asked the Minister for Education whether he is aware that the entrance fee for the secondary schools' leaving certificate examination has been increased from £2 10s. to £4, and if he will state the reasons which necessitated this increase.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Examination Fee Increase.
The entrance fee referred to is not that payable by the ordinary candidates, who have followed an approved leaving certificate course for two years and who are eligible for the award of the leaving certificate. The fee payable by such candidates is 15/- and it is for these candidates that the leaving certificate examination is intended to cater.
In 1941, a rule was introduced under which candidates who were not following an approved leaving certificate course or who were otherwise ineligible for the award of the leaving certificate were specially admitted to the examination. This concession was intended to apply mainly to students who, though not eligible to take the examination under the ordinary regulations, wished to use the leaving certificate examination as an avenue for entrance to professional schools which accept that examination in lieu of their own entrance examination.
It has been the Department's policy that the entrance fee charged in the case of such students should cover the cost of examination. Accordingly, to meet the increasing cost, the amount of the fee payable has been raised to £1 for each subject presented or an inclusive fee of £4, whichever is the less.
The number of candidates who were specially admitted to the leaving certificate examination, 1955, under this provision was 811, as against 6,098 candidates who were admitted to the examination under the ordinary regulations.