that temperament would be called upon to do, but I do not know whether Deputies in this House have observed that in the course of the last couple of years a most astonishing collection of gentlemen has been gathered into the institute. We all acknowledge that Dr. O'Rahilly, Dr. O'Brien, Dr. Best, Dr. Schroedinger, and men of that kind, are great scholars of whom any institute might be proud.

When I mention those men I do not intend to suggest that there is no other scholar of distinction in the institute, but, in addition to the men of distinction, I want to submit to this House that there has been gathered into the fold of the institute a number of men who, I think, require to be explained to the Oireachtas, which is paying for them. Prima facie, their qualifications and their record of published work do not entitle them to positions in the Institute of Higher Studies. It may be that they were brought in as amanuenses. It may be that they were brought in without any reference to their scholarly achievements. If that is so, let the Minister tell us that. Let him tell us that he has collected a new kind of person who has to be quartered on the institute, and that is persons whose academic distinctions or achievements can secure them employment nowhere else. Do not let us have confusion created in the public mind. All must rejoice in the summoning home of men like Dr. O'Brien, scholars of national repute, but do not let us confuse persons of that standing with some of the less laudable appointments to the institute which have been made recently.

We understood, when the institute was being established, that it was designed for the promotion of higher studies and the amplification of learning in this country. When the Bill was passing through here, there was incorporated in it Section 20 (4), which provided that the conditions of employment of the members of the academic staff should be subject to the approval of the Minister for Education and the concurrence of the Minister for Finance. These conditions included the following:—

"The appointee shall devote his time and ability to the furtherance of the work assigned to the school by the Act and the Establishment Order establishing the school; and he shall perform any duties assigned to him by the governing board or the director of the school, or the senior professor, or professor, who has immediate charge of his work, as appropriate to his office. Except in so far as may be otherwise permitted by the council of the institute with the consent of the governing board of the school, contributions to learning which result from study or research carried on by him shall be the property of the school and may be published only in accordance with Section 22 of the Institute for Advanced Studies Act, 1940."

I imagined, and I think most people who were concerned with that Bill when it was passing through this House also assumed, that that imposed an obligation on any man working in the institute, if he did an original piece of research, to offer it to the institute before he offered it to anybody else, and that he was free to publish it elsewhere only if the institute rejected it. I do not think any of us read that section as meaning that we were setting up as hidebound a censorship on the work of men employed by the institute as has ever been claimed by Dr. Goebbels in academic institutions in Germany or by the Minister of Higher Culture in Moscow in academic institutions in Russia. Nevertheless, here is the way it has been interpreted by the director of the institute, who sent out the following memorandum to the members of the academic staff about nine months ago:—

"Members of the staff are reminded that, by the conditions of service of their appointment, all work done by them in connection with any branch of Celtic Studies, whether such work is done in the school or independently thereof, is the property of the school, and may be published only through the school, except in so far as may be otherwise permitted by the council and the governing board.

"The governing board has made an order that when permission has been granted to a member of the school to publish any piece of work elsewhere, the author is to add the words ‘Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies' after his name.

"Members of the staff who happen to have done in their spare time work which they are desirous of publishing are requested to bear in mind the above facts and to consult the director as to the most suitable means of publishing such work."

That means that if a junior member of the staff or any other person in the institute does work designed to prove that instead of two St. Patricks there was one St. Patrick, he cannot publish that piece of work unless he gets the permission of the director of the institute, who is prepared to demonstrate that there are two St. Patricks. Surely that is a situation which ought not to obtain. It may be very proper that a junior member of the staff of the institute should submit his work to the director, and, if the director so desires, it may be included in the official journal of the institute, or he may say: "I do not choose to publish that; I do not think it is good work." There is a very great difference between the director saying: "I do not think the quality of that work is sufficiently high to justify publication in our journal", and his prohibiting its publication altogether, because as I have pointed out in Dáil Eireann before, many a thing was published in or about 1880 by independent minds, which would have been spat upon as being puerile, obscurantist rubbish by the scholars of that age. If these people had tried to prove that it was Catholic doctrine they were advocating, they would have been laughed at by the scholars of the Victorian age, but nevertheless they were free to publish their views. It seems to me that if the students or junior professors of the institute have independent views and wish to publish them, they will be prohibited from doing so, whereas, in the primitive Victorian age, such scholars as Darwin and Huxley were quite free to publish their works. Now, the passage of time has proved that Darwin and Huxley were wrong, whereas the others, who might be regarded as pygmies in relation to the great scholars in those days, have been proved to be right. The point is that they were free to publish their views.

