asked the Minister for Education if he will state whether, in connection with the programme of secondary schools, he will consider making general science—including electricity—compulsory for every boy up to intermediate certificate standard.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Secondary School Programme.
While I am willing to have the suggestion made in the Deputy's question examined, I am not prepared to make any promise regarding its adoption. The present position in regard to the teaching of science in boys' secondary schools is that a number of alternative courses are provided in the programme and that one or more of these courses are taught in 70 per cent. of the schools. General physics, including electricity, is included in one of the courses for the intermediate certificate, but this course is taken only in a small number of schools. For the experimental study of electricity, students must have received considerable prior training in other branches of science, and for that reason electricity is more generally taught in one of the leaving certificate courses. In order to encourage the extension of the teaching of science to the remaining boys' schools, the Department has recently made substantial increases in the special laboratory grants payable in respect of science classes. As, however, the majority of the boys' schools in which science is not taught are small schools, I consider that the making of the subject compulsory, on the lines suggested by the Deputy, might result in considerable hardship, as these small schools would not be in a position to bear the expenses involved in the provision of adequate laboratory accommodation and equipment and the cost of employing a qualified science teacher.