Tá an tam caite ach tá na Teachtaí san Teach sásta cúpla nóiméadaí a thabhairt don Aire chun an óráid a chríochnú.
Estimates, 1980. - Vóta 29
Coimsíonn Vota 29:
(a) costaisí riaracháin na Roinne Oideachais
(b) na seirbhísí ealaín agus cultúrtha a chuireann an Musaem agus an Leabharlann Náisiúnta ar fáil agus
(c) seirbhísí ilghnéitheacha oideachasúla.
Tá iomlán glan de £35,143,000 á iarraidh i mbliana don Vóta seo, sin méadú de £1,085,000 ar an méid a cuireadh ar fáil anuraidh. Siad na neithe is mó is cúis leis an méadú seo ná:
(1) Na Deontais Ardoideachais (Fo-mhírcheann C.1) atá £247,500 níos aoirde,
(2) £52,000 breise atá á chur ar fáil i leith Scoláireachtaí Ollscoile, Deontais Taighde agus Comhaltachtaí (Fo-mhírcheann C.2),
(3) £70,000 breise do na Coláistí a chuireann cúrsaí i nGaeilge ar fáil (Fo-mhírcheann D.2),
(4) Méadú £120,000 ins an soláthar le haghaidh deontais do na micléinn i gColáiste Oideachais Thuamhan (Fo-mhírcheann D.6),
(5) £310,000 breise atá á chur ar fáil d'údaráis na scol náisiúnta agus na meánscol mar dheontais i leith seirbhísí chléireachais (Fo-mhírcheann D.8),
(6) Breis de £255,000 sna deontais d'eagraíochtaí dheonacha chun oifigigh forbartha a fhostú (Fo-mhírcheann D.10),
(7) Costais riaracháin na Roinne a mbeidh ardú measta de £1,546,000 iontu, ar a n-áirítear £1,359,000 breise i leith tuarastal, pá is liúntaisí (Fo-mhírcheann A.1.), £52,000 breise i leith costaisí taistil agus fo-chostais oifigeach na Roinne (Fo-mhírcheann A.2), £10,000 breise i leith inneallra agus soláthairtí oifige (Fo-mhírcheann A.3) agus £125,000 breise i leith seirbhísí a sholáthraíonn Oifig an Phoist (Fo-mhírcheann A.4).
Meastar go gcaithfear £7,869,000 ar fad ar thuarastal, ar phá agus ar liúntaisí na foirne—idir lucht riaracháin agus foireann phroifisiúnta—sa Roinn i mbliana. Siad na fáthanna atáleis an méadú de £1,359,000 ar sholáthar na bliana 1979 ná go bhfuil costas iomlán bliana i gceist i leith—
—Cuid II den Chomhaontú Náisiúnta Pá, 1978,
—Cuid I den Chomhaontu Pá, 1979, agus
—Comhaontaithe éagsúla eadarghabhála, eadrána agus eile a déineadh i rith na bliana seo caite maidir le cúrsaí tuarastail.
Tá soláthar déanta freisin don dara chuid den chomhaontú pá a déineadh i 1979, agus a bhfuil feidhm léi ón gcéad lá Márta 1980 agus do na hárduithe i ranníoca leasa sóisialaigh na bhfostóirí, maille leis an gnath-mhéadú a bhaineann le hincremintí.
Feabhsú ar na liúntais taistil is mó is cúis leis an mbreis de £52,000 atá á lorg i leith costais taistil agus eile. Is i leith seirbhísí poist an t-árdú de £125,000 atá á lorg faoin teideal Seirbhísí Oifig an Phoist. Is ionann iomlán na gcostas riaracháin a choimsíonn na Fomhírchinn atá faoin litir A agus £9,379,000, ionann is 1.9 faoin gcéad den soláthar glan iomlán atá sna sé Vótaí a bhaineann le mo Roinn, rud a léiríonn go bhfuil na costaisí riaracháin seo á gcoinneáil ag an minimum.
Séard is cúis leis an £120,000 breise atá á chur ar fáil mar dheontais do mhicléinn Choláiste Oideachais Thuamhan (Fo-mhírcheann D.6) go bhfuil líon na macléinn atá ag freastal ar an gColáiste ag méadú. Chomh maith leis na cúrsaí chun múinteoirí corpoideachais a oiliúint, ta cúrsaí speisialta oiliúna ann anois do mhúinteoirí in eolaíocht ghinearálta agus tuaith-eolaíocht, in adhmadóireacht agus foirgneolaíocht, agus i miotalóireacht agus eolaíocht innealtóireachta. Cuireadh tús leis na cúrsaí breise seo i bhfomhar na bliana 1979 nuair a glacadh isteach le micléinn na céad bliana i ngach ceann de na cúrsaí.
Sa bhliain 1980 beidh grúpa nua macléinn céad bliana ag clárú i ngach cúrsa agus beartaítear freisin grúpaí breise a bhfuil taithí ceirde acu a earcú do na cúrsaí in adhmadóireacht agus i miotalóireacht, agus iad a leigint isteach sa dara bhliain den chúrsa ceithre bliana. Beidh na micléinn seo níos sine, i gcoitinne, beidh roinnt bhliain caite acu ag obair go lán-aimsireach agus beidh leibhéal ard sroiste acu i scoileanna a gceirdeanna.
Is ionann go díreach na rátaí deontais atá iníoctha leis na hoiliúnaithe ar na cúrsaí ceithre bliana seo agus na deontais atá iníoctha faoin scéim deontais ardoideachais. Beidh deontais speisialta iníoctha leis na micléinn sin a mbeidh taithí oibre acu sna céirdeanna éagsúla.
Tá soláthar £1,160,000 á chur ar fáil chun deontais a íoc i leith seirbhísí cléireachais i scoileanna náisiúnta agus i meánscoileanna (Fo-mhírcheann D.8) nó £310,000 níos mó ná bhí ann i 1979. Tá thart ar 400 cúntóir cléireachais ar fhostú faoí láthair i 600 scoileanna náisiúnta. Is féidir le cúntóir cléireachais a bheith i bpáirt idir scoileanna, faoí théarmaí na scéime seo.
Cuireadh Fo-mhírcheann nua, G.1, sa Vóta d'Oifig an Aire Oideachais i mbliana, faoin teideal "Ciste Deontas-i-gCabhair d'Imeachtaí Chultúrtha, Eolaíochta agus Oideachasúla", agus tá dáileadh £135,000 i gceist ann. Féadfar deontais a íoc as an dáiliú seo leis na heagraíochtaí seo a leanas: Aontas, Coláiste an Phobail, Foras Éireann, An Cumann Scoldrámaíochta, Institiúid Náisiúnta Scannán na hÉireann, An Institiúid Oideachais do Dhaoine Fásta, Baile Átha Cliath, The Royal Zoological Society of Ireland, The Irish Committee of Historical Sciences, The Chester Beatty Library, Bantracht na Tuaithe, An Cumann le Bealoideas Éireann, The Music Association of Ireland, The Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland. Roimhe seo bhí fo-mhírcheann ar leith sa Vóta do gach ceann acu seo. An tathrú seo, atá faofa ag an gCoiste um Chuntais Phoiblí, déanfaidh sé éascaíocht don Roinn maidir le riar na ndeontas ar na heagraíochtaí i gceist. Cuirfear mion-innsint ar na deontais a iocfar as an gciste ar fáil sna Cuntais Leithreasa amach annseo.
Tá suim £1,392,000 á sholáthar i bhFo-mhírcheann G.3 chun cúnamh a chur ar fáil d'eagraíochtaí Óige agus Spóirt sa bhliain 1980, agus chun na beartais nua a tionscnaíodh anuraidh ar mhaithe le gníomhaíochtaí don óige agus don spóirt a choinneáil ag imeacht. Ar na beartais nua sin bhí scoláireachtaí spóirt, a chuidíonn le daoine óga a chruthaigh go maith i spóirteanna áirthe, leanacht ar aghaidh leis na spóirteanna sin le linn dóibh bheith ag staidéar le haghaidh pé cáilíocht acadúil atá rompu amach.
Beartaítear tuille scoláireachtaí a thairiscint i mbliana. Cuireadh dlús le comórtas i ndéanamh bád, chun úsáid ár n-uiscí chósta agus ár locha is aibhneacha mar áiseanna pléisúir a chur chun cinn, sa scoil-bhliain seo. Tá an comórtas teoranta do scoileanna iarbhunoideachais a bhfuil adhmadóireacht mar ábhar iontu, agus tabharfar an breithiúnas i gCionn tSáile i Mí Meitheamh.
Beartaítear, freisin, dáiliu eigin aírgid spóirt a dhéanamh chun comhoibriú treasna na teorann a fhorbairt agus chun eagraíochtaí spoirt a spreagadh le comortais lenar muintir i dTuaisceart Éireann a leathnú amach.
I 1979, d'aontaigh an tAire Stáit i mo Roinnse, i gcomhair le Bárdas Átha Cliath agus le Comhairle Chontae Átha Cliath, go gcuirfí airgead ar fáil chun raon lúthchleasa sintéiseacha de chaighdeán Oilimpiceach a chur ar fáil i Stáid Mhorton i Seantrabh maraon le háiseanna caighdeánacha d'imeachtaí páirce. Beidh siad seo ar fad ar fáil le haghaidh úsáid an phobail. Tá suim airgid curtha ar fáil i 1980 ag an Roinn chun an scéim seo a thabhairt cun críche.
De bharr an tsoláthair le haghaidh spóirt i mbliana beidh COSPÓIR, An Chomhairle Náisiúnta Spóirt, a bunaíodh chun cuidiú le hAire Stáit na Roinne polasaí an Rialtais i leith Spóirt don Uile Dhuine a chur i gcrích, ábalta leanúint lena bhfeachtas bríomhar san am atá romhainn. Beartaíonn an chomhairle imeachtaí ar nós Lá Spóirt don Uile Dhuine, Lá Náisiúnta Rothar, Lá Náisiúnta, Siúlóide, Lá Náisiúnta Uisce, Lá Náisiúnta Liathróid Láimhe a chur ar bun. Tá teangmháil déanta le Comhairle Spóirt an Tuaiscirt agus beartaítear Comh-Lá Náisiúnta Spóirt don Uile Dhuine i gcomhar le Tuaisceart Éireann a reachtáil níos déanaí sa bhliain. Tá feabhas ag teacht ar ár gcaidreamh le Comhairle Spóirt na Breataine.
Beidh mo Roinnse freagrach as eagrú Comhdhála thábhachtaigh de chuid Comhairle na hEorpa faoin téama "Rannpháirtíocht na mBan i Spórt a Fheabhsú" a reachtáilfear i gCaisleán Átha Cliath i Mí Dheireadh Fomhair. Beidh ionadaithe ó gach ballstáit de Chomhairle na hEorpa i láthair.
Tá sé beartaithe ag an Aire Stáit coinneáil ar aghaidh i mbliana ag leathnú na seirbhísí a chuirtear ar fáil do dhaoine óga, agus cheanna féin, tá sé tar éis 1980 a ainmniú mar bhliain ina mbeidh an uasmhéid chaidrimh ann, idir dhaoine óga ó thuaidh agus ó dheas den Teorann. Tionscnófar scéim dheontais speisialta chun cúnamh a thabhairt do bhaill, do ghrúpaí agus do chlubanna óige taisteal chuig an Tuaisceart le bheith páirteach i ngníomhartha oiriúnacha lena gcáirde ó Thuaidh.
Tá pleanáil á déanamh i mo Roinn le Scéim Náisiúnta Duaiseanna do dhaoine óga a chur ar bun, a chuirfeadh ar a gcumas a bheith páirteach i réimse leathan gníomhaíochtaí sóisialta, spóirtiúla agus cultúrtha as a bhfaigheadh siad aitheantas dá gcuid éachtaí i bhfoirm duaise chuí.
Tá mo Roinn ag cur ciste ar fáil freisin i mbliana chun feachtas náisiúnta le híomhá obair óige agus eagraíochtaí óige a fheabhsú. Táthar ag súil go spreagfaidh sé seo tuilleadh cinnirí fásta le dul sa tseirbhís ógra—agus tá sé sin ana-thábhactach. Reachtáilfear sraith imeachtaí i rith na bliana le poiblíocht a thabhairt d'aidhmeanna an fheachtais a thiocfas chun buaice fán deireadh seachtaine saoire i Mí Dheireadh Fómhair. Cuireadh an Clár Oiliúna Inseirbhíse d'oibrithe lánaimseartha i leith na hóige le chéile i 1979 le Bórd Bainistíochta Idirlinne. Beidh an clár seo ag feidhmiú go hiomlán i mbliana, de bhárr structúr seasta a beith curtha ar fáil d'oiliúnt inseirbhíse d'oibrithe ógra lán-aimseartha.
De bhárr fógairt na bliana anuraidh faoi chrúthú post nua mar oifigigh fhorbartha d'eagraíochtaí deonacha, is breá liom a rá gur deineadh 60 ceapachán go dtí seo agus táthar ag súil go gceapfar an fuíollach i mbliana. Cuireann na hoifigigh seo seirbhísí riachtanacha cúl-taca ar fáil go lán-aimsireach do go leor oibrithe deonacha, iad sin atá mar chnámh droma ag na heagraíochtaí deonacha seo. Tá soláthar déanta don tseirbhís seo i bhFo-mhírcheann D.10.
Mar a bhíodh cheana, cuirfear an chuid is mó d'airgead mo Roinne i gcóir an aosa óig ar fáil tré dheontais i leith seirbhísí óige do bhoird riaracháin náisiúnta eagraíochtaí deonach ógra. Forbairt eile sa réim seo go mbunófar deontais, san todhchaí, ar líon na bhfostaithe lán-aimseartha agus a gcláracha.
Lena chois seo leanfaidh mo Roinnse lena chuid tacaíochta d'eagraíochtaí ógra a bhéas páirteach in iomlaoid chultúrtha le tíortha Eorpacha eile. Táthar ag súil go mbeidh ceannaírí ó eagraíochtaí óige in Éirinn páirteach i gcúrsaí, gníomhaíochtaí agus imeachtaí idirnáisiúnta sa bhFrainc, sa Bheilg agus sa Ghearmaíin sa bhliain atá romhainn. De bhrí go n-eagraítear rudaí den tsaghas seo ar bhun comh-shocruithe, táthar ag súil go gcuirfidh eagraíochtaí Éireannacha aíocht ar fáil, ar a seal féin, do ghrúpaí a d'fhillfeadh ar Éirinn ó na tíortha seo.
Leanfar leis an scéim le haghaidh fostú ógra i mbliana. Tá suim do £500,000 curtha ar fáil sna meastacháin chun íoc as scéimeanna a ceadaíodh anuraidh. Lena chois seo, cuirfear £1,065,000 ar fáil don scéim i 1980 as an gciste speisialta fostaíochta.
Freisin, bheinn ag súil go mbeadh an scéim i dteideal cúnaimh arís i mbliana ó Chiste Sóisialta na hEorpa. Anuraidh fuarthas cioníocaíocht de £213,000 don scéim.
Chuir eagraíochtaí óige, spóirt agus pobail suim mhór sa scéim seo, D'éirigh leis an scéim taithí fostaíochta a thabhairt do dhaoine óga agus áiseanna nua agus saoráidí feabhsaithe a chur ar fáil do phobail áitiúla. Tá éifeacht leis ar scéim chomh maith céanna sa bhaile mór agus thíos faoin tír.
Beartaítear i mbliana, i gcás oibreacha tógála a nglacfar leo faoin scéim, cuid áirithe de chostas an ábhair agus costas lucht céirde ar feadh roinnt seachtainí a áireamh chun críche deontais.
