asked the Minister for Education when he will make available full details of his proposal for the new "deep plan" community school buildings; if parents will be given a say in the type of educational conditions to be provided for their children; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Community School Buildings.
28.
The plans for the community school buildings have been shown to any group which expressed an interest in them. These plans were prepared by persons who had full understanding of the requirements of post-primary education.
Would the Minister be good enough to put particular emphasis on the second part of my question which asks "if parents will be given a say in the type of educational conditions to be provided for their children"? That is what I want the Minister to reply to.
The dragging in of parents generally into this matter is, I am afraid, an excuse for unwarranted criticism, not particularly from the Deputy but from others. I think the Deputy will accept that it would be difficult to have discussions with all the parents of the country in relation to the development of the type of school, and he can be assured that these schools have been developed by people who have excellent knowledge of the development of schools.
Surely the Minister agrees with me that parents have the right to offer constructive criticism for the Minister's consideration?
At any time that constructive criticism is offered to the Minister he is always glad to have it considered.
Is the Minister aware that the "deep plan" for the community school buildings was not a matter of public discussion or of public competition, that this new design is being foisted on the educational system without proper public discussion and that this has given rise to serious concern among people who are directly involved in education?
I would not agree that it has given concern to people who are directly involved in education. What I can say is that never before has so much research, study and appraisal gone into the development of a post-primary school design, and never have so many interested parties been involved in a development of this kind.
Does the Minister not agree that enough work has not been done in informing the people of what the community schools are all about and why the design of the community school is as it is at the moment; and that there is an immense amount of information in the Department and first-class people there to explain this to the people if they would only go out in advance of imposing a community school on the people to talk to them about the whole system?
When they did go out they were criticised here for having gone out.
They went out too late. The atmosphere was all wrong.
I do not know what the atmosphere was at that time, but the Deputy can take it that the proposals are generally accepted now.
(Interruptions.)
Order. Question No. 29.