asked the Minister for Education what plans are now in preparation for an extension of State comprehensive schools in areas of the country where there is a shortage of secondary schools.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - State Comprehensive Schools.
104.
What is involved in relation to this matter is the provision of adequate post-primary school facilities. Post-primary schools embrace comprehensive schools, secondary schools and vocational schools.
It is only in areas that are not otherwise adequately catered for in relation to post-primary schools that the question of providing comprehensive schools arises. Apart from serving such areas comprehensive schools serve as pilot centres for the development of the idea of comprehensive education. I hope through co-operation between existing secondary and vocational schools to promote the concept of comprehensive education in all areas in the country.
On this basis proposals for further comprehensive schools are at present confined to Raphoe, Ballymun, Limerick, Manorhamilton and Tarbert.
Is the Minister suggesting that in the rest of the country there are adequate post-primary facilities, both secondary and vocational? Is he not aware of the conclusions in the report, Investment in Education, and the result of the 1966 Census, which show disparities in educational opportunity throughout the country— as great as four to one between different areas — because of the absence of secondary education? Will he reconsider the decision not to proceed with further comprehensive schools in the light of that position?
What I have stated is that we have already established comprehensive schools in areas where it is difficult for children to have post-primary education, that we intend to build further comprehensive schools in the areas I have outlined but that, in the other areas, what we hope to do is to utilise all the facilities in the various schools to develop a comprehensive system of education in those other areas.
Is the Minister suggesting that in those other areas there are adequate facilities at the moment for secondary education, or that he is assured they will be developed by the private interests concerned?
In the areas which I have in mind there are these facilities. We are endeavouring to arrange that full use will be made of the facilities available in the various schools in the different areas so as to form a comprehensive system.
Is the Minister suggesting that the deficiencies in educational opportunity in various parts of the country which are shown up by the report and the census have been solved already? In view of their magnitude that would seem highly improbable.
What I am saying is that we have already gone a long way towards solving them.
You have stopped.
No. We are continuing.