Now, the Director of the Institute for Advanced Studies, undoubtedly, is a very big man in his own sphere, but there may be a man within the ranks of the institute who has his own views —possibly a junior member of the institute—and surely such a man should have the right to publish his work elsewhere, if the institute will not publish it. I do not see why the institute should be sacrosanct in that respect. If the person concerned publishes rubbish, and if it is demonstrated that, by doing so, he is bringing discredit on the institute to which he is affiliated, then he can be discharged from the institute for causes stated, on the ground, for instance, that his work is of such a disreputable character that the institute cannot standover it; but surely it was never meant that the institute should be of such a character that no views of its members could be published which did not coincide with those of Professor Tomás O'Rahilly, so long as he is a director of the institute. If that is the case, then I think that we have established a very retrograde departure in the educational life of this country, and I would ask the Minister for Education to take this matter up at once with the Taoiseach who, I believe, is personally interested in the institute, and with the director of the institute, with a view to seeing that in future any junior member of the staff who wishes to publish anything he wants to publish shall be compelled to offer it, first, to the institute, and that if, within a given time, the institute does not indicate its readiness to publish his work, the writer thereof shall have full freedom to publish his work when and where he likes.

A great principle seems to me to be involved here, and I think that no question of expediency should be allowed to obscure the greater good; the scholars in this country should be free to publish what they believe to be true, and not just what Professor Tomás O'Rahilly believes to be true. I believe that all sections in the House would be prepared to adhere to the principle I am now advocating, and I would suggest that before the debate is over, some other members of the House should press on the Minister the desirability of reform in regard to this matter. That is all I have to say, and I trust that the Minister will not fail to deal with the points I have made, with special reference to the Institute for Advanced Studies, and also with regard to the matter of the chief inspector of the Department of Education.

Mr. Byrne

In dealing with the matter of education, Sir, one must not think that a school is the beginning and the end-all of education. The pupil's welfare in a school must get first consideration, and I would suggest to the Minister that in many parts of the City of Dublin—I can only speak for the City of Dublin—the pupils are going to school barefooted, badly clothed, and sometimes into a cold atmosphere without adequate heat for drying their clothing when they arrive on a wet day. I have been in schools in Dublin which, as one Deputy said, were a disgrace to any Government: schools to which children go on a cold winter's day, with empty fireplaces. and no way to dry their clothes. I raised the question before about the heating of schools, and I suggested the increasing of a grant by the Department of Education to school managers for that purpose. I hope the Minister will continue in that direction with a view to seeing that the schools are properly heated. The Minister deplored, and very properly, that the industrial schools were overcrowded. Now, in many cases, these industrial schools have, as inmates, children who should be at home with their own parents. Because of absence from school or because, if you wish, of neglect on the part of the parents, many of these children are sent to industrial institutions. The parents complain that they did not send the children to school because they were unable to dress them properly, or to provide boots or stockings for them. Now, when these children are taken from their parents and sent to an industrial school, they are properly clad and provided with shoes, stockings, and so on, but I am of opinion that it would be better if the sums of money that are spent in that direction were provided for the parents of these children in order to enable them to clothe their children properly, where they can make a reasonable case that they are unable to afford the money for clothes, boots, and so on. If that were done, I suggest that the industrial schools would not be overcrowded to the extent that the Minister has complained of.