Is é £190,570,000 an t-iomlán atá á iarraidh don bhunoideachas, Vóta 30, ar a n-áiritear aoisliúntais múinteoiri náisiúnta. Méadú glan de £24,670,000 é seo. An t-ardú £21,232,000 i gcostas tuarastal múinteoirí náisiúnta (Fo-mhírcheann C.1) is príomh-chúis leis an méadú.
Seo iad na rudaí eile a bhfuil méaduithe móra iontu:
(1) Deontais do na Coláistí Oiliúna (Fo-mhírcheann A.1)—£138,000.
(2) Deontais agus iasachtaí don lucht oiliúna (A.2)—£160,000.
(3) Deontais chaipitíochta i leith chostais riartha scoileanna náisiúnta (C.5)—£50,000.
(4) Beartais speisialta oideachasúla (C.8)—£75,000.
(5) Deontais chun feighlithe a fhostú i scoileanna náisiúnta (C.9)—£540,000.
(6) Cúntóirí le aire a thabhairt do leanaí i scoileanna do pháistí a bhfuil bac ortha (C.10)—£139,000.
(7) Aoisliúntais múinteoirí (D.)—£1,967,000.
(8) Tógáil, feistiú agus gléasadh scoileanna náisiúnta (E)—£500,000.
Tá £21,232,000 breise á soláthar do thuarastail múinteoirí chun díol as árduithe pá a fuair na muinteoirí faoin Réiteach Náisiúnta agus faoi théarmaí na scéime Idir-réitigh agus Eadrána do Mhúinteoirí Náisiúnta a bhfuil mo Roinn páirteach inti. Tá soláthar déanta, chomh maith, chun 650 post nua múinteoireachta a chruthú sa scoil-bhliain 1980-81, 350 chun freastal ar an méadú i líon na ndaltaí agus 300 chun an coibheas daltaí-múinteoirí a fheabhsú. Ó chuaigh mé i mbun oifige mar Aire i Mí an Iúil, 1977 tá 950 post breise cruthaithe d'aonghnó chun an coibheas daltaí-múinteoirí a fheabhsú, agus mar a dúirt mé cheana cuirfear 300 post eile leis an lion sin i Mí Mheán-Fhomhair na bliana seo. Sa bhliain 1967-77 do b'é 30.5:1 an meá-choibheas daltaímúinteoirí sna scoileanna náisiúnta; meastar coibheas na bliana 1980-81 ag 28.4:1.
Mhéadaigh líon na ndaltaí ó 545,218 sa bhliain scoile 1978-89 go tuairim is 550,500 sa bhliain 1979-80. Is é léon na múinteoirí faoi láthair ná 19,000 agus beartaítear an líon sin a mhéadú go 19,600 faoi dheireadh na bliana 1980.
Ins an soláthar a deineadh i leith Deontais do na Coláistí Oiliúna tá suim £950,000 i leith oibreacha chaipitil agus £4,736,000 i leith chostais reatha na gcoláistí. Caithfear an t-airgead caipitil chun mór-oibreacha leithnithe ag trí chinn de na coláistí oiliúna a chríochnú, agus chun an chóiriocht bhreise a ghléasadh. Arduithe tuarastail de thoradh an Réitigh Náisiúnta, is mó is cúis leis an méadú de £788,000 i gcostaisí reatha na gcoláistí.
Tá 2,707 macléinn sna coláistí sa bhliain acadúil 1979-80; orthu sin tá 2,536 ag gabháil don chúrsa Baitsiléar Oideachais agus 171 céimithe ag frestal an chúrsa bliana don Diploma.
Tá méadú déanta ar an soláthar i leith deontais is iasachtaí don lucht oiliúna, chun méaduithe i dtáillí na gColáistí agus ins na deontais a chlúdach. Faoí lathair tá 1,209 macléinn i seilbh deontas agus 31 i seilbh iasachtaí—46 faoin gcéad ar fad den líon macléinn sna Coláistí.
D'fhógair mé anuraidh go raibh dáiliú speisialta airgid á dhéanamh chun teagasc na Gaeilge sna Coláistí seo a neartú, tré postanna breise sna Ranna Gaeilge a chur dá gcruthú. Tá na postanna nua sin líonta anois. Tionóladh sraith cruinnithe idir oifigigh de chuid mo Roinne agus údaráis na gcoláistí ó shin, chun iniúchadh a dhéanamh le chéile ar na bealaigh ina bhféadfadh na coláistí iarracht níos fearr a dhéanamh, sa chéad áit chun na micléinn a ullmhú mar mhúinteoirí inniúla Ghaeilge agus, sa dara háit, chun an díogras speisialta sin i leith teanga agus cultúr na Gaeilge a chothú iontu, a theastóidh má tá siad chun grá don teangain a thiomnú dá ndaltaí. Tá iarrtha agam cheana ar na múinteoirí go léir an Ghaeilge a úsáid an oiread agus is féidir mar ghnáth-theanga na scoile. Tá mé sásta go mbeidh toradh ar an iarratas seo. Rinne na múinteoirí bunscoile, go h-áirithe, obair antábhachtach le 60 bliain anuas chun teanga agus cultúr na Gaeilge a chur ar aghaidh. Tá aird ag údaráis na gColáistí Oiliúna freisin ar na dualgais atá orthu maidir le dílseacht do na hídéil seo a chumhdach.
It fíú £11 in aghaidh gach dalta an deontas caipitíochta a íoctar le bainisteoirí scoileanna náisiúnta anois. Caithfidh siadsan £2.75, ar a laghad, in aghaidh gach dalta a chur leis sin ó fhoinsí áitiúla, chun costais reatha na scol ó lá go a chludach. Is é £660 an deontas minimum a íocann mo Roinn le scoil ar bith.
Tá £540,000 breise á chur ar fáil chun feighlithe a fhostú i scoileanná náisiúnta. I láthair na huaire tá 256 acu ar fhostú sna scoileanna is mó. Roinntear feighlí idir dhá scoil, scaití.
Tá £139,000 breise á sholáthar i leith fostú cúntóiri chun aire a thabhairt do leanaí i scoileanna speisialta. Tá 79 acu ar fhostú faoi láthair. 'Sí an fheidhm atá leis na cúntóirí seo, dualgais ghnáthchúraim na leanaí a thógáil de na múinteoirí, le go mbeidh siadsan in ann a gcúramaí oideolaíocha a chomhlíonadh níos éifeachtúla. Tá síor-fhorbairt 'á dhéanamh ar an soláthar d'oideachas speisialta. I láthair na huaire tá 8,083 páistí ag fáil oideachais speisialta i 108 scoileanna. Tá, chomh maith, 2,135 páistí i ranganna speisialta i ngnáthscoileanna. Sna gnáth-scoileanna náisiúnta tá, freisin, níos mó na 500 múinteoirí feabhais a thugann cabhair teagaisc do pháistí chúlmhara. Cruthófar tuille postanna i mbliana de réir mar a thiocfaidh an riachtanas chun solais, go háirithe sna scoileanna a bhfuil líon mhór páistí culmhara iontu.
Tá Beartas Sráid Rutland 'á choinneáil ar bun, ní hamháin mar sheirbhís speisialta don limistéar sin i lár na cathrach, ach fós mar acmhainn gur féidir tarraingt aisti ar mhaithe le hoideachas do lucht an mhíbhuntáiste i gcoitinne. Tá tríi bheartas ar siúl faoin teideal "Teangmháil leis an Aos Og", péire i mBaile Átha Cliath agus ceann i Luimneach. Táthar ag féachaint le ceann nua a bhunú i gCorcaigh, in áit bheartais eile a bhí cheana ann. Soláthraítear do na beartais seo ar fad i bhFómhírcheann C.8.
Is chun pinsin, cnap-shuimeanna agus aiscí aoisliúntais a íoc le múinteoirí náisiúnta agus le baintreacha is páistí iar-mhúinteoirí an soláthar atá 'á dhéanamh faoí Fhomhírcheann D. Tá £1,967,000 níos mó ag teastáil i mbliana, méadú de 9.9 faoin gcéad ar an dáiliú a deineadh anuraidh. Eiríonn an méadú as arduithe i dtuarastal múinteoirí. I bhFo-mhírcheann E tá dáiliú £17 milliún i leith tógáil is gléasadh scoileanna náisiúta, rud a chuirfeas ar mo chumas cóiríocht bhreise scoile a chur ar fáil:
—i gceantair nua tithíochta atá gan bunscoileanna nó gan dóthain áiteanna scoile,
—in ionaid a bhfuil foirgnimh mhíshásúla scoile iontu faoi láthair,
—mar scoileanna speisialta nua do pháistí faoí bhac, agus
—mar scoileanna nua in áit scoileanna beaga i gceantair tuaithe.
Tá soláthar ann freisin chun scoileanna atá ann cheana a fheabhsú áit a bhfuil an chóiríocht as dáta nó a bhfuil saoráidí breise ag teastáil chun an curaclam nua a oibriú.
Cuirtear airgead ar fáil don oideachas dara leibhéil sna Vótaí Meánoideachais agus Gairmoideachais, Vótaí 31 agus 32. Tá mé chun plé leo in éinfheacht, mar a rinne mé sna blianta roimhe seo, mar go mbreathnaím ar an oideachas seo ar an dara leibhéal mar aonad amháin sa chóras oideachais atá againn. Ní léir dom gur féidir caitheamh go sásúil le ceachtar Vóta ina aonar tar éis gach cor a tharla le 20 bliain anuas chun seans níos fearr ar oideachas den dara leibhéal a thabhairt do na daltaí go léir a bhfuil aois 12 bhliain sroiste acu. Féachfaidh mé chuige i gcónaí, taobh istigh de theorainneacha an airgid is féidir a chur ar fáil, go gcuirfear an cineál oideachais dara leibhéil is fearr a fhónann d'ár ndaltaí óga agus d'fhorbairt na tíre ar fáil. Is ar an mbealach sin a bheimíd in ann, de réir a chéile, príomh-chuspóir an oideachais ar an dara leibhéal a bhaint amach, is é sin, daoine óga a chur ar aghaidh agus a fhorbairt ar gach bealach—oideachasúil, sóisialta agus mórálta—chun iad a chur faoi réir cheart don saol atá rompu amach.
Roimh an bhliain scoile 1979-80 do b'éigean múinteoirí feabhais do na meánscoileanna, na gairmscoileanna agus na scoileanna pobail teacht as an gnáth-chuóta a ceadaíodh don scoil. D'fhógair mé anuraidh go raibh sé beartaithe agam, í bhfeidhmiú mo pholasaí chun tosaíocht a thabhairt do dhaltaí laga, postannaex-quota mar mhúinteoirí feabhais a cheadú sna scoileanna iarbhunoideachais. Ceadaíodh thart ar 100 post den chineál sin sa scoil-bhliain 1979-80. Tá rún agam 100 post eile mar seo a cheadú sa scoilbhliain 1980-81, i scoileanna a bhfuil fianaise ar fáil dom Roinn go bhfuil múinteoirí feabhais ag teastáil iontu.
Tá £134,347,000 ar fad á iarraidh don Vóta Meánoideachais, Vóta 31, nó £14,296,000 glan níos mó ná mar a tugadh anuraidh.
Seo iad na neithe is mó a mhéadaigh:
(1) Deontais bhreise in áit Táillí Teagaisc (Fo-mhírcheann A.2) a mhéadaigh £1,135,000.
(2) Deontas i leith Tuarastal Incremintiúil (Fo-mhírcheann B) a mhéadaigh £10,612,000.
(3) Scrúdúcháin (Fo-mhírcheann C) a mhéadaigh £399,000.
(4) Costais reatha Scoileanna Coimsitheacha agus Pobail (Fo-mhírcheann H.1) a mhéadaigh £3,554,000.
Tá méadú £350,000 sa mheastachán i leith Faltais-i-gCabhair (Fo-mhírcheann K).
Deineadh na Deontais Bhreise in áit Táillí Teagaisc do na meánscoileanna atá páirteach sa scéim saoroideachais iarbhunscoile a ardú anuraidh ó £66.50 go £70, le héifeacht ó 1 Lúnasa 1979. Tá soláthar na bliana seo do na deontais sin £1,135,000 níos mó ná mar tugadh anuraidh, toisc go meastar go mbeidh méadú de thuairim is 4,000 ar líon na macléinn in-aitheanta agus toisc go bhfuil costas bliana iomláine den ardú ins an ráta deontais ó 1 Lúnasa 1979 le seasamh sa bhlian airgeadais seo.
Beidh £10,612,000 breise ag teastáil i mbliana do na Deontais i leith Tuarastal Incremintiúil (Fo-mhírcheann B). Arduithe tuarastail faoin Scéim Idir-Réitigh is Eadrána do na múinteoirí, agus an síor-mhéadú ar líon na múinteoirí, toisc níos mó daltaí bheith ag clárú sna meánscoileanna, is cúis leis an gcostas breise.
Tá beagnach 199,500 daltaí sna meánscoileanna aitheanta sa scoil-bhliain seo 1979-80, i gcomórtas le 197,000 sa scoil-bhliain 1978-79. Tá 11,460 múinteoir i dteideal tuarastal incremintiúil ó mo Roinn—230 níos mó ná mar bhí ag tosach na scoilbhliana 1978-79. Tá soláthar déanta sa mheastachán seo do 200 múinteoir bhreise ó 1 Lúnasa 1980.
Méadú de £399,000 atá i gceist sa mheastachán do na scrúdúcháin— meánteistiméireacht agus ardteistiméireacht—chun arduithe sna rátaí a íoctar i leith leagan na bpáipéirí, marcáil agus feitheoireacht a chlúdach, chomh maith le méaduithe sna rátaí i leith taistil agus iostais.
Seo iad uimhreacha na ndaltaí a cuireadh faoí scrúdú i 1979:
Meánteistiméireacht, 49,980.
Ardteistiméireacht—iarrthóirí eachtracha san áireamh, 41,937.
Tá sé socair agam i bprionsabal trialacha béil i nuatheangacha Eorpacha a thabhairt isteach céim ar chéim i scrúdú na hardteistiméireachta i mblianta seo na naoi déag ochtóidí. Mar chéad chéim, chuir mé scéim phíolóiteach ar bun, i bhFraincis amháin agus ar bhonn roghnach, do dhaltai a bheidh ag dul faoi scrúdú na hardteistiméireachta ins an ábhar sin imbliana.
'Sí an dara céim a thógfas mé, Coiste Comhairleach Siollabais don Fhraincís a thionól: déanfaidh an coiste seo, le cabhair torthaí na scéime piolóití seo, an siollabas don Fhraincis a leasú chun go mbeadh an triail seo mar chuid dílis den scrúdú ardteistiméireachta innte i lárbhlianta na n-ochtóidí. Cuirfear coistí den chineál chéanna ar bun don Ghearmáinis, don Spáinnis agus don Iodáilis, chun na cuspóra céanna.
An méadú de £3,554,000 ar chostais reatha na scol coimsitheach agus pobail—Fó-mhírcheann H.1—éiríonn sé as méadú i líon na múinteoirí agus i líon na scol, don chuid is mó.
