asked the Minister for Education if he will suggest to theschool managers in the City and County of Dublin the desirability of all the schools closing at the same time on the same day for the summer holidays so that all the children may accompany their parents or each other in family outings during the holiday period instead of the present system whereby members of the same family are granted their school holidays at different periods.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - School Holidays.
Mr. A. Byrne
National schools in the Dublin County Borough and in the other county boroughs closed for summer vacation on the first Monday in July and remained closed for not more than eight weeks from that day. This period, which was availed of to the full in almost all schools, covers practically the entire months of July and August. The vocational and secondary schools in those areas commence vacation by the first Monday in July and do not reopen again before the end of the vacation period for the national schools.
The national schools in all other urban and rural areas were not required to close until the third Monday in July, though they might have been closed before that date if the managers so desired. This arrangement was intended to make provision for local circumstances, particularly in rural areas.
The arrangements which I have indicated provided reasonable facilities for the fixing of family holidays.