asked the Minister for Education the number of national school teachers who are absent from their schools because of their participation in the supervision of the leaving and intermediate certificate examinations; and what steps are taken to ensure a proper standard of teaching and discipline in the classes of those teachers while they are absent.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Leaving and Intermediate Examinations.
39.
Mr. Ryan
As all the officers of the Secondary Branch of my Department are at present engaged in work connected with the satisfactory holding of this year's Certificate Examinations the public interest demands that no officer should be taken from that work to prepare information such as that sought in the first part of the Deputy's question.
When a teacher is absent from school it falls to the Manager to make satisfactory arrangements for the teaching of the class concerned.
Mr. Ryan
Would the Minister be good enough to communicate the information requested to me when the emergency to which he refers is over and the officers have returned to their normal duty?
I suggest the Deputy might repeat the question, unless the Dáil is not sitting at the time, or ask the Minister for information by way of letter. I think that would be more direct.
Mr. Ryan
Would the Minister like to estimate when the difficulties are likely to be over so that I may know when to repeat the question?
The Deputy will appreciate that the results of these examinations will not be available until, in the case of the Intermediate, sometime in August and in the case of the Leaving Certificate, sometime in September. I should imagine that all officers of the Secondary Branch of the Department will be fully occupied for that period.
40.
asked the Minister for Education whether the first year examination at St. Patrick's Training College, Drumcondra, Dublin was suspended this year in order to allow the students to supervise the intermediate and leaving certificate examinations; and, if so, whether these students will now be allowed to proceed to the second year's course without taking the first year examination.
The answer to the first part of the question is no. The second part of the question does not, therefore, arise.
41.
asked the Minister for Education the number of (a) national teachers (b) vocational teachers and (c) others, excluding secondary teachers (1) who supervised the intermediate and leaving certificate examinations in 1963, and (2) who examined the papers.
Every member of the staff of the Secondary Branch of my Department is at present fully occupied in ensuring that this year's Certificate examinations are conducted satisfactorily. Any disruption of that work to compile the information requested by the Deputy would not be warranted.
42.
asked the Minister for Education the number of (a) secondary teachers (b) vocational teachers and (c) others, excluding national teachers, who were appointed (1) to supervise and (2) to examine the primary certificate examination papers in 1963.
There were 149 secondary teachers, seven vocational teachers and 713 persons other than national teachers appointed to superintend the Primary School Certificate examination in 1963.
The corresponding figures for examiners at that examination were 16, nil and nil.
43.
asked the Minister for Education the number of (a) national teachers (b) secondary teachers and (c) others, excluding vocational teachers (1) who supervised the examination of the Technical Instruction Branch of his Department in 1963 and (2) who examined the papers.
Superintendents for the examinations for pupils in vocational schools are appointed by the vocational education committees. The panels of superintendents submitted by the committees for the 1963 examinations included some 170 primary teachers, 20 secondary teachers and 720 others excluding vocational teachers.
The examiners included one national teacher and 54 other persons excluding vocational teachers. No secondary teacher was employed as examiner.