asked the Minister for Education if his attention has been directed to the recently expressed demand of responsible representatives of the teaching profession for the raising of the school-leaving age; and, if so, whether he will inform the Dáil as to the policy of his Department on this question.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - School-Leaving Age.
Any general raising of the age of compulsory school attendance would involve many serious educational, financial and other problems. I would direct the Deputy's attention to the circumstances surrounding this matter outlined in my address to the Council of Education on the occasion of its first meeting.
Until more information has been assembled and considered, it will not be possible fruitfully to discuss the matter.
Is the Minister aware that it is the almost universal opinion of those connected with education, and engaged in teaching, that this change, the raising of the school-leaving age, is very desirable?
The extent and the volume of the opinion does not in any way relieve the problems that are involved, both educationally and financially. If the Deputy will refer to my address to the Council of Education, at its opening meeting—pages 14, 15 and 16—he will understand something of the circumstances surrounding this matter. I understand the importance of it and the importance of getting clear very quickly about it. The interim report of the Commission on Youth Unemployment, which was received in June, 1944, underlines all the Deputy says.
While appreciating all the matters to which the Minister refers, will he not agree that, inasmuch as this matter has been considered by this Government and the previous Government for a long period of years, it is not unreasonable to suggest to the Minister that the Dáil might, perhaps, be given some indication of when finality will be reached?
Of course, the Dáil will have an opportunity of discussing the matter generally when we come to deal with the Estimate for the Department of Education; but I feel that anybody reading the presentation of the matter as I made it to the Council of Education, on the occasion to which I have referred, will realise that while a grand discussion could take place, and very many aspects could be discussed, the fruitfulness of that discussion in relation to taking actual steps to deal with any of the matters that would necessarily arise is not very apparent at the moment.
Can the Minister say whether he has considered attempting an experiment in selected areas or extending the areas? I understand it is in operation in one area already.
Under the School Attendance Act there is power to extend the school-leaving age in certain areas and a certain amount of work in that particular direction has been done but I do not think the work that is being done in that particular kind of way would cover the intention of the people who consider the compulsory school-leaving age should be raised from 14 to 16. I think the type of instruction given would not satisfy what is felt to be a general want.