I mbliana tá 15 de scoileanna choimsitheacha agus 30 scoil phobail ann, a fhreastalaíonn do 24,700 daltaí. Thosnuigh ceithre scoil nua pobail ag obair sa scoilbhlian 1979-80, i mBiorra, i mBaile an Bhlácaigh, i bPort Mearnóg agus i mBaile an Easpaig, agus tá cúig cinn nua eile—i mBéal Áille agus i mBayside (Cill Fhionntain) i gCo. Átha Cliath, i Léim an Bhradáin, Co. Chill Dara, agus i mBaile Chaisleáin Bhéarra agus i gCarraig Uí Leighin i gCo. Chorchaí, le teacht i bhfeidhm i 1980. Meastar go méadóidh an líon daltaí ins na scoileanna coimsitheacha agus pobail de 1,650 faoi Mheán-Fhómhair na bliana seo.
Meastar go mbeidh na Fáltais-igCabhair (Fó-mhírcheann K) £350,000 níos aoirde i mbliana; méadaithe ins na táillí scrúdúin d'iarrthóirí ar na scrúdúcháin ardteistiméireachta agus mean-teistiméireachta is mó is cúis leis seo.
Don Ghairmoideachas, tá iomlán de 82,221,000 á lorg i mbliana don Vóta seo—Vóta 32—ardú glan de £13,541,500. Seo iad na neithe is mó a d'arduigh:
1. Deontais bhliantúla do na Coistí Gairmoideachais (Fo-mhírcheann A)—ardú de £9,443,800.
2. Iocaíochtaí i leith Aoisliúntas (Fo-mhírcheann F)—ardú de £584,000.
3. Costais reatha na gCeárd-Choláistí Réigiúnach (Fo-mhírcheann H.1)—ardú de £3,258,100.
4. Deontais Tógála agus Costais Chaipitil i leith Ceárd-Choláistí Réigiúnach, Coláistí Teicniúla eile agus Coláistí Speisialta Oiliúna Múinteoirí (Fo-mhírcheann H.2)—Ardú de £500,000.
Tá ardú measta de £361,000 ar na Fáltais-i-gCabhair (Fo-mhírcheann I).
'Siad na neithe is cúis leis an ardú de £9,443,800 ins na deontais bhliantúla do na Coistí Gairmoideachais ná
(a) go meastar go dtiocfaidh méadú ar líon na ndaltaí ins na scoileanna gairmoideachais, agus leathnú dá réir sin ar na scéimeanna, sa chaoi go mbeidh postanna breise múinteoireachta, agus postanna eile nach postanna múinteoireachta iad, le cruthú,
(b) go bhfuil rátaí tuarastail níos aoirde, de bharr Chomhaontú 1979 maidir le polasaí pá,
(c) go bhfuil ardú ins na costais reatha—teas, solas, leabhair, páipéarachas, ábhar ranga, fearas breise agus cothabháil is athnuachan treallaimh.
Tá 246 gairmscoileanna den dara leibhéal ann maille le naoi gcoláiste a fhreastalaíonn do leibhéil níos aoirde, agus tá tuairim is 71,500 macléinn iontu. 5,320 an líon measta múinteoirí lán-aimsire atá ar fhostú ag na coistí, agus tugann múinteoirí pháirt-aimsire tuairim is 840,000 uaireanta teagaisc sa bhlian.
An méadú de £584,000 san dáiliú i leith íocaíochtaí aoisliúntais, baineann sé le méaduithe ins na liúntais do dhaoine atá ar phinsin cheana agus le méaduithe ins na h-aiscí agus ins na pinsin a deonfar i mbliana, de bharr méaduithe tuarastail faoí na Comhaontaithe Náisiúnta Pá. Is mar aisíoc leis na h-údaráis rátúcháin, faoi alt 25 (3) den Acht Oideachais Ghairme Beatha, 1930, agus faoi na hAchtanna Rialtais Áitiúil (Aoisliúntais) 1948 agus 1956, a deintear na h-íocaíochtaí seo. Is ionann iad agus 50 faoin gcéad den airgead iomlán a íocann na h-údaráis rátúcháin amach mar aiscí nó mar phinsin le h-iar mhúinteoirí agus le daoine eile a bhí ar fhostú ag coistí gairmoideachais.
Tá soláthar breise de £3,258,100 ag teastáil i leith costais reatha na gCeárd-Choláistí Réigiúnach (Fo-mhírcheann H.1) toisc:
(a) go bhfuil níos mó postanna ins na coláistí, idir postanna múinteoireachta agus eile, de thoradh an córas bheith ag leathnú amach agus tuille macléinn ag clárú,
(b) go bhfuil ardú ar na tuarastail i gcoitinne de thoradh chomhaontú 1979 i leith polasaí pá, agus
(c) go bhfuil na gnáth-chostais reatha, ar nós solas is teas, glantóireacht, deisiú fearais, fearas nua, ábhar ranga, leabhair is páipéarachas, ag méadú.
Naoi gcinn de cheárd-choláistí réigiúnacha atá 'á reachtáil ag na coistí gairmoideachais i gCeatharlach, i Litir Ceanainn, i nGaillimh, in Áth Luain, i nDún Dealgan, i bPort Láirge, i Sligeach, i gCorcaigh agus i dTrá Lí. Tá tuairim is 4,630 macléinn lánaimsireacha cláraithe iontu. Meastar go bhfuil 890 múinteoir lán-aimsire ar fhostú ins na coláistí agus tugtar thart ar 44,000 uaireanta teagaisc pháirt-aimsire iontu.
Meastar go mbeidh na Fáltais-i-gCabhair £361,000 níos mó i mbliana. Tá súil le £180,000 breise ó Chiste Shóisialta an Chomhphobail Eorpaigh: tá cabhair airgid ar fáil on gCiste sin i leith cláracha oiliúna áirithe atá dá reachtáil ins na ceárd-choláistí réigiúnacha, i gcoláistí teicneolaíochta agus i roinnt gairmscoileanna. Faoi láthair, tugtar cabhair de réir ráta 55 faoin gcéad den chostas i leith beartas faofa a chuireann údaráis phoiblí i bhfeidhm. Meastar go dtiocfaidh £187,000 breise ón méadú a deineadh ar na taillí scrúdúcháin a bhíonn le n-íoc ag iarrthóirí.
'Sé an tsuim atá á lorg faoi Vóta 33—Árais Chónaithe agus Scoileanna Speisialta—ná £2,189,000, méadú de £432,000 san iomlán ar an méid a lorgaíodh i 1979. Siad na cúiseanna is mó leis an méadú seo ná méaduithe de £30,000 ins na deontais do na h-árais chónaithe (Fó-mhírcheann A), £183,000 i gcostas reatha na scoileanna speisialta do bhuachaillí mírchlóite (Fó-mhírcheann B), agus £215,000 sa chaipiteal do chúrsaí foirgneoireachta. (Fó-mhírcheann E).
Tá líon na leanaí atá faoi chúram sna h-árais chónaithe a thagann faoi réim fhó-mhírheann A den Vóta seo ag laghdú i gcónaí. Ar 30 Nollaig 1979 bhi an líon iontu tite go 990. Bhí an Roinn Oideachais freagrach as 392 acu siúd a ghlacadh isteach i gcúram faoi orduithe ó na cúirteanna. Teist an laghdú leanúnach seo ar an bhfeabhas atá tagaithe ar na seirbhísí leasa shóisialta agus ar na seirbhísí a thugann tacaíocht do theaghlaigh le linn tréimhsí éigeandála. Ach, cé gur tháinig laghdú ar líon na leanaí, tá méadú mór tagaithe ar chostais a gcotabháil sna h-árais, do réir mar atá costais i gcoitinne ag méadú. Sé an deontas caipitíochta i láthair ná £41 in aghaidh na seachtaine. Tá soláthar sna meastacháin chun an deontas seo a ardú go £46.50 in aghaidh na seachtaine.
Baineann fó-mhírcheann B den Vóta le riarachán na scoileanna speisialta do bhuachaillí míchlóite ag Lusca agus Fionnglas. Íoctar costais reatha iomlána na scoileanna seo ar bhun chuntais a sholáthraíonn na boird bainistíochta. Siad na cúiseanna is mó is bun leis an méadú de £183,000 sna meastacháin ná arduithe pá don fhoireann agus méaduithe ar chostais chothabhála na mbuachaillí sa ghnáth-shlí.
Déantar soláthar airgeadais i bhfómhírcheann F don chúrsa lán-aimseartha i gcúram leanaí atá ar siúl ó 1971 i leith, faoi choimirce na Roinne, ag an Scoil Oideachais Sóisialta i gCill Chainnigh. Tá cúrsaí eile ar siúl freisin i gColáiste Naomh Mhuire, Sráid Chathal Brugha, Baile Átha Cliath, agus sa Chéard-Choláiste Réigiúnach i Sligeach. Tuiteann na costais a bhaineann leis na cúrsaí seo ar an Vóta Gairmoideachais.
Tá suim de £715,000 curtha in áirithe faoi fho-mhírcheann E le haghaidh forbairt chaipitil—méadú de £215,000 ar an tsuim a soláthraíodh anuraidh. Caithfear bunús an airgid seo ar dhá scéim:
(a) Mór-Scéim forbartha ag Scoil Speisialta Naomh Ioseph i gCluain Meala. Críocnófar an chéad céim den obair seo i samhradh na bliana seo. Sa chéim seo áirítear scoil nua agus brú samhraidh iarchúraim. Tá pleanáil an dara céim—coimpléasc gleacaíochta —idir lámha cheana féin.
(b) An scoil nua dhiongháilte do bhuachaillí dígeanta atá le tógáil taobh leis an scoil oscailte ag Lusca, Co. Bhaile Átha Cliath. Lorgaíodh tairiscintí ó chonraitheoirí le déanaí don scoil nua seo agus tá beartaithe tosnú ar an obair níos déanaí i mbliana.
Chomh maith leis an méid faoi fho-mhírcheann E, tá suim de £50,000 curtha in áirithe agam faoi fho-mhírcheann G chun díol as feabhsúcháin agus deisiúcháin sna h-árais chónaithe. Baineann an fo-mhírcheann seo le hoibreacha nach mbíonn riachtanach ach go hannamh agus nach leor an deontas caipitíochta ina leith.
Áirítear faoin Vóta Ardoideachais na Deontais-i-gCabhair a íoctar leis an Údarás um Ardoideachas, leis an Ospidéal Fiaclóireachta i mBaile Átha Cliath, le Bord na nOspidéal i gCorcaigh agus le hInstitiúid Ard-Léinn Bhaile Átha Cliath. £54,568,000 ar fad atá á iarraidh, méadú glan de £3,009,000 ar an méid a tugadh anuraidh. Seo iad na neithe is mó is cúis leis an méadú seo:
(1) £4,260,600 breise ins na deontais reatha d'Ollscoileanna agus d'Institiúidí Ainmnithe Ardoideachais (Fó-mhírcheann A.2).
(2) £98,000 breise i leith an deontais d'oideachas i bhfiaclóireacht a íoctar leis an Ospidéal Fiaclóireachta i mBaile Átha Cliath (Fó-mhírcheann B).
Tá laghduithe déanta mar a leanas:
(1) £179,800 ins na Deontais Tógála agus Costais eile Chaipitil i leith Ollscoileanna agus coláistí eile a thagann faoin Údarás um Ardoideachas.
(2) £100,000 sna Deontais Chaipitil i leith Troscán agus Fearas d'Ollscoileanna agus d'Institiúid a thagann faoin Udarás um Ardoideachas.
(3) £970,000 sa Chiste Deontas-i-gCabhair i leith costaisí tógála agus costaisí eile chaipitil sna hInstitiúidí tríú leibhéal nach maoinítear trén Údarás um Ardoideachas.
(4) £149,000 sa Chiste Deontas-i-gCabhair i leith costas chaipitil troscán is treallamh do na nInstitiúidí chéanna sin.
Na deontais reatha a íocfar leis na hOllscoileanna, leis na Coláistí agus leis na hInstitiúidí Ainmnithe Ardoideachais tógfaidh siad £45,356,000 nó 83 faoin gcéad den iomlán atá i gceist sa Vóta Ardoideachais. Tá soláthar déanta sna deontais sin i mbliana i leith deontas de £1,077,000 do Choláiste Oideachais Thuamhan, arna ainmniú mar Institiúid Ardoideachais chun críche Acht an Údaráis um Ardoideachas, 1971. Sa bhliain 1979 is as Fó-mhírcheann D den Vóta a d'íocadh an deontais-i-gcabhair i leith costais reatha Choláiste Thuamhan. An soláthar atá déanta i mbliana is méadú de 30 faoin gcéad é ar an soláthar a deineadh don choláiste anuraidh.
Chomh maith leis an airgead breise a cuireadh ar fáil i leith arduithe i gcostais phá, riartha agus chothabhála, deineadh soláthar freisin don leathnú amach atá ar siúl i gcónaí sna cúrsaí in Eolaíocht Ghinearálta agus i dTuaitheolaíocht, in Adhmadóireacht agus in Eolaíocht Foirgníochta, i Miotalóireacht agus in Eolaíocht Innealtóireachta. Clárófar grúpa eile macléinn céad bliana sna trí chúrsaí sin agus beartaítear freisin micléinn a bhfuil taithí céirde acu a thógáil isteach sna cúrsaí adhmadóireachta agus miotalóireachta, agus iad a chur isteach sa dara bliain den chúrsa cheithre bliana, i bhfómhar na bliana seo.
Tá £1,800,000 istigh sa soláthar a deineadh faoí fho-mhírcheann A.2., freisin, i leith cúrsaí nua, agus í leith leathnú ar chúrsaí, sna hollscoileanna agus ins na coláistí chun cur leis an líon innealtóirí agus eolaithe eile sain-oilte a sholáthraíonn siad. Is don Údarás um Ardoideachas a tugtar an t-airgead atá sa bhfo-mhírcheann seo, le dáileadh amach ar na hInstitiúidí a thagann faoin a scáth. Cuireann an tÚdarás comhairle ar mo Roinn maidir le stáid an airgid i leith costais reatha gach institiúide. Arduithe pá agus ardú i gcostais i gcoitinne is mó is cúis leis an méadú ar an soláthar airgid i mbliana i gcomórtas le 1969.
Táthar ag cur £764,000 ar fáil don Deontas Oideachais Fiaclóireachta d'Ospidéal Fiaclóireachta Bhaile Átha Cliath (Fo-mhírcheann B), nó £98,000 níos mó ná mar a tugadh i 1979.
Ta an soláthar breise seo ag teastáil chun breis-chostais phá, méaduithe i gcostais reatha agus chothabhála, agus méadú i gcostais athnuachan fearas a ghlanadh.
Tá soláthar na bliana seo do Ghailearaí Náisiúnta na hÉireann £11,000 níos mó ná vóta bliana 1979. Arduithe i gcostais phá agus i gcostais riaracháin i gcoitinne is mó is cúid leis an méadú seo. Thug 494,000 duine cuairt ar an ngailearaí sa bhliain 1979—beagán níos lú ná mar tháinig i 1978. Ach is féidir a rá go bhfuil an tinnreamh seasmhach go maith thart ar an leath-mhilliúin in aghaidh na bliana, agus tá an figiúir sin mór go maith ag cur daonra na tíre san áireamh agus i gcomórtas le hinstitiúidí dá shórt thar lear. Chomh maith leis na taispeántais speisialta a chuirfear ar fáil sa ghailearaí féin, leanfar le taispeántais pictiúirí a chur ar siúl in áiteanna éagsúla ar fud na tíre. Deintear socruithe, freisin, chun léachtaí a chur ar fáil do scoileanna, do ghrúpaí nó eile, agus tionóladh dhá sheimineár i 1979, a mhair ar feadh lae chun riar ar 700 daltaí ó scoileanna lasmuigh de cheantar Bhaile Átha Cliath. Táthar ag leanacht leis an socrú faoin ar tugadh rogha tofa portráidí ar iasacht ón ngailearaí lena gcur ar taispeáint i gCaisleán Mhullach Ide. Bhí tinnreamh maith ann i gcaitheamh na bliana agus tá iarrachtaí á ndéanamh chun an áis seo a fhorbairt agus a leathnú. Tá borradh chomh mór sin faoin siopa go bhfuil sé riachtanach bheith ag féachaint le tuilleadh spáis a chur ar fáil dó, le go bhféadfaí na leabhair agus na foilseacháin eile a chur ar taispeáint ar bhealach níos éasca agus níos sábháilte.
