asked the Minister for Education if he will state, in respect of each of the last two school years, the number of pupils who left the primary schools without sitting for the primary certificate examination; and the proportion of those examined who were successful in obtaining the certificate.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Primary Schools' Leaving Certificate.
Particulars are not available as to the number of pupils who leave the primary schools without presenting themselves for the primary school certificate examination.
Particulars of the number of pupils who presented themselves for the examination and the number who qualified for the certificate in the years 1945 and 1946 are as follows:—
|
Year |
Number of pupils presented |
Number of pupils who passed |
Percentage of pupils who passed |
|
1945 |
31,207 |
22,599 |
72.4% |
|
1946 |
27,888 |
20,851 |
74.7% |
The normal decline in the number of pupils attending the examination due to the reduced number of pupils on rolls, was accentuated in 1946 in the Dublin City area where, owing to the exceptional circumstances then prevailing, most of the schools were not in operation at the time of the examination. Although special arrangements were made by my Department in that area to facilitate those pupils whose parents desired them to attend the examination, the attendance fell considerably short of what would normally be expected.