asked the Minister for Education the reason why secondary teachers who leave their positions to go to the United States of America for a year's teaching under the Ireland-America scholarship scheme administered by the Department of External Affairs are not given credit for the year on the incremental salary scale; why teachers who depart under a similar scheme for certain African countries are given credit, despite the fact that they are not sponsored by the Department of External Affairs or any official scholarship scheme; and if he will take steps to put this matter in order so that teachers who avail themselves of the Ireland-America scheme will not suffer financial loss.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Ireland-America Scholarship Scheme.
129.
The essential distinction between the African arrangement and that of the Irish-American Exchange Scholarship Scheme is that the former is concerned with teaching service and the Irish-American scheme with periods of study. It is not the practice to give credit on the incremental scale for periods of study.