Ó tá tagairt déanta agam do mhionsonraí an Ghrúpa Meastachán, tá i gceist agam anois roinnt pointí ginearálta a lua. An t-ollsoláthar airgid £510.513 milliún le haghaidh 1980, is í an tsuim is mó riamh í a cuireadh ar fáil le haghaidh na seirbhísí oideachais. Is í an chéadtosaíocht agam mar Aire soláthar a dhéanamh don mhéadú sa líon atá ag dul ar scoil. Tréimhse inar tharla mórmhéadú i líon na ndaltaí na deich mbliana seo thart. Leanfaidh an fás sin i rith na ndeich mbliana atá romhainn. An fhorbairt sin sa líon daltaí, cuirfidh sé fadhbanna sa bhealach orainn gan stad áfach, maidir le na hacmhainní airgid agus múinteoirí is riachtanach a chur ar fáil. Meastar go mbeidh 14,000 mac léinn lánaimseartha sa bhreis ag dul isteach sa chóras oideachais sa bhliain seo, rud a fhágfaidh iomlán 920,000 ann.
Tá fás leanúnach ar chostas na seirbhísí oideachais agus tá tionchar ar an méadú sin ag an bhforbairt sna seirbhísí a deineadh sna trí bliana atá thart. Níor mhiste achoimre a dhéanamh ar chuid de na mórbhearta feabhsúcháin atá déanta.
Ag leibhéal na bunscoile, feabhsaiodh an coibhneas daltaí—múinteoirí trí huaire ó 1977 í leith. San iomláine, ceapadh 1,700 múinteoirí breise ón tráth sin i leith, rud a fhágann méadú ó 17,300 go dtí 19,000 ar líon iomlán na múinteoirí. As an méadú sin, cuireadh timpeall 1,000 díobh chun socair do laghdú mhéid an ranga agus chun oideachas feabhais a chur ar fáil. Faoi mar atá luaite cheana agam ceapfar 300 sa bhreis sa scoil bhliain 1980-81 chun laghdú a dhéanamh ar mhéid an ranga agus chun méadú ar an soláthar le haghaidh oideachas feabhais. Chomh fada is a bhaineann le múinteoirí feabhais, an 197 a ceapadh cheana féin ó 1977 i leith agus an t-earcú breise a dhéanfar i mbliana tabharfaidh sin iomlán os cionn 600 de mhúinteoirí feabhais.
An deontas caipitíochta le haghaidh scoileanna náisiúnta nár méadaíodh ó 1975 i leith, is beag nár méadaíodh faoi dhó é san dá bhliain seo caite ó £6 go dtí £11 an dalta. Tugadh isteach scéim le haghaidh cúnamh rúnaíochta agus le haghaidh fostú feighlithe i scoileanna móra. Ceapadh thart ar 79 cúntóirí leanbhchúraim do na scoileanna le haghaidh páistí corpéalainge agus meabhairéalainge.
Ag an leibhéal iar-bhunoideachais, laghdaíodh an coibhneas daltaí/múinteoirí sa bhliain 1978 ó 20:1 go dtí 19:1 sna meánscoileanna, ó 20:1 go dtí 18:1 sna scoileanna pobail agus sna scoileanna cuímsitheacha agus ó 17.5:1 go dtí 16.5:1 sna gairmscoileanna. De thoradh na bhfeabhsúchán sin ceapadh os cionn 800 múinteoirí breise sna scoileanna iar-bhunoideachais. Leathnaíodh an scéim le haghaidh soláthar chúnamh rúnaíochta go dtí na meánscoileanna móra. San am céanna, méadaíodh go suntasach ar an bhfoireann neamh-theagaisc sna gairmscoileanna. San iomláine ceapadh breis is 500 pearsana neamhtheagaisc i meánscoileanna agus i ngairmscoileanna.
Sa bhliain 1979 ceapadh céad múinteoirí don oideachas feabhais lasmuigh den chuóta sna scoileanna iarbhunodeachaís. Ta beartaithe agam sa bhliain seo cead a thabhairt céad múinteoirí eile a cheapadh lasmuigh den chúota. Méadaíodh an deontas teagaisc in áit táillí scoile sna meánscoileanna sa bhliain 1978 agus 1979 araon ina dhá chéim ó £50 go dtí £70 an dalta. Ina theannta sin, iocadh deontas speisialta £2 an dalta leis na meánscoileanna le haghaidh an mhéadú i gcostas téimh.
Ardaíodh na deontais ardoideachais go suaithinseach laistigh den dá bhliain atá caite. Ardaíodh an t-uasdeontas sa tréimhse sin ó £300 go dtí £600 agus an leibhéal ioncaim ó £2,950 go dtí £6,100. Dáileadh 50 timirí don oideachas aosach do Choistí Gairmoideachais anuraidh chun go ndéanfaí mórfhorbairt san oideachas aosach agus san oideachas atréimhseach. Tugadh isteach anuraidh, freisin, scéim chun 100 Oifigeach Forbartha Ógrais a fhostú. Is cóir na bearta a deineadh maidir le Fostaíocht Ógrais a lua go speisialta. Sa bhliain 1978, cuireadh i bhfeidhm scéim fostaíochta do dhaoine óga, trínar fostaíodh 1,300 daoine óga ar chostas £1.0 m. Sa bhliain 1979, caitheadh £1.5m de bhreis air sin ar thionscadail bhreise, trinar fostaíodh os cionn 2,000 daoine óga. Sa bhliain seo tá suim £1.565m-á soláthar.
Tá áthas orm go speisialta gurb é toradh na mbearta feabhsúcháin lion mór post teagaisc agus neamhtheagaisc a chruthú. An méadú sin i líon na bpost béarfaidh sé buntáiste leanúnach do na scoileanna ar feadh mórán blianta agus is cóir a mheabhrú go méadóidh an costas chomh maith, bliain ar bhliain de bharr breiseanna a dhámhachtain ar thuarastail na ndaoine a fhostaíodh.
Tá socair ag an Rialtas tosaíocht a thabhairt don oideachas céad leibhéil agus dara leibhéil. Teastaíonn tacaíocht go spesialta ón mbunoideachas agus rachaimid chun cinn le oiread agus is féidir linn a dhéanamh san earnáil sin, go háirithe do na daltaí sin a tharlódh faoi mhí-bhuntáiste de thairbhe éalaing soceacnamaíoch nó de bharr corpéalainge nó meabhairéalainge.
Tá mé an-bhuíoch dona Teachtaí.
Tá fhios agam go mbeidh an Dáil chomh gafa céanna liom féin go ndéanfar gach ní is féidir le haghaidh na bpáisti sa sochaí againne atá faoi mhibhuntáiste. Tá béim curtha ag oideachasóiri ar an ngá atá le teacht a bheith ag cách ar oideachas chun go mba ionann deis ag cách agus chun cuid de ghnéithe éagothromaíochta na sochaí a leigheas. Ba mhór mar a chuidigh teacht an tsaoroideachais agus soláthar na ndeontas Ardoideachas chuige sin. Ní leor, áfach, ionannas rochtana ann féin. Is gá bearta de bhreis chun na héalaingí a fhulaingíonn na daltaí atá ditheach go socheolaích agus go heacnamaíoch a mhaolú, cé go bhfuil teorainn lenar féidir a bhaint amach tríd an bheartaíocht i limistéar an oideachais amháin.
Ní mór an earnáil is laige dár bpobal a bheith mar chéadtosaíocht againn— lucht corpéalainge agus meabhairéalainge. San am atá thart, thaispeáin Rialtas i ndiaidh Rialtais go mba sás cúraim leo na daltaí sin agus tá ceann de na scéimeanna is fearr in Iarthar na hEorpa againn anois le haghaidh oideachais speisialta. Tá oideachas speisialta á fháil faoi láthair ag níos nó ná 10,000 daltaí agus déantar soláthar speisialta dóibh trí choibhneas daltaí/múinteoirí níos ísle, curaclam inoiriúnaithe, córas taistil níos solúbtha agus deontais chaipitíochta níos airde a chur ar fáil dóibh. Ní gá san áit seo sonraí a thabhairt faoina bhfuil déanta, mar tá fhios agam gur eol don Teach an tsárobair oideachasúil atá á dhéanamh ag grúpaí éagsúla deontacha agus ag na múinteoirí cráifeacha agus tuaithe, ar son lucht meabhairéalainge agus corpéalainge, na bodhair, na daill, páisti suaithmheonacha agus páistí lucht taistil. Ba mhaith liom, áfach, gearrthagairt a dhéanamh do chuid den dul chun cinn atá déanta.
Bhí an tír seo ar na céadtíortha a chuir deiseanna oideachasúla ar fáil le haghaidh páistí faoi mheabhairéalaing mheasartha, laistigh de scóip na seirbhíse oideachais. Tá scoiláiteanna ar fáil anois ag beagnach 2,000 de na daltaí sin. De bharr feabhas a bheith ar scil na múinteoirí, tá riaradh á dhéanamh anois ar aoisraon níos leithne agus ar chéim éalainge níos géire ná mar a samhlaíodh ar dtús.
Tá coiste ar a bhfuil ionadaithe ó na múinteoirí, na bainisteoirí agus ón Roinn agamsa, tar éis treoirlínte speisialta curaclaim a leagan amach agus tá an coibhneas daltaí/múinteoirí laghdaithe le gur féidir na treoirlinte sin a chur i ngníomh. I gcomhoibriú leis an Roinn Sláinte, táthar tar éis lárionaid oiliúna ghairme a bhunú i roinnt limistéar chun páistí meabhairéalaingeacha a ullmhú le haghaidh fostaíochta, faoi dhíon nó amuigh faoin aer, agus chun leanúint den oiliúint shóisialta agus eile a thugtar sna scoileanna.
Táthar ag leanúint de aire ar leith a thabhairt d'oideachas páistí lucht taistil. Ina leith sin, tá an Roinn agamsa ag obair i ndlúthchmhar leis an Chomhairle Náisiúnta do Lucht Taistil agus lena gComhordaitheoir Oideachasúil siúd. Is é bun an bheartais ina leith páistí lucht taistil a imeascadh i ndiaidh a chéile sa scoil phobal ginearálta. Chun go n-ullmhófaí na páistí don imeascadh sin bunaítear ranganna speisialta i limistéir ina bhfuil leorlíon de pháistí lucht taistil agus ina dtugtar tosaíocht maidir le múinteoirí leasúcháin a cheapadh.
Tá trí Bheartas Teagmhála leis an Aos Óg ag gníomhú. Tá dhá cheann díobh sin i mBaile Átha Cliath—ag Fionnghlaise agus i Lár na Cathrach—agus an ceann eile i Luimneach. Tosaíodh ar na tionscadail sin i bhfreagairt ar mholadh i dTuarascáil an Choiste Idir-Rannach faoi Phearsana Meabhairghalracha agus Mí-oiriúnaithe a raibh an Giúistís ó hInnse mar chathaoirleach air, a rinne scrúdú ar an soláthar cóireála le haghaidh ógchiontóirí agus ógchiontóirí poitéinsiúla. Go bunúsach, is malairt iad na tionscadail ar scoileanna cónaithe speisialta le haghaidh páistí áirithe a bhíonn as láthair ón scoil go seasta nó gur mionchiontóirí iad nó i mbaol a bheith ina gciontóirí. Os rud é go bhfuil teipthe ar scoil ag na páistí sin nó nach ndéanann siad freastal ar scoil ar chor ar bith, is fadhb an-mhór í clár cuí oideachais, treorach agus oiliúna sóisialta a sholáthar dóibh. Ní mór an clár a bheith solúbtha agus nuálach go han-mhór. Ní féidir é a bheith teoranta do na gnáthuaire scoile ach ní mór é a fheidhmiú sna tráthnóntaí agus sa deireadh seachtaine. Dá bharr sin tiomnaíodh bainisteoireacht na dtionscadal ag an leibhéal áitiúil d'Eagraíochtaí Ograis atá inmhuiníne. Ar a shon sin, is bunús oideachasúil atá le gach tionscadal agus leagtar béim nach beag ar na scileanna agus ar na hinléargais atá le fáil ó ghairm an mhúinteora.
Leanfaidh na tionscadail sin ar feadh ceithre bliana agus déanfar meastóireacht orthu i gceann na tréimhse sin. Is é £157,000 an soláthair i mbliana agus tá sé beartaithe go ndíolfaidh sé sin as costas na ngníomhaíochtaí inscoile agus as-scoile araon.
Cuid d'obair na scoileanna againne an t-oideachas feabhais le roinnt blianta anuas, go háirithe sna scoileanna náisiúnta. Tá sciar áirithe de na páistí ar gcúl de bharr tosca éagsúla mar dhrochthinreamh, nó tréimhsí neamhláithreachta de bharr tinnis, cúinsí sa bhaile a bheith dochrach, nó deacracht ar leith maidir le léitheoireacht nó uimhearthacht. Sa ghnáthshlí beidh an scoil i ndán deighleáil le na fadhbanna sin trí mhodhanna grúptheagaisc nó socruithe eile eagraíochtúla a chinnteoidh an dáileadh foirne is éifeachtúla agus an úsaid áiseanna is feidhmiúla. Áit a bhfuil fadhb speisialta deacair ann, ní miste múinteoir a cheapadh go speisialta i mbun obair feabhais i mbunscoileanna, de bhreis ar an ngnáthfhoireann. Faoi mar atá ráite cheana agam, beidh os cionn 600 post den sórt sin i scoileanna náisiúnta i mbliana. An tábhacht a bhaineann le múinteorí feabhais sna bunscoileanna go háirithe, is í a chúis sin gur anseo nach mór tabhairt faoi bhunfhadhb na héascaíochta i gcúrsaí léitheoireachta, scríbhneoireachta agus uimhearthachta. Tréimhse rí-thabhachtach don pháiste maidir le máistreacht a bhaint amach i scileanna teanga agus i scileanna uimhearthachta is ea an tréimhse ó aois a cúig nó a sé go haois a hocht. Sa tréimhse sin is ea a fheicfear na deacrachtaí. Go deimhin, tá mórán le rá i bhfábhar socrú eagraíochtúil i mórán scoileanna ina gcinnteofaí trí dháileadh na foirne go mbeadh na ranganna do na haoisghrúpaí sin níos lú ná na ranganna do na haoisgrúpaí eile.
Tá sé luaite cheana agam go bhfuil aire speisialta á thabhairt don oideachas feabhais ag an leibhéal iar-bhunoideachais chomh maith. Anuraidh ceapadh 100 múinteoirí lasmuigh den chuóta agus tá sé beartaithe agam leanúint den bheartas sin i mbliana agus cead a thabhairt 100 múinteoirí feabhais breise a cheapadh.