In that connection, may I draw attention to what I consider to be a grave injustice to Dublin children who are sent to industrial schools, merely because of non-attendance at schools; and that is that very often they are sent to industrial institutions that are as far away as from 200 to 250 miles from the city. For instance, children are taken from the poorer quarters of Dublin and sent down to Cork, to some place off the sea coast of Cork, where there is an industrial school. Now, that means that when the holidays come around, the children must stay in that institution, and the parents have no way of seeing their children. No return half-ticket is provided. I mentioned this matter to the Minister before. He was sympathetic, and I rather gathered, from his sympathetic reply to me, that in the case of the parents of children sent from Dublin to industrial schools at long distances from the city, he would provide them with tickets to enable them to visit their children at least once or twice a year, or else provide facilities for the children to come up and see their parents at least once or twice a year. It would appear, however, that his Department is sadly lacking in appreciation of the parents' love for their children and their desire to see them at certain times in the year.

I suggest that when the holiday season comes round, the Minister, in the case of a child sent to an industrial school at a long distance from the city, should give him or her a ticket to return home, and that, if possible, in the case of a group of two or three of these children coming up to the City of Dublin, a guardian from the school should be sent with them to see them safely home. When these children are taken from their homes, as the Minister knows, a half-ticket is provided for them, in order to send them, as I say, between 200 and 250 miles away, but yet, when we ask that these children should be sent home for the holidays it would appear that there is no fund at the disposal of the Department for that purpose. I hold there is, and if there is not, there should be. If the Minister has not the necessary funds, every member of the House will support him in asking the Minister for Finance for moneys for this purpose.

I heard quite recently that in the ordinary schools in Dublin great difficulty is experienced in getting necessary equipment in cases where people find that, owing to low wages or no wages, they are not able to provide such equipment for their children. We were told some few years ago that free books would be given to the children. I am informed that it is almost impossible to get these free books and that in some cases the forms which children or their parents are asked to sign contain rather objectionable phrases. I was also told quite recently that children in a very large school in the City of Dublin were asked to bring money to school to provide equipment that should be provided by the Minister—pencils, paper and ink.

These are part and parcel of the educational equipment and children or their parents should not be asked to provide them. If, of course, they are able to afford to give their children extras in that direction, good and well, but I think it is the duty of the educational authorities to provide such equipment for poor children. I also heard that in some of the kindergarten schools where children are taught knitting and sewing they are asked to provide the equipment themselves and that some children and their parents feel very hurt when they are not able to provide the same materials for their education as is provided for children next door. I hold that in that respect an injustice is imposed upon one class as against another and that everything that is necessary for the education of children in the schools should be provided by the State if the parent cannot provide it.

The Minister has made a reference to child delinquency. I think that the incidence of child delinquency is somewhat exaggerated. We are inclined to blame the school child for damage and vandalism perpetrated by grown-up boys of 16 or 18 years of age, boys who left school at 14 or 15 and for whom the State or nobody else was able to provide employment. There is a great deal of neglect in that respect. It is really heartbreaking to mothers when their boys or girls reach the age of 14 or 15 to find that they cannot get suitable occupations. I am satisfied that every member of the House has had at some time or other the experience of a parent coming to him and saying: "My boy is now aged 15. He is the eldest of seven. For God's sake, can you get him a job anywhere?" There are no jobs for them. In this city there is an average every year of 20,000 boys between the ages of 14 and 16 who are left absolutely idle. We all know the old phrase: "The devil finds work for idle hands to do." There are no playing fields for most of these boys. The boys are generally strong, healthy lads and they want to use their hands and feet. A branch of a tree is broken or some other damage is done simply because very few people in this country have paid any attention to the problem of finding useful employment for boys at that age. I say very few people, because there are certain clubs in the city devoted to this work which are not getting sufficient encouragement from the Government or the municipalities in dealing with this problem. We have that excellent organisation known as the St. John Bosco Boys' Club. Other institutions such as the Christian Brothers' Club, the Belvedere and Clongowes Club, and the Boy Scout movement are doing great work for boys between the ages of 14 and 18 but they are not getting sufficient encouragement from either the Government or the municipalities. Playing fields are necessary for grown-up boys and playing grounds are also needed for children under 14 years of age. I would appeal to the Minister to take up that matter with the Department of Local Government and the Department of Finance and so make an effort to improve the lot of boys and girls who find it impossible to get work when they leave school.

