asked the Minister for Education if he will make a comprehensive statement on the position of art education with particular reference to degree courses at the National College of Art and Design, Dublin, and at the other schools and colleges of art throughout the country.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Art Education.
10.
Discussions are taking place between the board of the National College of Art and Design and the National Council for Educational Awards in regard to the question of the validation of degree and other courses presented by the college.
With regard to the other schools and colleges of art throughout the country, the NCEA produced a policy document on Art and Design Studies in Higher Education in January 1977. The aim of the council is the creation of an integrated structure with opportunities for students to transfer from course to course and from centre to centre in accordance with their abilities and interests. The NCEA set out the awards which they propose to make as follows: (1) a certificate in visual education, following a foundation studies course of one year's duration. This course is intended to prepare those students who need further preparation for entry to the national certificate course in design or the specialist national diploma courses in art or design; (2) a national certificate in design following a broad-based twoyear course or its part-time equivalent, with a range of design options to be available nationally; (3) a national diploma in respect of specialist courses in art or design. This diploma may be awarded: (i) after a three-year course, or its part-time equivalent, in art or design; (ii) in the design area after a one-year course or its part-time equivalent, where students already possess the national certificate in design.
My Department have these proposals of the NCEA under consideration in relation to the overall requirements in the areas of art and design, the centres at which the courses should be developed and the training of teachers. It is proposed to initiate discussions with the NCEA and other relevant interests in due course.
Will the Minister indicate the position in relation to the NCAD in Dublin vis-à-vis the proposed connection with Trinity College? Will he state when he is going to bring them back to the NCEA? Secondly, will he state when the integrated policy will be firmly established? Thirdly, is the Minister aware of the grave dissatisfaction with the situation in the Dún Laoghaire college in relation to this matter?
With regard to the Trinity degree course, the development of a degree course between the National College of Art and Design and Trinity College followed as a result of a decision by the previous Government in December 1974 to take away from the National Council for Educational Awards the power to award degrees. I have indicated to the National College of Art and Design that I consider the appropriate degreeawarding body in their case should be the NCEA. I have written to the council to tell them that and I have also met them. I have had a very thorough discussion with them. That is the position. I appreciate very much the work that was done in the meantime, but the work flowed from the decision of December 1974. That decision has been rescinded and, consequently, the logical thing is for the NCEA to award the degree.
With regard to the second part of the supplementary question in relation to the integrated policy, the substance of my report dealt with that. The idea behind it is that a student can follow the foundation course or the certificate course in the various regional technical colleges and others where art courses are provided. Then they will be in a position to switch either to the National College of Art and Design or to some other college within the system. It is a perfectly logical and rational thing to do.
The third point raised by the Deputy was with regard to the College of Art in Dún Laoghaire. There is a different problem there. I met a deputation of students and parents this morning. The position there is that the college is a second-level college and the decision that has to be taken is whether it should be awarded third-level status. There are two points with regard to this which I discussed this morning with the deputation. The first point is: what is going to happen in the meantime? I am very pleased with the work that is being done there. The standard is very high and the award on an ad hoc basis of diplomas to the students and other awards by the NCEA indicates the very high standard of work there. They are worried about the immediate future and I have given them some assurances on that.
With regard to the third-level aspect, this will have to be considered in a broader context, in the context of the whole country and the development of art education generally. When I say that I am not excluding the possibility of its being a third-level college.
Will the Minister say when the integrated policy of which he spoke will be fully operational? In the Dún Laoghaire context particularly it appears an integrated policy will not apply, even though it is accepted that the work being done there is of a third-level nature.
The Deputy must have misunderstood me.
No.
I simply said that we have two stages in what we propose to do with regard to Dún Laoghaire. One is an assurance of the continuance of the school there and the second is to decide how to integrate it with a possible third-level development in the area, not necessarily exclusively a third-level college of art.
Is the Minister aware that the College of Art at Dún Laoghaire is operating now almost half-way through the year without any indication of what its budget will be for the whole year? Will the Minister give his immediate attention to this matter so that they may have their budget guaranteed and know how much money they have to spend?
That is a separate question, but if the Minister wishes to reply he may do so.
The Deputy is as well aware as I am that the budgeting for the college, which is part of the vocational school in the area, is a matter for the vocational education committee.
Is the Minister blaming the VEC?
I am not blaming anybody. I am simply giving the facts.
In regard to the status of the Dún Laoghaire school, could the Minister indicate who will make the recommendation as to whether Dún Laoghaire should remain a second-level college or propose that it become a third-level? Will he be making any recommendations on the future status of the Dún Laoghaire school?
If the Deputy takes into consideration what I said already, that this decision could only be taken in relation to the whole art education area in the country, he will see that there are very many interests whose advice we will have to take in the matter. Naturally the Department of Education will have their own views on this matter.
Question No. 11 is being answered by way of written reply.