Leanfar de mhórthábhacht a thabhairt do bhéim bhreise a leagan ar oideachas eolaíoch agus teicneolaíoch le go ndéanfaí freagairt do dhúshláin aois na teicneolaíochta agus le soláthar a dhéanamh do riachtanais forbartha ár sochaí tionsclaíche. Tréimhse mhórleathnúcháin san oideachas teicneolaíoch ab'ea na seachtoidí. Sna deich mbliana sin bunaíodh an Institiúid Náisiúnta Ardoideachais i Luimneach, osclaíodh na naoi gCéard-Choláistí Réigiúnacha agus bunaíodh Comhairle Náisiúnta na gCáilíochtaí Oideachais. Na hathruithe a deineadh sna deich mbliana atá thart, deimhníonn siad arís dúinn go bhfuil tionchar láidir ar fhorbairt an oideachais ag an bhforbairt i gcúrsaí eolaíochta agus teicneolaíochta agus ag riachtanais na forbartha i gcúrsaí eacnamaíocha. An dul chun cinn suntasach san oideachas teicneolaíoch ag an tríú leibhéal sna seachtóidí, is scáthán don bhfirinne sin é. Is scáthán freisin é ar an bhfás san oideachas dara leibhéil a chuaigh roimhe agus fásann sé go prionsabálta ó na beartais oideachais sna seascaidí déanacha nuair a tharla an mórbhorradh san oideachas dara leibhéil de thoradh saor oideachas agus saoriompar a thabhairt isteach.
Éagsúlú d'aon toisc ar struchtúr an ardoideachais a b'ea bunú na nInstitiúidí Náisiúnta Ardoideachais i mBaile Átha Cliath agus i Luimneach. Ní féidir a bheith in amhras go mbeidh síorriachtanas leis an éagsúlú institiúidí sin toisc riachtanais na sochaí a bheith mar atá siad. Móréilimh an chláir bhrostaithe tionscail, cruthú tionscail nua agus, go háirithe, mórbhorradh sa tionscal leictreonach, léiríonn siad ar fad an pointe sin.
Osclófar Institiúid Náisiúnta Ardoideachais Bhaile Átha Cliath Deireadh Fómhair seo chugainn san áitreabh a bhí ag Coláiste Albert roimhe seo agus atá á athchóiriú faoi láthair. Tá tosú déanta freisin ar thógáil an fhoirgnimh nua don Choláiste Tráchtála. Meastar go gcosnóidh na hoibreacha sin £5.0 milliún.
Tá pleanáil na dara céime den Institiúid Náisiúnta Ardoideachais i Luimneach go maith chun cinn. Críochnófar i mbliana na leathnúcháin ar na trí Céard-Choláistí Réigiúnacha —ag Ceatharlach, Ath Luain agus Leitirceanainn. Dá bharr sin, beidh príomhthosaíocht sna blianta atá chugainn go leanúnach ag an oideachas teicneolaíoch. Le teacht an mhicreaphróiseasóra go háirithe agus a thionchar sin ar bhainisteoireacht agus ar chúrsaí riaracháin, beidh gá le haire dhlúth a thabhairt dó sin agus ní mór soláthar a dhéanamh do na scileanna atá riachtanach don phróiseáil agus don anailís sonraí. Tá molta ag an Údarás Ardoideachais Céard-Choláistí Réigiúnacha a sholáthar do MhórLimistéar Bhaile Átha Cliath. Táthar le ceithre coláistí nua a bhunú agus tá an réamhphleanáil chuige sin tosaithe.
Ba mhaith liom buíochas a ghabháil le húdaráis na n-institiúidí ardoideachais as an gcomhoibriú a thug siad go fonnmhar agus as a bhfreagairt éifeachtach do na moltaí ón gCoiste Comhairlitheach Daonchumhachta trí chúrsaí seachoiliúna agus cúrsaí eile a bhunú chun soláthar a dhéanamh don ngannchúis mheasta daon chumhachta i limistéir áirithe innealtóireachta agus leictreonachta. Tá soláthar £1.8 milliún á chur ar fáil chuige sin i meastacháin na bliana reatha.
Tá mé ag brú ar aghaidh le atógáil in áit na rangsheomraí réamhdhéanta. Fadhb an-mhór é sin, fadhb nach féidir a réiteach thar óiche. Ní mór a chuimhneamh, nuair a tugadh isteach an scéim saoroideachais do na scoileanna iar-bhunoideachais sna seascaidí déanacha, go raibh ar Aire na linne sin aghaidh a thabhairt ar thuile ábhalmhór daltaí ag plodú isteach sna scoileanna. B'é an t-aon bhealach amháin chun an chóiríocht riachtanach a sholáthar laistigh den tréimhse ama a bhí ar fáil ná trí rangsheomraí réamhdhéanta a úsáid. Ó shin i leith tá atógáil déanta in áit a lán de na foirgnimh shealadacha sin. De bharr an chláir bhrostaithe tógála sa bhliain 1978 agus 1979 deineadh dul chun cinn am-mhór maidir le atógáil in áit rangsheomraí réamhdhéanta. De bharr an líon mór tionscadal tógála le haghaidh meánscoileanna agus gairmscoileanna atá ar siúl faoi láthair, nó ar tí a dtosnaithe sa bhliain seo, déanfar atógáil in áit a lán eile acu.
Ní mór a bhfuil d'acmhainní ar fáil a chur san áireamh, má táthar le pleanáil éifeachtach chiallmhar a dhéanamh don am atá le teacht faoi mar a deineadh san am atá thart. Tá Páipéar Bán faoin oideachas ullmhaithe agus cuirfear ar fáil go luath é le haghaidh a fhoilsithe. Ní mór aird a thabhairt ar chúinsí athraitheacha idirnáisiúnta maidir lena n-éifeacht ar ár gcúrsaí eacnamaíochta agus airgeadais san am atá ag teacht agus maidir lena n-éifeacht ar na hacmhainní a bheidh ar fáil dúinn don oideachas agus do chuspóirí eile chomh maith.
Ag pleanáil don am atá ag teacht, ní mór aird a thabhairt ar an soláthar is gá le haghaidh an bhreis daltaí i dtéarmaí múinteoirí agus foirgnimh agus ní mór, chomh maith, feabhas leanúnach a chur ar leibhéal agus ar mhianach na seirbhíse oideachais. Leanfar de thosaiocht a thabhairt don chéad agus don dara leibhéal oideachais. Ag leibhéal na bunscoile tabharfar aire ar leith do scéimeanna le haghaidh daltaí atá dítheach de thoradh éalainge socheacnamaíoch nó de thoradh éalainge coirp nó meabhrach. Ag an triú leibhéal, cuirfear an phríomh bhéim ar thuilleadh forbartha san oideachas teicniúil agus teicneolaíoch.
Deimhním arís mo ghealltanas daingean praiticiúil an fhorbairt is fearr is féidir a dhéanamh ar intleachtaí nádúrtha ár gcuid daltaí uile. Tá mórán déanta; tá mórán fós le déanamh. Leanfaidh mé orm sa bhuniarracht chun an córas oideachais is cuimsithí agus is cothroime atá laistigh dár raon cumais a bhaint amach.
Sin é an méid atá le rá agam faoi na meastacháin i mbliana. Táim buíoch don Teach agus go hairithe dos na beirt Teachta atá os mo chomhair amach as bheith ag éisteacht chomh fada sin liom agus an cead a thug siad dom leanúint ar aghaidh go dtí an deireadh. Is áthas liom na meastacháin seo a mholadh don Teach. Molaim na meastacháin eile nach bhfuil molta agam cheana féin.
I want to thank the Minister for giving us this opportunity to debate the Estimates for the Department of Education so soon after the budget. I am particularly pleased to note that the long-awaited White Paper now appears to have been printed, or is in the process of being printed. I hope it will be available to us before the summer recess. I think the Minister will agree that we would be entitled to have a debate on that White Paper when it is published. Obviously we must depend on the goodwill of the Government to provide us with the appropriate time.
The expenditure on education in the budget has caused a furore among those involved in education. While it appears that the actual increase is of the order of 24.6 per cent, when one looks at the rate of inflation which is now in the region of 20 per cent and takes into account the increase in the school-going population, one finds that the expenditure on education is less in real terms than was the case in 1979. That is a great cause of concern.
We now have a school-going population in the region of 860,000 at first and second level. It is estimated conservatively that, by the end of the eighties, this figure will rise to around 930,000. This will involve a tremendous commitment on the part of any Government to ensure that a good quality educational standard will be available to our school-going children.
It is estimated that the third level pupil population will increase from around 38,000 to over 66,000, possibly, by the end of the eighties. This depends on participation ratios. In Ireland our participation in third-level education is extremely low vis-à-vis the other European countries. This should be corrected. Unfortunately, the Government do not seem to be fully aware of the need for further investment in third-level education.
It is important to realise that our school-going population and the population attending our third-level colleges and institutes will rise by such a huge number. By the end of the eighties we are likely to be coping with an education problem of one million students. This will impose an extremely difficult burden on the Exchequer and it is in this context that I would refer to the Public Capital Programme as outlined in this year's budget. I can only express astonishment at the news that this year there will be a decrease in public capital expenditure on education to £49.12 million compared with £53.11 million in 1979. This is an extraordinary development in terms of the future expansion of Irish education. How can the Government explain this situation when, during the next ten years our student population is expected to increase to about one million? This is a very sad start to the eighties so far as education is concerned and we have had no explanation for it from the Minister despite his having come before us with a long and, in fairness, a comprehensive speech.
Education was hardly mentioned in the budget speech this year. In response to a question which I tabled on 19 April regarding the cost to the Exchequer per student, I was informed that only £270 per pupil is spent at primary level. While I appreciate that the needs of the pupil at that level are not the same as the needs of the second-level students, the low expenditure in respect of the former indicates that we are not giving priority treatment to our primary school population. This is a matter that should be rectified. Primary education is referred to sometimes as the Cinderella of our education system and, unfortunately, that is true. Our primary schools are treated by way of giving them only the bare necessities despite the fact that the Minister states that it is the Government's view that priority be given to education at this level.
In the last financial year the average expenditure per student at second level would have been about £600 or about twice the amount spent in respect of each primary school pupil. This is not a fair reflection of what the people generally would wish to be the case in respect of our primary schools. We all agree that as a priority the basic element of teaching provided at primary schools should be available to all but that would not appear to be the case. At Question Time the problems of numeracy and literacy have been raised in regard to primary school leavers. The rate in this respect is reckoned to be about 15 per cent. This is a most unfortunate situation and the reason for it would appear to be that we are not giving to the primary sector the priority it deserves
The pupil-teacher ratio in primary schools is still a matter of concern. There are 3,304 classes with 40 or more pupils while there are 418 classes of 45 or more pupils. While the ratio has been reducing the situation remains bad. The Minister has talked about an extra 300 teachers but I doubt if this increase will make a great difference to the sizes of the classes since these extra teachers are needed to deal with the existing classes and, therefore, I see little hope of a reduction in class sizes at the primary school level. After the budget there was a good deal of criticism from various quarters in regard to the expenditure on the primary sector. The Catholic Primary Schools Managers Association issued a statement pointing out that the moneys set aside for primary education were seriously deficient and would probably result in a severe cutback in services for the 500,000 children attending at this level of education. So far as I know there has not been any refutation from the Minister of that statement. I am convinced that had it not been for the mild winter just passed, there would have had to be a break in the school year because of the inadequacy of the moneys provided for the maintenance and running of the primary schools. While there was a £1 per head extra capitation grant there would not have been sufficient moneys to cope with the sort of weather conditions experienced during the previous winter.
I note, too, that the allocation in respect of school books for necessitous children has not been increased so far as the primary sector is concerned. There has been a tremendous increase in the cost of school books and in these circumstances we should be endeavouring to help the necessitous children in this regard. Despite all the verbosity of the Minister we have not had any indication from him that the primary school sector is to be given a high priority in terms of expenditure. The allocation this year for books for necessitous pupils remains at last year's level of £405,000. Surely we could do a little more in this area and at least take account of inflation. I am saddened that something more has not been done in this regard.
Despite pressure from both Opposition parties, the Minister has not taken a decision to prohibit corporal punishment in schools. The vast majority of teachers and parents do not want corporal punishment in schools. In my view this is a degrading form of punishment and does not do anything educationally for the children. I am very well aware of the problems of maintaining school discipline but some other method should be used. Young children especially are open to sharp reaction to corporal punishment. If corporal punishment continues in our schools parents' consent should be sought and received before it is meted out to the children. This is a necessity because I do not honestly believe parents want the responsibility for discipline to be moved to schools to the extent that corporal punishment should be used freely. Many teachers would prefer not to use corporal punishment. I appeal to the Minister to take a decision against the use of corporal punishment before the commencement of the 1981 school year.
It is generally accepted that the new curriculum has been a success but there is now a need for a reassessment. While I appreciate that there is an on-going internal examination of the curriculum, a special committee, including teachers and parents, should be set up with a view to reappraising and amending the curriculum before the next school year. I welcome the child centre approach but we might now look at second level where a new radical reassessment is necessary. In relation to the problems of numeracy and illiteracy and so on, some sort of formal assessment of a pupil's progress towards the end of the primary cycle is required to ensure that the years spent in primary school can be monitored and assessed so that, where necessary, remedial or special teaching can be introduced before these young children go to secondary schools. I am not looking for an examination at the end of the primary cycle but I am looking for a general assessment on a national basis to ensure that a child's progress through primary school has been a success and if he or she is in need of special assistance before entering the second cycle. I feel such an approach is necessary in view of the number of reports we have had about disadvantaged children and children having problems at the end of primary school.
One of the most unfortunate figures produced in the budget relates to school transport. The sum provided for the school bus scheme in 1979 was £16,515,000; the sum provided for this scheme in 1980 was reduced to £16 million. There is something serious afoot here. Unless the Minister secures extra money the present standard of service cannot be maintained. To maintain the service in its present form and under the present regulations a sum in the region of £20 million would have been required. Yet we have the astonishing decision where the Minister reduced the money available for this scheme. Unless more money is made available—and this may only be so if there is a general election—either a fee will have to be charged for the pupils using these buses or the quality of the service will be reduced. That could be done by increasing the minimum qualifying distance from a school. Either alternative would be unfortunate. If they had to charge a fee, it could be a global standard fee or perhaps children whose parents do not have medical cards would have to pay. The quality of the service could be reduced by not operating it in certain areas or by extending the qualifying distance from a school.
The Minister must give us a straight and honest answer about what he intends to do about this scheme in the coming year. He knows the money provided here is insufficient and that unless he introduces a fee scheme or changes the ground rules we will be unable to provide a global free school bus scheme. He will be less than honest if he avoids giving a comprehensive reply about the future of this scheme.
Many people have been in touch with my party about facilities for the physically handicapped and they made a very sound case. It is very important that we do all in our power to ensure that our physically handicapped have access to ordinary schools and that in the design of schools and classes account should be taken of their special needs. In the area of public transport the physically handicapped should be facilitated to a far greater extent. This is not a political issue; it is a matter of a commitment by the Government of the day to ensure that the design of, and access to, school grounds and buildings are such as to facilitate the physically handicapped.
I note that under Vote 30 training colleges are only getting a marginal increase. This is unfortunate and an explanation from the Minister is needed. There is a need to increase substantially the number of places in training colleges and it appears that we are not going to have that, at least during 1980. As regards building, equipment and the furnishing of national schools in 1979, £16½ million was provided. In 1980 it is merely being increased to £17 million. That is ridiculous. It is impossible to tackle the question of substandard schools and have any co-ordinated interest in the building of primary schools. This sum is a severe disappointment to me. The Minister should explain why there has not been a radical increase in the sum set aside for the building of primary schools. We have a primary school sector which is starved of money and in which there does not appear to be any possibility of reducing the class size. Around 90,000 pupils are in primary schools in classes of 40 or over.
