I think there can be no doubt that the purposes for which the Minister requires the Supplementary Estimate must be accepted by the House. It is for the purposes of paying additional salaries to teachers—primary, vocational and secondary—for publications in Irish and the payment of grants to vocational education committees who find that they have reached the statutory limit, and for the expansion in terms of fees and in terms of years of scientific research grants to students of university colleges. All these things must be agreed and we can be brief in our references to the Supplementary Estimate.
With reference to increased salaries for teachers as a result of wage increases under conciliation and arbitration, we believe that teachers are people who merit this increased pay, particularly teachers with salaries under £1,200 a year and others who are paid lower salaries. We in the Labour Party have always held that we should be by no means complacent with regard to our teaching force. The present surplus recruitment position may well be due to lack of other opportunities for people with that level of education. As we develop further, the same type of person might not so easily be got. That is something we should keep in mind at all times to ensure that we get the best possible type of person into the teaching profession.
The Minister referred to the fact that £113,000 will, it is estimated, be required to meet the additional cost of salaries of an increased number of teachers resulting from the continuing improvement in school staffing conditions. That is something which should be very much kept in mind, regardless of what the Minister said in recent months with regard to the extension and improvement of post-primary education. We believe that the pupil-teacher ratio in primary education, particularly in Dublin, Cork and large schools throughout the country, must be attended to because until the number of pupils per teacher is substantially reduced the type of pupil going forward for post-primary education will not be satisfactory from the point of view of earlier education. In grossly overcrowded classes, it is not possible to give anything like the degree of attention which each pupil requires. It is a matter of prime importance to reduce the numbers in grossly overcrowded classes as soon as possible.
There is one point which I would like to clarify. There has been a misunderstanding about something I said earlier this week. To be very brief about it, I might have given the impression that I myself, at any rate, felt at this juncture that the managerial system was in need of replacement. If I gave that impression, I did not mean to do so. It does not represent my personal view on the matter. I must have given that impression because of a recent press report but I now want it to go on record that that does not represent my view.
There is a very great need for more involvement by parents in the running of primary schools generally. We in the Labour benches have always pressed for the setting-up of managerparent-teacher organisations, especially at a time when there is no dispute. We believe that parents who are involved in the running of the schools which their children attend are performing a very useful service. Many rural Deputies know that such organisations have been set up to cope with an emergency or a crisis—for example, to protest generally against the closing of a one-teacher or a two-teacher school. Furthermore, misunderstandings sometimes occur between parents, the school manager and the Department and there might be a threecornered dispute. It is a pity that such a thing should happen. Therefore, it would be well if these committees were set up in a time of peace and as something in our regular school life. It would be well to have such committees and to encourage them for the future rather than to wait for a crisis before a committee is set up.
With regard to secondary and vocational education, we should be glad if the Minister would give us some idea of the position which he promised would come into operation on 1st September next. Is he certain that he will have places for all the pupils who will require and demand post-primary education next September? What progress has he made with regard to the co-ordination of the various services— the utilisation of various facilities between vocational and secondary schools and school authorities; whether the questions of finance and control have been ironed out and, if not, what progress at least has been made to date?
It would now appear that a choice of school will not be available next September and this represents a very grave shortcoming in the whole system. We believe that post-primary education of some form is vitally important for every child. We believe, also, that it is vitally important that the child will receive the type of post-primary education to which he is most suited. We have always pressed for a career guidance service. At present, the number of comprehensive schools to be built will be very limited. The average child throughout the country will have to make the choice next year or the year after—if a choice exists—between vocational and secondary education. We should aim very quickly at a situation in which the child will have a choice and, with career guidance, will avail of the type of post-primary education to which his talents and bias particularly direct him.
We should like to hear more from the Minister about the question of university fees being kept down. We should also like to hear him say that he intends, before long, to introduce a system of maintenance grants for university students and, not alone that, but for vocational students and secondary school students. This is another priority in education for all post-primary pupils in the lower income groups. I believe we can do that. I believe we can make that available to those in our society who need it and, by so doing, we shall make a tremendous contribution socially and economically to the welfare of our country.