I want to refer now to a new matter or rather to a matter which is a revival of a certain question affecting schools. Four years ago the Dublin Corporation and other public bodies agitated for hot meals in schools for schoolchildren. We went so far as to provide equipment in the Mansion House and in other parts of the city to be ready for the emergency period when hot meals could not be provided in the homes and when we would be prepared to provide such meals. I ask the Minister and every Deputy has the time not arrived now when provision should be made to give such hot meals? Children are now going home at a time when the gas is off. The people whom I have in mind have no electrical equipment for cooking. I would appeal to the Minister to take steps immediately or at any rate to look ahead and make arrangements so that this equipment could be made available at a moment's notice to take the place of the equipment which can no longer be used in the homes of these children. In the cottage dwellings of the city and in nearly every tenement room there is what is known as a penny-in-the-slot gas ring or gas stove. These are now being reduced in number or are being taken away from the people. Only a few days ago we read in the paper a notice advising people to take more cold meals, cold meats, etc. I think there are about 40,000 children attending school for whom the Corporation of Dublin provide free lunches. Deputy O'Sullivan, the Lord Mayor, will correct me if I am wrong. Of these, 30,000 get milk and a jam or cheese sandwich and it was expected that when they went home they would have a hot meal. Now when they go home there is no means of providing a hot meal for them. I think the time has come when the Minister for Education should reconsider this question.

There is just one other matter which some parents asked me to mention and of which I hope the Minister will take note. These parents want to know why schools in the city give holidays at different times. They think that there should be a fixed period for children's holidays so that they can have all the children home from school at the same time. If that were done, any parents who could afford to do so could bring their children on holidays with them. Owing to the high cost of living, most parents have to be content with bringing their children to the Phoenix Park or the Bull Wall or Merrion Strand. These are the holiday resorts of Dublin working-class people.

I ask the Minister to give consideration to the points I mentioned, especially the point regarding the provision of boots for children. A school attendance committee has reported that last year 800 children were brought before the committee or the children's court, and that the parents explained that their children could not attend school because they had no boots or clothing for them. Up to that time, they had never sent their children to school without being properly clothed. The Minister mentioned a few weeks ago, before the House broke up, that a scheme was being considered to provide boots and clothing for necessitous people and for members of the small income classes. He ought to do something quickly and bring to an end this complaint of school attendance officers that children are not attending school.

Mr. M. O'Sullivan

The problems and difficulties which will confront this country immediately on the conclusion of the war, because of the opportunities and the disadvantages which a situation of that character is likely to bring about, constitute an unanswerable argument for the setting up of a commission of inquiry into our system of education. If neither these problems nor opportunities were to exist, the very fact that we have now had experience for 20 years of our present system of education is an argument for an inquiry as to whether that system is calculated to yield the best results to the children of our country. The Constitution places in a very definite place of priority the responsibility of parents for the education of their children. Like many other things in the Constitution, that is a mere pious platitude because it is only on such an occasion as this—when the Estimates for the Department of Education are presented to this House every 12 months —that an opportunity is presented to Deputies, who represent the parents, to express their view on the system of education in force for the previous 12 months and make such suggestions as will enable the Minister to arrange matters properly for the ensuing 12 months.

Take the position at the present time across the water. A consultative committee was set up there which produced the most valuable results in respect of different branches of education—primary, secondary and adolescent. The reports of the committee served as the basis, to a great extent, of the Bill which was recently brought before the British House of Commons and which was a definite advance on any system of education which existed in that country previously. Since this question of parental responsibility is emphasised in the Constitution, I suggest that it is time to implement the claim made here for a number of years and by educational authorities outside for the setting up of a committee which would include representatives of parents, managers, teachers and others concerned.