I am glad that 300 extra teachers have been appointed but they have been absorbed by the increase in the school going population. There is little possibility of classes being reduced further as was promised in the manifesto, that famous little book produced before the last election. The objective in that was stated to be to treat the reduction of the pupil-teacher ratio in primary schools as a top priority, particularly in disadvantaged areas and immediately set about reducing all classes to 40 with a final objective of 32. The Minister should be honest and say that it is not possible immediately to set about reducing all classes to 40. That was in 1977 and we are now in the middle of 1980. The numbers have been reduced but, it is quite obvious, not from the money expended on the primary school sector. The Minister should freely admit that the possibility of reducing them in the coming year is not good.
As regards the £10 per head capitation for the running of the schools it was increased to £11 last year due to the increased cost of fuel. There is a need to increase it to £15 to take into account inflation and a further increase in fuel prices. On the question of the teachers' pay tribunal on which I was glad the Minister got agreement it is important that they treat the many problems facing teachers, the Government and parents and that in their report they lay a path towards industrial peace for the eighties. Teachers play a vital role in the formation of society and the education of our children. It is important that the tribunal issue a report which will be comprehensive in nature and not just treat the narrow concept of pay and conditions. They should look at the teacher, his place in the school, his contribution to the development of the child, his involvement in examinations, curricula development, education and guidance and in all that is known as his pastoral care of the child. The tribunal should come up with acceptable solutions. There is no point in establishing a tribunal that will issue a narrow report. It should be comprehensive and be of assistance towards having industrial peace and the acknowledgment and appreciation of the teacher's role as a child developer and educator. Otherwise we will have continuing industrial unrest in this sector.
As regards the second level sector, Brother Declan Duffy in the Irish Independent of Monday, March 3, made it quite clear that the wall of silence from the Department of Education since the budget was particularly disappointing to the managers. He sought £50 per pupil in order to ensure that secondary schools in the free school scheme would not close next September. We are now threatened with a serious problem in that sector. For a number of years we have read of the threats of redundancy of teachers in secondary schools and heard how parents and authorities involved in that sector are satisfied that they are being discriminated against and that voluntary secondary schools are discriminated against. That has now come to a head. The secondary schools are starved of cash and have a serious problem. The Minister must tackle this in a serious way.
The money given to secondary schools in lieu of tuition fees needs to be increased from its present level. This is necessary because of inflation. The present grant is £70 per pupil. I do not know what the Minister intends but that should be increased if there is to be a continuation of secondary schools. We have a rapidly rising school going population and a serious question about what direction the Minister wants. Does he want to see secondary schools established or is he in favour of community schools as a way forward? These are questions which should be posed and clearly answered. The money spent per pupil in secondary schools for 1979 was £510 as against £660 per pupil in vocational schools and £560 in community and comprehensive schools. Therefore, the secondary schools seem to be losing out in relation to the money spent per pupil and there is substance in the protest of their secretariat. That protest has been joined by the parents who have become very vociferous in relation to the moneys being invested in secondary school education. Many complain that these secondary schools are too academically orientated as far as the curriculum is concerned. I doubt that very much. In recent years serious attempts have been made in secondary schools to provide practical, manual subjects as well as academic ones. But they cannot be asked to become involved in subjects which cost more money, in technical subjects which require practical application and equipment, if they are not to receive the proper allocation of money with which to do so. Certainly at present they cannot possibly divert resources into the building of science and other rooms to cater for other technical subjects unless the Minister makes a special effort to ensure that they can do so. Therefore, there is need for an increase in grants in lieu of tuition fees for voluntary secondary schools in the free schools scheme.
In Vote 31, under the heading of Secondary Comprehensive Community Schools, Building Grants and Capital Costs, there is shown a reduction in investment in the face of a rapidly increasing school population. In 1979 there was £14,475,000 spent on building grants and capital costs, which figure has been reduced to £13,380,000 this year. This is incomprehensible and no statement of the Minister will convince me that there is not need for a huge increase in investment in secondary schools. Here there is an actual reduction in money terms, which means a reduction in real terms of something in the region of 25 per cent taking inflation into account. That is not justifiable on any account whatsoever and is a disgraceful situation as far as the Fianna Fáil Government are concerned. Under the heading of Aid towards the Cost of School Books for Necessitous Children the allocation has not been increased from the 1979 figure of £826,000, again despite the huge increase in the cost of school books.
The vocational sector is very interesting indeed. The Minister mentioned the existence of prefabs. This affects the vocational sector especially in respect of which it was estimated a year ago—and my source of information now is the Irish Independent of Wednesday, March 7 1979 in which it was said that the number of prefab classrooms housing vocational pupils has more than doubled in the past decade to 1,485 and that to replace them with permanent buildings would cost over £16 million. Very little appears to have been done to eliminate these prefabs and erect permanent buildings in their place. That is most unfortunate. The Association of Principals of Vocational Schools feel that the standard of accommodation in vocational schools is very low compared with our European counterparts. The Minister should explain quite clearly why the school going population in vocational schools has declined in recent years.
The increase in the number of community and comprehensive schools —now, of course, "community" schools—has been very interesting although the original intention of ensuring that the community school would be available to the community does not appear to have been followed through. A comprehensive statement is now required of the Government's intentions in relation to the vocational schools sector. The vocational schools, established under the 1930 Act, have done extremely good work. They have taken care of the education of many children and, recently, right up to leaving certificate level, although the numbers who go to leaving certificate level in vocational schools is not as high as it should be. I wonder why? Is there a bias in the Department in favour of community schools in areas at the expense of vocational schools. That seems to have been the development in recent years. Let us face it. The situation is not happy in vocational schools. There seems to be a policy on the part of this Government to run down vocational schools. That is most unfortunate. I feel some decision has been taken favouring community as against vocational schools.
The matter of community schools, with which I should like to deal, is interesting. We were relieved that the question of the deeds of trust was resolved in the past year. It was pleasing that the teachers especially agreed to their terms. It was a long, hard road and all concerned should be pleased that this matter has been resolved. I have here a statement dated 10 September 1979 from the Secondary Education Committee for Protestant Schools expressing policy agreed by the education authorities of the four denominations represented on the committee with regard to community schools. That statement expressed serious reservations on the part of those members of four minority religions in so far as the development of community schools was concerned. They entered what I consider to be serious reservations about the part their members could play in the community school. Of course, they welcomed the concept of a community school, but felt that because their numbers are relatively small they would not be able to play a large part in the development of the community schools sector.
They are a responsible body of people concerned with their own problems. They were concerned about the teaching of religion. They have a special problem there and I hope that the Minister will be able to reach an accommodation with them. Apart from cases where community schools evolve from existing schools, they do not agree with the principle of reserving teaching places. They welcome the addition of teacher representatives on the board of management. They made some very constructive comments, but the statement expressed the concern felt by those people who form the four churches concerned. There was a criticism, certainly an implied criticism, because the Minister did not seek the views of the Protestant churches in relation to the community school deeds of trust and that was very frustrating for them.
It is important that the minority communities play a full part in education policy. There is a feeling among members of these churches that that is not happening to date and that they are not getting a fair crack of the whip. I am sure they are not making this criticism as a political point and I am sure the Minister would be as concerned as we on this side of the House to see that this position will not prevail. Every step must be taken to ensure that members of minority religions play a full part in the evolution of education policy, are consulted prior to the laying down of education policy and are given every opportunity to partake in the structures of Irish education as those structures evolve. It is not difficult to see a position where a non-Roman Catholic is not guaranteed a place on community school boards of management even in areas where their population might be quite high. I have heard also of a recent case where the free bus service was withdrawn from a non-Catholic school because of the existence of a community school. That is wrong. Where there is special accommodation needed for children of non-Roman Catholic parents, then in view of the fact that they are a minority in the country we have the obligation to ensure that their wishes are met in every respect.
Before I move on to the third level sector there is one matter I want to clear up. I want the Minister to assure the House that neither he nor his civil servants, either directly or indirectly, influence senior appointments in the vocational sector particularly through the Local Appointments Commission. I am not making any criticism of the Minister whom I respect and I am not accusing him. I do not wish to develop that point any further or enter into a political row because I am sure the Minister would agree with me that, in the educational sector above all, it is important that the question of political patronage does not creep in. The air should be cleared in relation to this matter and a personal assurance from the Minister in this House would be quite enough for me on this occasion.
The third level sector is developing slowly. The university sector is under severe pressure in respect of places. One must express reservations about the situation. In 1979 £6,389,800 was provided for building grants and capital costs for institutions of higher education. This money has been reduced to £6,210,000. This is something that is endemic in the whole Vote on education. The reduction in capital investment at all levels of education is something that confounds me. It is impossible to perceive in the context of the high participation in Irish education which has been statistically established. It is something which we all welcome but it is well known that there is pressure of space in all our schools and universities. Yet on every head, from primary right up to third level education, we have a reduction in real terms or a reduction in money terms. That is intolerable to me and to Fine Gael and it needs an answer.
Money for capital grants for furniture and equipment for institutes for higher education has been reduced from £850,000 to £750,000. The grant-in-aid for building costs and other capital costs for third level institutions not funded by the HEF was £1,320,000 in 1979 and that has been reduced to the astonishing figure of £350,000, nearly £1 million less. It is unacceptable and it is unjustifiable in the long term. Even in relation to the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies, capital investment has been reduced. The Minister is on very weak ground.
Another matter that has been frustrating in the third level non-university sector is the delays in making permanent appointments of teachers and officers. I have heard of delays of up to a year and more in relation to such appointments in some of our technological colleges. I do not know why there should be such a delay in the Department in respect of what should be a relatively simple matter of checking the fact that the post exists, that the candidate qualifies and was selected. The question of further development of the non-university sector is not contentious. We all support it and are glad of it. I would raise one question in regard to the cost per pupil at Thomond College in 1979 which was £3,220. That figure compares with the cost per pupil in university colleges of £1,375, thus the cost of a pupil at Thomond College is more than twice the cost of a pupil going through university. I am merely looking for an explanation. I am somewhat perturbed by such a high cost, especially since the cost is nearly three times the cost in regional technical colleges at £1,170 per pupil.
I wish to refer briefly to the situation of higher diploma graduates. An article in the Irish Independent on 13 April dealt with a report by the UCD Careers and Appointments Office which pointed out that only 29.3 per cent of H.Dip. graduates obtained permanent teaching posts in Ireland. This is a staggering figure in the context of our classroom problems and deserves an answer by the Minister.
The National Museum requires an immediate and radical investment of funds and a whole new policy in order to continue the exhibition of our national treasures. Development at Wood Quay has not been satisfactory to all concerned. I am in favour of its preservation as a national monument and against the building of an office block on the site. I cannot go into this in detail except to say that the letter from the then Minister for Finance concerning the possibility of State funds sent to Dublin Corporation in late 1979 was a very mysterious letter and needs an explanation. I am sorry that sufficient time has not been allowed for proper excavation of the full site at Wood Quay and sorry to see an office block being built on what is acknowledged as one of the richest archaeological sites in western Europe.
I am deeply disturbed that the Minister of State at the Department of Education came out so publicly and so blatantly in favour of going to the Olympic Games in the face of developing world opinion. He has a responsibility in relation to sport but his statement had to be contradicted by the Minister for Foreign Affairs who said specifically that no decision had been made as yet. I suppose his position is that there is no policy anyway. The matter of the Olympic Games is very serious and is not to be treated lightly. The Russian invasion of Afghanistan and the continuing expansion of their forces towards western Europe pose serious problems for free countries. The EEC policy is fairminded and the Carter position is becoming stronger. I believe there will be a wide-scale ban on participation in the Olympic Games and the Government will soon have to make a statement one way or another. There is a growing feeling here that some action must be taken to show the Soviets that they cannot invade other countries. We must remember countries such as Poland, Czechoslovakia and Romania which have been under the domination of Russia since the Second World War. There is a very good case on humanitarian grounds for not taking part in the Olympic Games and I would urge the Minister of State at least to stay quiet until the Government reach a decision. My party have already made a policy statement on the matter and we are not in favour of participation in the Olympic Games.
This is a disappointing Estimate, even though there is an increase in financial terms of 24.6 per cent. The Estimate does not face up to the real problems facing education in the eighties and the task of providing places for our increasing school population. The Estimate shows quite clearly that there is a decrease—not an increase—in investment in schools and colleges and third-level institutions. The Minister's speech and the Estimate both lack vision. The speech, as one would expect, was self-congratulatory, showing how a few extra teachers were being appointed here and there and pointing out the clerical assistance being given, which I must agree is a good thing. By and large, it was a patchwork speech, only a holding operation. The Minister did not get the moneys he wanted to ensure the proper expansion of Irish education and, leaving aside that aspect, he failed to grasp the need for a restructing of Irish education, especially at first and second level. That is the sad part of the Minister's position. We have an Estimate without vision which shows that capital investment in education will decrease in the face of a rapid increase in our school-going population. Fine Gael find the Estimate unacceptable.
At this period in the life of the Government and in the miraculously unbroken tenure of the present holder of the office of Minister for Education, it is reasonable to make some kind of an assessment of the performance to date of the Government and of the Minister. In the final part of his speech on the Estimate, the Minister rode back over some old ground, implied in so doing that he had nothing to be ashamed of in the job he had been doing and drew attention to some of the things he felt were worthwhile. Another reason for doing so is that it is arguable that even though the provision for the previous two years was inadequate in many respects, it was slightly better than he is bringing before the House this year in real terms.
Going back over some of the happier events of a year and two years ago enables the Minister to draw a veil over some of the more unpleasant things happening this year in the Education Estimate. There is a distinct feeling about the Minister's speech that he is doing the best he can with what is basically very little. He is attempting to make as many bricks as possible with an indeterminate quantity of rather dubious quality straw. I sometimes wonder whether in his heart of hearts he did not feel he would be better off as a Minister in the Labour administration which was unambiguous in its commitment to education and had a majority power to do what it wanted in this area.
I dare to predict in relation to the Minister's performance over the last few years, and over any period that there is likely to be between now and the next general election, that the Minister's last state will be worse than his first. He came in, to coin a phrase, like Jack Nicklaus and he will be going out like the Ancient Mariner. We have left the Jack Nicklaus era some time ago. We are not yet into the Ancient Mariner stage. The present stage the Míníster is at, and I am sure he will appreciate the simile although he may not agree with it, is more the age of Procrustes. The education patient is being trimmed at the extremities to suit the length of the financial bed that the Minister—and he must bear some responsibility—the Government, the Taoiseach and Minister for Finance have manufactured for him. There is no doubt but that in many important areas there have been substantial cuts in real terms in this year's Estimate.
I can only see two reasons for these cuts. The first and most obvious is that the money is not there or is being allocated by the Government for purposes it considers more productive—wrongly, in my opinion. The other possibility, which does not negative the first, is that there is a feeling in the Government that next year will be perhaps an election year and a good face will have to be put on the Education and many other Estimates next year. In these circumstances it is natural for a Government to slash everything to the bone in the penultimate year before an election so that it may come in in an election year with a budget, a set of Estimates, and Education Estimates in particular, which look like a huge leap and which may represent an increase in money terms on the preceding year but which may not still bring provision for education overall, excluding questions like essential staff, back to the level in real terms that it had been two years previously.
The public should be aware of this and always take one year with another when looking at Education Estimates. Ministers for Education would prefer each year to be judged in isolation. An Education Estimate is not just a creature of one year; it is the creature of an overall Government economic and social strategy which has to be judged over a long period of time. The strategy I see as having developed in the last few years is one of allowing small increases, some of a cosmetic kind and others less so, followed by a period of very harsh cut-backs as the Administration changes and as the social policy thrust of the administration led by Deputy Lynch is replaced by the hard-nosed accountancy profile of the present Administration under the present Taoiseach. Not only that but in other policy areas, apart from financial areas, the Minister has basically been tidying up loose ends. He has been doing some legislative housekeeping and at the same time dodged some of the vital issues.
