asked the Minister for Education the examination fee for the 1974 group certificate examination.
Ceisteanna—Questions. - Group Certificate Examination.
79.
The entry fee for the day vocational school certificate examination, 1974, is £1.00 per candidate.
Would the Parliamentary Secretary say whether that indicates an increase over last year's fee and, if so, how much?
It does represent an increase. The entry fee for the 1973 day vocational school certificate examination was 30p per group.
So we have an increase from 30p to 100p this year?
The previous fee had been the same since 1957. In the meantime, the costs of administration of examinations had, of course, increased. Therefore, there was need for an increase in the fee and this is what happened.
Yes, but the Parliamentary Secretary is not indicating that the alleged causes for the increase occurred only since last April?
The point is that nothing had been done about this since 1957 despite the fact that there had been increasing costs. It was decided that in view of these increasing costs a decision, even if it were an unpopular one, should be taken.
I appreciate the co-operation of the Parliamentary Secretary but would he accept that perhaps we are thinking in wrong terms altogether in charging a fee for school examinations and that it is something which we should not be doing at all?
Sin ceist eile.