I suggest to the Minister that, having regard to his long experience as Minister and his own personal association with the work and having regard to the situation likely to arise in the postwar period, it is essential now to take a step about which he has been hesitant for many years. He has been taking the line that the members of his Department and he are the people most competent to decide educational questions. Other countries have taken a wider view and it is about time that such a view was given effect to here.

I should like to ascertain from the Minister—I am sorry he is not in the House at the moment—what the position is likely to be from the point of view of the Department regarding the building of new schools and the reconstruction of other schools. It is to be regretted—I share that regret and I appreciate the position—that circumstances have slowed up the drive so far as national schools are concerned. We had experience in the city of excellent work in the building of a large number of new schools. Is the Department in a position to take advantage of the situation immediately building difficulties ease, so as to remedy a state of affairs which has been characterised here many times as an absolute scandal? Another aspect of this question which was previously referred to in this House is the size of classes which teachers are called upon, particularly in city schools, to take charge of. There are classes of from 50 to 70 pupils in some cases. Anybody remotely associated with teaching knows that it is absurd to attempt to impart education to a class of from 50 to 70 children. The most that any teacher can do in such a class is to maintain a certain amount of discipline during the day. Attention has been repeatedly drawn to this appalling state of affairs so far as city schools are concerned. My information is that that position still obtains and that despite the fact that upwards of 200 teachers will be unemployed by the 30th of this month. For the life of me, I cannot understand why the Department has not taken strong and stringent steps to remedy this situation. Children are crying out for admission to our schools and, when they get there, they are deprived of that individual touch which is so desirable, particularly in the case of primary education.

As regards the training of teachers, we could have the most ideal form of building, excellent playing fields—I am glad that matter has been referred to because the first care of the Department should be to see that a playing field is attached to every school so as to uproot the cause of juvenile delinquency—and all other facilities—but if the teaching was not up to standard the provision of these facilities would have been in vain. At present, only one training college is in operation for male teachers. Because of the drop-off in the flow of recruits from the preparatory colleges for some time, this college will close down at the end of this month.

I understand that as a result, including those who will come out of training at the end of the month, and those already partially employed, roughly 200 teachers are thrown on the hands of the Department. That seems to me to indicate a complete lack of vision and foresight, as far as the Department is concerned, to allow such a serious position to arise It has arisen from the introduction of the system of preparatory colleges. No doubt the people who brought about that particular system did so with the very best intentions, but it has been a failure, and I think the Department had better stand up to it and say that it is a failure.

The idea of bringing children into preparatory colleges and keeping them in college surroundings for four years, and subsequently sending them for another two years to training colleges, with the idea of training them as teachers, does not make commonsense. In the case of a child of 14, with the primary purpose of starting out as a teacher, every Deputy will agree that such children do not know where he or she is drifting. It is a notorious fact that for a number of years there are individuals in these training colleges who feel that they are out of their depth. They regret having spent so many years preparing for a profession for which they feel unsuited. The preparatory college system has been a failure. These colleges were set up in certain districts, the object being to bring students into close touch with people who are speaking the native language. Such a system was never put into operation. These students were kept, practically, in the close confinement in the colleges so that the original purpose was defeated.