If the House accepts—I will be providing some further detail on this—that education is the victim of an economic drive by the Government at present, we must ask what are the further consequences of this? We must face the fact that economy drives by Governments are always worse news for the poor than they are for the rich. I will give a small example. I could choose others, but this is more dramatic. It is the decision to suspend, if not terminate, the tiny scheme of financial assistance, the only one of its kind in the country, which enables the City of Dublin Vocational Education Committee to give cash grants to pupils after the minimum school leaving age in order to help them bridge some of the real costs in remaining in upper second level education to leaving certificate level. As I have said, when economies come in, the poor always suffer and are asked to pay more.
We have been encouraged in the belief that there has been a substantial increase in spending on education this year. Two things must be said about that. Firstly, the major part of any increase which has taken place in the Education Estimate this year is not due to the goodwill of the Minister for Education or the Government but to the fecundity of the Irish population. The population is growing and the youth population is growing faster than any youth population in Europe. Unless the Minister were to make things worse in the sense of cutting the pupil-teacher ratio and the availability of classroom space for these children, he had at first and second level to expand the system in terms of teachers and buildings by the minimum amount necessary to meet the increased enrolments. I do not have the expertise or access to detailed information or 200 or 300 civil servants to enable me to work out exactly what proportion of the Estimate is due to this unavoidable increase, but I hazard a guess that it represents by far the greater part of the increase.
The second point is that, while the Minister is legitimate in his Estimate speech in pointing to the subheads that have been increased in the present year, it is equally natural for him to sweep under the carpet those subheads where there have been cuts—and we must not forget either that there is an intimate relationship between the subheads that have been increased and those that have been cut. A saving in one area enables the Minister to make an increase in another area even though this may not be an overall increase in real terms. Even if it is, when one takes the cuts into account in the areas affected by them, the increases are sharply reduced in significance and importance.
Under Vote 29 I counted nine subheads at least—I left out some of the insignificant ones—in the Vote for the Minister's own Department in which there have been reductions. In some cases there have been reductions in money terms as well as reductions in real terms. The House will be aware that it is possible for a subhead to show an increase in money terms that is a decrease in real terms after inflation has been taken into account. Subhead B.1.—International Activities —has been cut.
More than £250,000 is to be spent on the international activities of the Department of Education, and I should like the House to reflect on that figure. Only yesterday I was at a meeting of the Committee of Public Accounts and we went through the Estimates for the Department of Posts and Telegraphs for 1978. That Department have responsibilities at least as onerous as the Department of Education and in that year they spent only £155,000 on international activities.
When I look at the other areas covered by the Department of Education in respect of which financial cuts have been made I wonder whether a little more fat could not be taken out here and there. For instance, in subhead D.5., training courses of audio-visual aids, there is a cut in real terms. D.7, grants for teachers centres, is being cut; E.1, for the purchase of books allocation for the National Library, is being cut E.4, the National Library Development Fund, is being cut in real terms; F.1, the National Museum Purchase of Specimens Fund, is being cut; F.3 Archaeological Excavations, is being cut; G.3, in which there was an increase last year, has been cut—it deals with sporting activities.
I must differ with Deputy Collins, not on the confusion which surrounds the Government's attitude on the Olympic Games but on the more fundamental issue of whether we should go. The Minister of State at the Department of Education was expressing the view of many young people here when he all but committed himself to a declaration that we should and would go to the Olympic Games in Moscow. It is, of course, a matter for the Irish Olympic Committee and not for the Minister of State or the Minister for Education or the Government.
I was disheartened and saddened when I heard that the Minister for Foreign Affairs had attempted to run for cover under the umbrella of the joint foreign policy of the EEC. When we were voting in the referendum to join the EEC, none of us knew that we were voting for a joint foreign policy as well as everything else. The Minister for Foreign Affairs left his colleague in the Department of Education stranded on the desert island of that statement. I believe the attitude of the Minister of State was fundamentally correct but I am displeased that it has not received any support from the Minister for Education or the Government as a whole. It should be obvious at this point that criticising, as we have the right to do, the foreign policy of the USSR does not mean that we must endorse the policy of the USA. In passing I would add that the degree of seriousness of the attempt by the USA administration to scupper the Olympics would be taken more seriously if they had attempted to abandon the Winter Olympics which, as we all know, were held on their own ground, but this would have excluded them from the Olympics willy nilly, and they were not prepared to do that.
Subhead G.5 deals with youth employment. It is down by £1 million this year. Granted, the short-fall is being made up by the employment guarantee fund. In Vote 29 we account for the salaries of the Department of Education officials and it is appropriate under this heading to deal with a number of general points. The first of these I wish to deal with is in connection with the White Paper on Education. Like many people, I am disappointed the White Paper has not yet appeared, although promised at the end of last year. I hope we will get it before the recess. I should like to serve notice on the Minister that I will not be approaching the White Paper with a vacant mind. On these benches—I hope we will be given Government time to debate such an important document—we will be subjecting the White Paper to the most rigorous scrutiny on three counts.
We will want to see first of all whether it will make any serious attempt to tackle the problem, endemic in this educational system as in all others, of the level of funding the different sections of the system, equality of access to it and equality of expenditure. The second area is that of democratic accountability and the third area in which we will be looking for progress is that of curricular reform and relevance.
In relation to the first area, the funding equality area, it is evident that the educational system in Ireland—it is not unique in countries like us—can have profoundly regressive effects. Professor A. Dale Tussing of the Economic and Social Research Institute put it at least as well as I can put it myself in a paper to the Federated Workers' Union of Ireland seminar on 20 April last when he said:
First, more money is spent in behalf of education of the children of the wealthy than of the middle class, and more in behalf of the middle class than the poor. Income and social status are powerful predictors of how far one will go in school, and what type of school, at each level, one will attend. And second, those who obtain the most and the best educations are most likely to acquire positions of wealth, status, and power in society. At the extreme, workers pay taxes—at rates under the Irish PAYE system that are far from trivial—so that sons and daughters of the top 20 per cent of the income distribution can attend university, so that later, Ireland can pay these university graduates high salaries, fees and commissions.
I have said this is a problem but I do not pretend that it is easy of solution. But if the Education White Paper funks the challenge of attempting to use the educational system as an instrument of greater social equality, it will have failed before the ink is dry on it.
The second area I have mentioned is that of democratic accountability. Here we must take account of the fact that the huge majority of our educational institutions are private institutions. The primary system is a private, grant-aided system; the secondary system is a private grant-aided one. Only the comprehensive schools and vocational schools, and to a lesser degree the community schools, are more closely tied to the accountability network which ends with the Minister for Education and the Department.
Huge amounts of money are spent in the system by way of grant aid to private educational institutions and that amount has been increased during the years without any corresponding increase in the level of accountability of these institutions to the democratic institutions of the State in relation to important educational criteria such as the hiring of teachers and the admission of students to the schools. This is another area which should have been tackled years ago and which the former Minister for Education, Mr. Burke, once publicly stated needed to be taken into account. No Minister for Education has yet had the courage to tackle it.
The third area is that of curricular relevance and reform. The new curriculum, when introduced in the early seventies, was in the mainstream of educational reform of its time and was a good example of reasonably progressive thinking at that time. That is, however, nearly ten years ago. Certainly the basic work of the curriculum would have been completed a decade ago and the world has changed a lot in the past decade. We are now beginning to accept that if basic aims in education are to be achieved, particularly basic aims of literacy, numeracy and so on and if pupils are to be educated in democracy and in a spirit of open, critical approach to society, our curriculum will have to be looked at again.
I shall give one or two examples of the kind of thing that I am talking about. Anybody who takes up the average English reader in one of our primary schools will see a picture of a society which bears very little relationship to what he sees around him. He will see the mother and the father living in a nice, detached or semi-detached house with two children, a dog and a cat. Nip and Fluff. You do not have to walk more than a hundred yards from the gates of this House to see that the reality from which these children come and to which they return from the sheltered environment of school is in many respects very different from what is portrayed in the textbooks.
If a Martian were to descend to earth, with no idea of our society other than what he could gain from a primary school English reader, he would be left with a very false impression indeed. He would be left unaware, for example, of the fact that there are 100,000 children who are members of families living on social assistance. He would be left totally ignorant of the fact that there are 18,000, at least, single parent families in the State. If he were a Martian educationalist, and indeed if he were a non-Martian educationalist, he might come to the conclusion that something was seriously wrong with an educational system which presented such an idealised and unreal thing as a reader of this kind as an educational aid for children in schools.
It is fair to say that in the last ten years there has been an enormous change in the consciousness of women in Irish society and, indeed, in the world as a whole, and a consequent change—not all for the better—in the consciousness of men. These changes in consciousness have not been reflected in our textbooks. The role definitions and stereotyping seen in these textbooks are those, not of a decade ago but of half a century ago, and they are still with us. I appeal to the Minister, if it is not too late, to put something into his White Paper to indicate at least an open mind on the necessity for curricular reform.
I now turn briefly to the question of disadvantage, to which the Minister made a brief reference in his speech. The Minister said, if I recall correctly, that he had a strong desire to do what he could for disadvantaged education, and in this we can hardly disagree with him. He went on to say that equality of access is not in itself sufficient. "It is necessary to take further measures, however, to alleviate the handicaps experienced by socially and economically deprived people but there is a limit to what can be achieved by measures in the educational area alone". I could not underline that statement too strongly. There is a great and a very touching, even if a naive belief at times, that education can solve the problems of the world. Both on the political right and the political left, people who want society to change faster than it is changing believe the schools can do the job for them. People who believe that society is changing too fast believe that the schools can keep society the way they want it to remain. The reality, of course, is much more complex; and, if anything, to my way of thinking the schools lag somewhat behind the rest of society in terms of the speed with which they and the institutions which comprise the educational system actually change.
I must also take the Minister up on that statement which I have quoted. If it is true, as it is, that there is a limit to what can be achieved by measures in the educational area alone, we have to look at what is happening in the other areas. You cannot look at what is happening in education in Ireland in 1980 without looking at what is happening in the economic and social activities of the country, and more particularly in the economic and social policies of the Government. In particular, the cut-backs in other Estimates leading to unemployment and the increasing reliance on indirect taxation, which takes three times as much of the disposable income of the poor as it takes of the better off, must be taken into account in considering what the Minister for Education is trying to do here. If the Minister for Education really faced up to this, he would realise that his position and his job are being made more difficult by the activities of his colleagues in Government because of the economic and social policies they are adopting. They are creating fresh problems faster than he can solve the old ones.
Before leaving this section, I want to talk very briefly about the terminology. The Minister used the term "equality of access to education". We must all agree that nothing of the sort exists. There is neither equality nor opportunity. What we have—and it is something very different—is uniformity of opportunity. In other words, anybody who is in the same position at the start of the race has the same kind of opportunities as the people who are level with him from the starting line. He does not have as many opportunities as those who are ahead of him in the social handicap stakes and has better opportunities than those who are behind him. I shall end that series of remarks by endorsing again what the Minister has said and asking him how long he can continue logically to support a Government who create problems for him to solve.
In relation to corporal punishment, the education spokesman for Fine Gael has already made the point in some detail. I do not propose to go over it in any greater detail but I feel that a couple of remarks should be made. Deputy Collins said that there had been no evidence of activity. On the contrary, when you look back over the files you see evidence of huge amounts of activity but no action, if the Deputy will understand the distinction. This question was first raised by Deputy Keating of Deputy Collins' party back in November 1977 in relation to corporal punishment in a special school. Deputy Keating was told at the time by Deputy Tunney, the Minister of State "I do not propose making any alterations in the matter". On 24 November, two days later, the Minister told the House on an Adjournment Debate that he was going to have discussions with the various teaching and managerial bodies on this topic. I welcomed this and believe that Deputy Collins and Deputy Keating did as well.
On 11 May 1978 Deputy Tunney was still awaiting some submissions from teacher/managerial organisations. Not all the delay was of his doing, I shall grant him that. On 6 December 1978 he published the views of the organisations. On 7 December 1978 he delivered himself of the extraordinary statement that he was not very sure about his power to remove corporal punishment from the system. One would think that the Department of Education never issued instructions to anybody in their lives because they were afraid that they would not be obeyed. On 7 December 1978 —this is still the same source—he said "It is all right saying that a dictate should go forth but it is a different thing altogether to force the people who are working in that situation and who feel confident that a certain rule is necessary and to gurantee that they will not abuse the rule." Six months later—the Chair is aware we are precluded from raising this question more frequently than every six months—the Minister of State told me he was examining the views of the various associations in the context of the management structures of the schools. This was the first time the management structures of the schools emerged as an item in the debate and I suppose we will have to wait further for clarification on that matter. On 13 December 1979 in reply to Deputy Collins and myself the Minister said that all the submissions were not yet in and that some of the organisations had indicated they wished to make further submissions.
On 20 March 1980 I asked the Minister a question in relation to complaints received in his Department about corporal punishment. Under a departmental circular of 1969 there are very distinct steps to be followed when any parent, or I suppose when a child, makes a complaint to the Department about corporal punishment. We have been told time and again by the Minister on behalf of the Department that the number of complaints received in connection with this matter is tiny. I asked the Minister to indicate in respect of each of this tiny number of complaints what steps had been taken to follow it up within the terms of the 1969 circular. I assumed that if the number was really tiny the Minister would have the whole matter at his fingertips. I am still waiting for that information. On 17 April 1980 we were told that all the submissions from the organisations had been received and that the Minister was going to embark on a round of consultations. It is impossible to believe anything but that this matter has been put on the shelf and that it will remain there until after the general election.
With regard to primary education, I should like to point out a few cuts that are important. Subhead A.3 deals with special courses for teachers. These have been cut. In subhead C.5—Capitation Grants Towards Operating Costs of National Schools—the amount has not been increased and, effectively, that means a cut. Subhead C.6 deals with aid towards the cost of school books and this has been cut in real terms. When we look at the pattern of cuts in primary education as elsewhere, we see that in many of the areas where traditionally the Department have not carried the entire burden of expenditure because of an input of private funds, the Department have been able to cut back their expenditure in the confident assumption that private investment would rise to bridge the gap. The sad truth is that not all private individuals are in the same position in relation to meeting increased educational costs and those who are less well off are less able to meet the consequences of the Minister's action. Subhead E deals with the building, equipment and furnishing of national schools. Again, this is an area where cuts have been made and Deputy Collins noted that very clearly.
On 22 February 1980 the general-secretary of the INTO with whom I differ on some matters issued a very trenchant statement on the Government cuts in which he noted that
"...an overall cut in expenditure of 7.5 per cent in money terms will represent a cut in real terms of up to 25 per cent. The selection by the Government of education and health for the most severe cutbacks seem to indicate that these areas of social provision are a low priority in the Government's objectives and are seen by Government as a soft target in times of economic difficulty. The direct result for primary schools will be serious delay in the building of new schools and the extension of existing overcrowded schools, many of which are bursting at the seams. It should be clearly understood that the proposed cuts represent a flagrant breach of the educational provisions of the National Understanding and must bring Government into immediate conflict with the teachers' unions and the whole trade union movement.
If Mr. Quigley does not know about this matter nobody does. I should like to endorse his criticism of the Government's spending cuts and indicate to the public that he spoke no less than the truth.
