asked the Minister for Education if, in view of the great need for extended facilities for vocational and post-school leaving education, and the cost of providing new buildings for these purposes, he will consider making an arrangement with the appropriate authorities whereby the national schools, to the building of which large sums of public money have been contributed, may be used for the purpose of holding evening classes when needed.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Evening Classes in National Schools.
National schools, with a few exceptions, are either non-vested or vested.
Non-vested schools are privately owned and there was no State contribution to their erection. Control over their use outside school hours is therefore entirely a matter for the managers or patrons.
Vested schools were built with the aid of State contribution, but are vested in local trustees under deeds to which the Minister for Education is a party. The associating of the Minister with the deed of trust ensures him the authority to secure that the schools are maintained as national schools, but does not authorise him to direct that they be used for any other purpose.
If, therefore, the local vocational education committee, upon which devolves, under the Vocational Education Act, the development of vocational education in its area, desired the use of a national school for evening classes, it would be open to it to approach the school manager concerned. It would be highly improper for me, however, as representing the State, to impose or even to appear to desire to impose any arrangement as between these two distinct educational authorities, who are perfectly capable of making arrangements between themselves and, I have no doubt, are fully alive to educational needs in their areas.
It would be for me, however, to see that any such arrangement would not be in any way detrimental to the purpose of the school, which is national education.
I am, of course, always happy to facilitate any such arrangement where suitable and in fact there are a number of instances of vocational and other evening classes being held, with my continuing sanction, in national schools.