What of the standards which obtain in the training colleges? It is a well-known fact that the training of a great percentage of our teachers is at present confined to two parishes, Ballyferriter and The Rosses. It is also well known that a certain amount of reservations have been set aside for these students, and that no matter how brilliant other students may be, who would like to enter the teaching profession, they are precluded until a certain number in the Fíor-Ghaedealtacht were first settled. My information—and I would like to have a contradiction of it from the Minister—is that some of these candidates got their final diplomas without taking English or mathematics as subjects and that in fact the standard in these two subjects, as far as future teachers are concerned, is lamentably low. That applies to Irish grammar and to English grammar. I understand that that is the position and that it is viewed with alarm by responsible educationists. The Minister has a serious responsibility to explain to the House how a situation of that kind has been allowed to develop. I suggest to him that the whole question of training ought to be reviewed. There is plenty of room for doing so. The Minister will first of all have to take into consideration the standard of remuneration that the Department proposes to give to the teaching profession, in order to ensure that the best brains of the country will be rewarded as they should be, in the noblest profession that we have. It is within the knowledge of the House that for years and years the teaching profession has been decrying the small salaries being paid. These salaries can never be reckoned as adequate, having regard to the work performed, and the position will continue to be worse as time goes on, unless there is a clear indication that the question of salaries is once and for all satisfactorily settled.

On the question of the standard of education, so far as the schools are concerned, I understand that the programme is not all that might be desired. Subjects like nature study and drawing are completely ignored because of the exigencies of the programme. If subjects of that character cannot be included, that constitutes an argument for raising the school age, to ensure that such subjects will be available to students between 14 and 16 years of age. School attendance is a serious question for the teachers because of falling averages. Everybody is familiar with the state of affairs that prevails, particularly in rural areas, when school children are taken away for other work, and how the position of the teachers is affected. I suggest that attendance at schools at the present time might be regarded in the light of the emergency and treated on that basis. I am not a teacher and I have no association with teaching, except that I am in close contact with teachers from time to time, and know their circumstances. What struck me as an intolerable rule of the Department was that when a teacher becomes ill he must provide a substitute after a given time, and in certain circumstances. I am not daring to advocate that the same system should obtain in other branches of the Civil Service. Teachers are servants of the State, but in the other branches of the Civil Service the position is dealt with in the ordinary way, and it passes my comprehension why such an exception is made in the case of teachers.

There is also discrimination when teachers retire. They must have 40 years' service before they can get half salary as pension. In addition, no provision is made, as in other Departments of State, that on retirement teachers will get at least a year's gratuity. The payment of salaries is a matter that also affects teachers in the lower scales. As one associated with a concern that is called upon to pay a great deal more than the Department of Education pays, I cannot understand why the Department is not able to ensure that teachers will get their salaries a day or so after the 30th of the month, and not have to wait for eight or nine days in the subsequent month. I suggest that a business arrangement could be made so that payments will flow promptly after the 30th of each month as obtains in other branches of the Civil Service and in business establishments. The delay imposes an undeniable hardship on teachers, particularly those on the lower scales. May I say that there is a demand, and it is one that is understandable in the circumstances, that there might be more frequent payments of salaries, say, mid-monthly?

Surely, that would not impose such a heavy strain on the Department in the case of teachers who desire such payments. I know of business institutions in which sections of the staff, if they so desire, can have half their salaries on the 15th of each month. I suggest to the Minister that some arrangement of that kind might be made particularly in areas like Dublin and Cork, where living conditions press heavily on the members in the lower grades of the service at the present time.

Mr. O'Donnell

On the occasion of my visits to the polling booths in the schools during the last two elections I was shocked at the condition of some of the schools. On page 6 of the Minister's introductory speech it is stated that:

"Among the most potent educative agencies available to the teacher is the example which, in his own person and conduct, he can set before the pupils. He can train them to an appreciation of cleanliness and tidiness by ensuring that the school and its surroundings are at all times clean and tidy."

In the schools that I visited, I found pot-holes in many of them. I stumbled out of them, although I was quite sober. In such schools, how could an example of tidiness be given to the children? About half the schools that I visited were a disgrace.