I listened with interest to what Deputy Collins said about the need for some assessment in primary education. I was very glad to hear him say he did not want to resurrect the old primary certificate, not least because it is almost inescapable that this kind of development would be used by secondary schools who already operate screening and selection procedures as yet another way of turning children away from their doors. I agree with Deputy Collins that something is needed in the area of assessment. The age of eight years was suggested. An effort is needed to try to find out the children who cannot read and write properly at that age because those children are at risk educationally. They cannot benefit to the full from the new curriculum and they will become drop-outs from school or will develop social and educational problems if they remain at school. Most teachers will know who these children are and where they are. It should be a major national priority to direct educational expenditure towards these identifiable children.
I should like the Minister to comment on the report in The Irish Press of today's date with regard to transport. It stated that restrictions in the free school transport service will be introduced from next September. To put it mildly, the Minister was unwise not to have come clean with us in his Estimate speech and give us a chance to discuss the matter. At the moment all we have to discuss is a newspaper report. The Minister should have let us know what is happening. I am sure he read The Irish Press before he came into the House this morning and he could have added a few sentences to his statement to let us know what was happening.
One of the key issues in primary education, one of the politically sensitive issues that does not have an obvious resource implication, has been ducked by the Minister for some months. I am referring to the stalemate over the management structure in primary schools. It is a stalemate in which the Minister would like us to believe that the antagonists are the INTO who want a 2-2-2 management system in primary schools and the managerial authorities will not give it to them. The Minister cannot wash his hands of this problem indefinitely. The former scheme for primary school management committees, inadequate though it was in certain respects, proved the usefulness and the advantage of involving the owners of the schools, the teachers and the parents in a constructive relationship at management level. At the moment the teachers are boycotting the boards because the review they were promised has now been stalemated. The Minister must bear a major share of responsibility for that.
In relation to Vote 31 which deals with secondary education, we can see where the axe has been wielded. Cuts have been made in the following subheads: A.1 which covers capitation grants; A.2 which deals with supplemental grants to secondary schools in lieu of tuition fees; A.3 which deals with science and other equipement grants; subhead E which deals with courses for secondary teachers and, the hardy annual, subhead I which deals with aid towards the cost of school books. In all of these cases cuts have been made in real terms and sometimes in money terms also.
While I make this point, I should not like to be taken as endorsing every criticism of the Minister and of the educational system which has been made outside this House by various pressure groups who are concerned, quite legitimately, to get more money for the schools in which they are involved. I wish to remind people who are naturally concerned about the level of funding of their schools of certain financial facts that have also been outlined very dramatically by Professor Tussing. In his paper he says:
In second level, expenditures appear to be higher, per pupil, for schooling of better-off pupils. My own research indicates that fee-charging schools, those which elected not to participate in the free scheme (but which, anomalously, get most of their funds from the taxpayer), spend substantially more per pupil than schools in the free scheme. Even within the free scheme, my research shows that per pupil expenditures are significantly higher in the high-income areas of Dublin and its suburbs than in the low-income areas. The research of others shows that it is the low-income pupil who tends not to continue in second-level schooling, past the age of compulsory attendance.
The Constitution says that the State must provide reasonable help for private initiative in education. I have said in another forum, and I have no hesitation in repeating it in this House, that while the State is bound to supply reasonable help to private initiatives in education it is not bound to cut its own financial throat in the process of doing so and that the ring will have to be held ultimately by the Minister for Education as democratically appointed by this Dáil. I sound a note of caution about the tactics that may misguidedly be employed by some of the pressure groups I have been talking about. There seems to be an impression abroad that the tussle for funds in education is somehow a tussle connected with religion, and, to hear some people talk, one would almost think that the disappearance of compulsory Irish from our schools is to be followed at a very short interval by the introduction of compulsory atheism. There is no difference of opinion in this House as far as I am aware as to the rights of parents in relation to the religious education of their children. That is a constitutional right and is one that my party have certainly upheld and will continue to uphold. I do not believe there is any real difference of opinion on it in the House.
The argument essentially is about the allocation and distribution of resources as between private education and education which is more directly accountable to the State. That is an argument that can only be solved by the Minister for Education. Sometimes I think that one of the reasons for the differential in funding between primary and post-primary education is that some of the most effective pressure in education often comes from more articulate, slightly better-off parents who have had a reasonably good education themselves. They may not be happy about overcrowded primary schools and large classes but generally they have access to domestic resources of their own, reasonable housing, and a reasonable economic existence in the other areas which will enable them from their own resources to supplement the resources available in the primary education sector.
At second level it is a completely different situation when specialisation becomes more acute and pressure of examinations becomes fiercer. It is not at all as easy for these parents to supplement from their own resources any shortfall in the education system. That is why I think the pressure is more intensely experienced by Government at second level and why it has tended to produce a pattern of expenditure per pupil which is very heavily biased towards second level compared with first level.
One other point on secondary education is in relation to the expanding second level population in our schools and in particular to the need to provide new educational facilities in many areas in our cities and larger towns. Deputy Collins asked the Minister for a statement of his policy as between community schools and secondary schools, which did he prefer. There is another way of looking at it, especially in relation to the green field areas and that is, what is the Minister's policy—we are entitled to demand it—in relation to the provision of new second-level education facilities in the green field area? The community schools deed of trust is to some extent, although not entirely, a matter of history now but what people have forgotten is that the community school model was devised for an amalgamation situation and the community schools are now to be provided in various areas in which no amalgamation of schools is involved.
According to the Minister's speech this will occur in one particular area in my constituency, in Balally, where, to the best of my knowledge, he has not secured and is unlikely to secure the agreement of County Dublin VEC to such a step. I think I can tell the Minister that the VEC will not be pre-empted by half a sentence in an Estimate speech from its rights and indeed its obligation in this area. What rational explanation can there be for creating any kind of school other than a community college in a green field area or, if the parents are to be given a choice, can the Minister not at least ensure that they get a choice between real alternatives, between a new community school with its own management structure and a new community college and not, as the choice has been presented to many parent groups in my experience, between a brand new community school and a thirty-year-old vocational school? No parents in their right minds would go for a community college for as long as they are told or given to understand that what they are likely to get is no different from the vocational school of three decades and a generation ago.
Let the Minister make no mistake; there is a major battle brewing in the green field areas in general and in Dublin in particular about the future control and destiny of second-level education. At present the private secondary sector, Catholic and Protestant and non-aligned—if I may use that expression—accounts for the huge majority of the educational institutions in that sector. That certainly meets the constitutional requirement of reasonable support for private initiative in education. I must stress from these benches this party's view that the provision of the increasingly large amounts of money needed for education must be accompanied by an appropriate degree of democratic accountability. To my mind, this is the major battle that will be fought over the next few years in the green field areas.
Finally as regards higher education, I have searched Vote 34 for any subhead apart from that for the Dublin Dental Hospital which showed any increase. The cuts go down along the line in higher education and it is obvious that this is the area which perhaps has been singled out by the Minister for the attention of the axe-man. Of course there are problems about higher education; nobody doubts that it is part of the whole educational system and that in many ways it underpins some of the most regressive aspects of this situation. But perhaps where a rapier was needed the Minister has charged in with a cutlass and the effect of the cuts he has made has been to draw howls of protest even from normally staid individuals such as the President of UCD. Dr Thomas Murphy speaking on 20 April in a conferring speech said that he and his institution now have a shortfall of £823,000 in their State grant this year. He said:
We are of course well aware of the fact—
Who would not be if they read the newspapers?
—that the national economic situation necessitates restrictions on State expenditure and we are taking a number of economy measures in an effort to continue our work in spite of the financial restraints placed upon us. These economy measures include leaving some posts vacant, drastically reducing the purchase of equipment and cutting down on the maintenance of premises and on other services. These and other proposed economies will cause hardship to students and staff, and will make it extremely difficult for us to perform our primary functions of teaching and research to the standard expected of us as the largest university institution in the country.
I suspect that Dr. Murphy's words could be echoed by the head of almost any university institution in this country. The Minister must accept the very strong likelihood that these cuts in the third-level sector, as everywhere else, will hit most the people least well equipped to bear them. The Minister is talking about an increase in grants, but with all the grants that have been introduced and increased over the last ten or 12 years, the social class profile going on to third-level education is almost identical with what it was before the grants were introduced. I am astonished that the Minister has not, even by now, conducted a more radical re-examination of restructuring of policies. His failure to do so means that people can blame the victim. They can say that it is because the children of the poor do not have any interest in third-level education, and it enables them to hide behind a failure to recognise that the reason why the poor do not go to third-level education is that they have not got enough money, even with the grants.
Finally, I turn to the question of legislation that the Minister has brought in in third-level education and particularly legislation for NIHE Limerick.
On an Estimate we cannot discuss legislation unless it was mentioned by the Minister. Sorry, Deputy, but that is one of the rules.
I will do my best to get around it in the ways with which I am most familiar. On 3 December 1979 Christina Murphy had an article in The Irish Times. She was talking about the Minister's next but one predecessor, Deputy Burke, and I quote one paragraph from the article:
For he
—that is Deputy Burke—
did achieve one important thing which Mr. Wilson is not achieving; he stirred things up. He scared the wits out of the universities, lifted stones that had not been moved in years and generally got people worried. Mr. Wilson, on the other hand, is not worrying anybody about what he's doing—he's only worrying them about what he is not doing.
Christina Murphy could not write that paragraph today because the Minister has scared the wits out of the universities and not for entirely the right reasons. I have no doubt that in the financial sector, and also in the area of structures in which we are anticipating legislation as well, a long, bitter battle may be joined if the Minister attempts to replicate some of the extraordinarily Draconian provisions which he has already put before us.
That is all I have to say on this Estimate. With the best will in the world, I must, at least in part, sympathise with the Minister. He has been given an impossible job to do by an impossible Government but in the last analysis the option of supporting it remains open to him only.
I welcome the opportunity to discuss this Estimate which probably is one of the most important Estimates to come before this House. It gives us a chance to discuss all aspects of education. The Minister's opening statement, delivered entirely in Irish, was a comprehensive statement on the state of education finances in Ireland. He has the responsibility of ensuring that the best use is made of these funds. Education has an unending appetite for public funds and if we had the entire national income to spend on education it would be hardly adequate. The Minister has achieved a certain amount of unanimity here under the difficulties of his task and the spokesmen for Fine Gael and Labour took into consideration the difficulties he faces in what is probably one of the most difficult ministries in Government.
Before I go into detail I want to refer to the statement which Deputy Collins made on corporal punishment in which he was supported to some extent by Deputy Horgan. He said that he personally is against corporal punishment. I am putting it on the record of this House that I am against corporal punishment. However, a number of parents are not against corporal punishment and there is a debate amongst them as to the usefulness or otherwise of it. I do not recall that in recent years there has been any real abuse of corporal punishment and parents who object to it and indicate so to the principals of the schools will find that their wishes will be respected. That has been my experience. I have indicated to the principals of the schools to which my children go that I would rather that corporal punishment would not be used, and those principals have respected those wishes. The same applies to a number of other parents who have been in touch with me about this matter. There may be over-emphasis and some scaremongering in the matter of corporal punishment. Its use has been greatly modified since I was at school and that is a step in the right direction.
Deputy Collins referred to primary schools and the child-centered curriculum. There is the difficulty that the transition from primary to secondary school can be quite a traumatic experience for young people. Children in sixth class may be better prepared for the change from primary, child-centred education to the more disciplined area of secondary schools. It is unfortunate that we lack public debate in Ireland about education. This stems from the old idea that all things to do with education are better left to teachers in schools. It is about time that this was changed and parents were taken more into the confidence of schools and into the education debate which seems at the moment to be between teachers and the Minister for Education. There are more interests than those of the teachers, and the real interests of the child and of the parents must take a greater part in the education debate. We have the youngest and fastest growing population in Europe, and how these children are taught and the facilities we will provide for them will determine what the country will be like in the next 20 years.
One of the primary decisions that has to be made is what proportion of the national budget will go into the different sectors of education, primary, secondary and third level. It is by no means certain that every citizen has as a civil right entitlement to third level education at the State's expense. Because of the heavy costs involved third level education is disproportionately expensive and it often has the result of producing more graduates than the country can employ. It is about time we seriously considered the possibility mentioned in the much quoted Tussing Report, of setting up a scheme of cheap student loans whereby the student will be advanced the amount of the fee required with living allowances at low interest, the loan with the interest to be paid back over a period of ten years after qualification or a specified period.
As has been said, every citizen is entitled to the best primary education the State can offer at the expense of the State. Deputy Horgan referred to the expense of and the emphasis on secondary education and I agree with him to some extent. The emphasis should be more removed from third and second level education to the area which involves every citizen at some stage or another. The primary education a child receives marks him for life. If in his primary years a child is subjected to overcrowding in classrooms, inadequate equipment and so on he will spend the rest of his life trying to catch up. If a child is given a fair chance to develop his talents he will embark on the secondary stage of education with a more reasonable chance of getting on.
In the few years that the Minister has been in office he has made enormous strides. Judging from the contributions of other Members including Opposition Deputies they, too, are impressed with the Minister's record. Class sizes have been reduced, remedial teachers have been employed to help the weaker children, special classes and schools have been provided to cater for those with problems, and so on. However, there is still a lot of work to be done. There is no doubt that it is intolerable that some schools are unfit for habitation by teachers and children. I hope it will be possible to mount a crash programme to eliminate the few black spots that survive.
While we have had some progress in the reduction of class sizes and in the reduction of the pupil-teacher ratios in primary schools, class sizes must be further reduced. This is particularly urgent in built-up areas and high density housing areas. Teachers cannot otherwise cope with the problems which inevitably spill over into the world. The classroom reflects the outside world. If we want our children to become mature, responsible, fulfilled adults we must give our primary teachers a fair chance to lay down the foundations for this in the classrooms. Hooligans and vandals do not spring out full grown to terrorise the community. It takes 12, 13 or 14 years for them to grow. Undoubtedly the home situation plays a major part in the development of anti-social characteristics but over-crowded conditions and over-taxed teachers do not help the situation.
Teaching is a demanding profession particularly in primary schools where the teacher must spend five days of every week with the same class throughout the school year. It is easy to become disillusioned and the enthusiasm which may have been there on leaving the training college can easily be dulled. The INTO are very conscious of this and have repeatedly called for more inservice courses for teachers. Such courses would keep teachers up to date with new ideas and techniques and would provide a stimulus to recharge the batteries of enthusiasm.
I appeal to the planning authorities, in the forward planning of housing schools and so on, to ensure that national schools have a natural intake of children from different backgrounds. The social mix should be correct so that there will not be one school for children from a corporation estate and another school for children from a privately funded housing development. We must avoid the development of the ghetto situation as none of our children would benefit from it. We have a relatively class free society and I will make any contribution I can to maintain it as such.
I come from a fairly mixed constituency socially, and more so now because of the new contituencies. There is in my constituency UCD in Belfield, and many fine secondary schools which are no doubt the envy of the country at large not merely because of the superiority of the buildings but because of the personnel involved. What is a problem for the secondary schools is the lack of sports complexes and all year round recreational facilities. Schools, such as St. Benildus and Oatlands Christian Brothers in Stillorgan together cater for almost 2,000 pupils and are without sports or recreational complexes and are desperately in need of them. I have no doubt that in a more fluid financial situation the Minister would be happy to provide those facilities. At UCD a rather expensive and large sports complex has been developed by the college authorities and perhaps the Minister would ask the college authorities to consider some kind of co-operation between the college and the schools mentioned as an interim measure to alleviate the situation in the winter with reference to indoor recreational facilities. