asked the Minister for Education his plans to ensure that the schools will mobilise every possible educative influence to help in the task of dealing with the total development and the total life of the student.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Educational Development.
96.
Mr. R. Burke
Briefly, I suppose that the answer to this question is that I plan to fulfil conscientiously my duties as Minister for Education, in accordance with the philosophy that the true purpose of education is the development and equipment of all the powers of the individual person—moral, intellectual and physical—so that, by making the fullest use of his talents, he may responsibly discharge his duties to God and to his fellowmen in society.
My activities and the activities of my Department in assisting the schools to serve this philosophy will be manifold. They include: curricular development based on experience and research; improvement in teacher training, both in the basic courses and by the provision of a comprehensive in-service training system; the extension of the educational psychologist service to meet as fully as possible the particular requirements of pupils who, for one reason or another, have special learning difficulties; a closer involvement of parents in the work of the schools, both in management and in a consultative capacity; the establishment of an organised system of adult education, the adjustment of the imbalance between what is generally referred to as academic education and education which has a practical content.
These are some—perhaps the more important of the elements in my educational planning—but the list I have given is not by any means exhaustive.
Deputy Dr. O'Connell used to say to me that when one gave a long answer the person asking the question was told nothing. What we have just had from the Minister is a typical example of that. It was a long answer but it did not answer my question. It was obviously written by some civil servant. It was a magnificent answer. May I ask the Minister if, in view of the technological advances taking place, he is satisfied that the ordinary school curriculum is fitting children properly for their roles in life?
Mr. R. Burke
Is the Deputy asking me if I believe the curriculum is suitable? Yes, I think so but, like the Deputy, I am always interested in improvements.
I am glad to hear the Minister is interested in improvements.
Would the Minister agree with me that we are turning out children with academic qualifications when we ought to be turning out children with technical qualifications? Would he not agree we have an imbalance as compared with other European countries and has he any plans to rectify that imbalance?
Mr. R. Burke
I have spoken on a number of occasions since becoming Minister about the imbalance in second level education, but I do not think we should take it necessarily for granted that turning out people with an academic education is a bad thing because I was assured by an Opposition Deputy that it is his particular experience that those who were given a broad general education were better suited to take up posts in a factory where there was need for technical expertise. In general, I think one could say that a broad general education is required up to about 16 and, after that, perhaps specialisation.
That brings me back to a question——
We cannot go back to questions that have already been asked and answered.
What concerns me is the child who comes out of school and how that child will fare in life——
The Deputy is making a statement.
——and, in relation to a question I asked a few days ago, I would like to ask the Minister now——
The Deputy may not go back on a question asked a few days ago. I am calling Question No. 97.
——if a child should be confined to an academic course or should he be allowed to develop some particular talent——
The Deputy will resume his seat. I have called Question No. 97.