Some weeks ago we read in the papers that a number of men and women who were cutting turf took refuge from a lightning and thunder storm. Of the number, two men and two women were killed. A few neighbours in my house were discussing the question as to what one should do in the case of lightning. Their views on the subject were diametrically opposed. An old man who had experience of a lightning storm on the Knockmealdown mountains said that he took refuge behind a rock. When it was struck the water began to pour down. He moved away about 100 yards, and almost immediately the rock was split in pieces. The point is to know what to do in such a situation. There is no instruction given on these matters in the school books. There are so many different views held on what one should do in such a case, that I suggest to the Press they should invite views from scientists on the subject. In my young days we used to put mirrors under the bed-clothes during a lighting storm. Some people hold that windows should be opened, and others that they should be closed during a storm. We also had a discussion in regard to animals, as to whether they should remain out in the open or take shelter under trees. We used to be told that trees were lightning conductors. I also heard of two members of the Dáil who were sitting around the fire in a house during a lightning storm. Politically their views were diametrically opposed. There was a dog sitting between them. The lightning came down the chimney and killed the dog. There was great sympathy for the dog. I was not a member of the Dáil at the time.

With regard to the teaching of rural science and agriculture, we have two teachers for these subjects under the South Tipperary County Committee of Agriculture. I think it would be a good idea if the agricultural instructor were to attend in the national schools and in the Christian Brothers' Schools for half an hour or an hour once a week and give a lesson to the higher classes on agriculture. The average healthy boy does not like attending school in the evening. He is inclined to regard the teacher as a kind of monstrosity. Personally, I hope that my own teacher has a high place in heaven. But, under the present system, the position is that the evening classes conducted by these instructors are not well attended. I think that if my suggestion were adopted it would be a good thing. In my opinion the boys leaving school 40 years ago were, on the whole, better educated than the boys leaving the primary schools to-day. We are told now that the children leaving school are illiterate in two languages. In my time boys leaving school at the age of 15 years had a good knowledge of the six books of Euclid, of advanced mathematics and English. Boys leaving school to-day at the age of 14 cannot speak grammatically or write a letter grammatically. What we are to attribute that to, I do not know but, as compared with the system in operation 40 years ago, there seems to be something seriously wrong. I read in the newspapers a short time ago that there were 600 applications for a clerkship in the Great Southern Railways Company. I have four men and three sons working on my farm. A few Sunday evenings ago a neighbour asked me if I could send him two men to work on the land. I could place men at the moment in every second Tipperary farm house. What is wrong I do not know, but that is the position.

There is another matter that I would like to bring to the Minister's notice. It concerns a number of old teachers who have been very badly treated. I have had some piteous letters from them. One of them is not a political supporter of mine. I do not say that he deliberately voted and spoke against me from a political platform, but he did not wish to see me elected. Despite that, he is a great friend of mine. The pensions that these old teachers have amount to nothing practically. They would not buy a pair of boots or a suit of clothes for them. It is a sad commentary on the present system that a number of young teachers are not able to obtain positions. A great deal of money was spent in setting up training colleges, but when they come out of the colleges they find that there is no need for them. Now, we find that St. Patrick's Training College and the training college in Waterford are being closed down.

That was a most stupid thing to do. The money spent in the training of those teachers could be spent on giving fees to craftsmen, country smiths, harness-makers and carpenters, and would be better employed. There is a plethora of teachers at present. We had 16 applications for one temporary agricultural instructor for three months, and each of those applicants must have cost a couple of hundred pounds to educate. They have come from the secondary schools and primary schools and not one of them will work on the farm. If the country were run by farmers or merchants in that way, it would be bankrupt. It is time that there was an end to the muddle and conglomeration between one Department and another. There is no outlook or efficiency behind the present system.

Seán MacCárthaigh

Ba mhaith liom ar dtúis an tAire do mholadh de bharr na tuairisce a thug sé dhúinn inniu ar obair na Roinne Oideachais. Bhí sé ana-shoiléir ar fad. Ba mhaith liom é mholadh, leis, de bharr a lán rudaí maithe, a lán rudaí tábhachta, atá deanta aige i rith a réime mar Aire Oideachais. Tá rudaí eile ar aigne agam, agus nílim ar aon intinn leis an Aire in aon chor mar gheall ortha agus caifidh mé tagairt dóibh.

I must congratulate the Minister on his very clear statement to the Dáil to-day regarding the work of the various branches of the Department. Also, I wish to congratulate him for many very valuable and very necessary things that he has done to promote the general cause of education, during his time as Minister. There are, however, certain other things with which I do not agree and to which I wish to make hasty reference. Pádraig Pearse mentioned that the first real necessity of any national system of education was national inspiration and adequate inspiration and Deputy Mulcahy, Leader of the Opposition, reiterated that to-day. Now, in order to have that inspiration really effective—and I hold that the Minister does give that inspiration—the first thing necessary is a contented staff.

At the moment, the teachers, as far as we can judge by their public pronouncements, are not content. I shall take the first aspect which has caused the rift which brought about that position: it is the question of primary certificates, which now seem to be the be-all and end-all of primary education. I do not blame the Department for introducing a system of primary certificates, as I believe that the idea came originally from certain members of the teachers' organisation itself some years ago, even though the full body of the organisation did not agree to it. They thought at that time that this certificate would give the scholars some status, either in going into employment or in going for higher education, and that it might also serve as an inducement to the brighter boys to remain in school longer in order to get that education.

The whole thing has altered recently. What was formerly a voluntary system has been made compulsory, and the teachers are kicking against it. They hold that the original purpose of these certificates is not served at all, that they are not a passport to any employment and do not give any exceptional status to those who go into colleges for higher education. They hold that, if certain localities do not approve of them, they should not be compelled to adopt them. Pearse said, in writing about "The Murder Machine", that one of the important things in education was freedom for the teacher and freedom for the scholar. Now, there is no freedom for the teacher if he thinks that these primary certificates do not serve in his particular district the interests of the pupils he is teaching and still is compelled to put every child, good and bad, through that examination.

Everybody dealing with schools knows that there may be bright pupils, especially in one particular year. Sometimes, again, there may be a class not up to the standard, but they must go through the examination also, whether the children like it or not, whether their parents want it or not and whether the teachers think it serves any good purpose or not. Teachers are expelled from the organisation if they take any voluntary part in checking the papers or anything of that kind. Is it an inspiration to the children in those schools to know that if the teacher has anything to do voluntarily with these primary certificates, he may be expelled from the teachers' organisation? I would suggest to the Minister to try, in co-operation with the teachers' organisation—as he suggested himself in his statement that he hoped he would have co-operation in working out some scheme acceptable all round—to make some improvement in the present position.

Another thing that was necessary and which steps are being taken, I think, to provide, was a definite scheme of text-books. A big list was issued by the Department of books which could be used in certain standards but, subsequently, an inspector came along, perhaps in a year when there were not specially bright students and another book served the purpose—and said the book was too difficult. There was no standard at all. It was the teacher's opinion as against that of the inspector, and the teacher's opinion won. The book had been purchased and could not be changed. Sometimes the list was submitted beforehand to inspectors and they let it pass by, as it was only when they came to the schools that they could determine whether or not it was suitable. There might have been an epidemic in the school and the children in the lower standards might have been ill, so that when they passed from class to class at the end of the year, they needed a lot of pulling up. We know that, in former times, before our own day, there were books set out by those controlling the educational system in this country and who insisted on the English language in the schools. They put standard books there and kept them there for two generations, so that the parents knew the same books as their children were subsequently using. I think steps are being taken now to do that in our schools also.

In the Gaeltacht, teachers and children are prepared for a higher standard in English than others in the Galltacht or Breac-Ghaeltacht, and a whole lot of the importance in education depends on the practical and systematic work in trying to get these things done. Reference has been made here by Deputy Byrne to the industrial schools. There are certain defects amongst the industrial schools, no doubt, but it should be remembered at the same time that the pupils of the industrial schools are not complete orphans; generally one of the parents survives. I move to report progress.

Progress reported; Committee to sit again to-day.

Dáil Éireann debate - Tuesday, 13 Jun 1944

Committee on Finance. - Vote 45—Office of the Minister for Education.

Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 13 Jun 1944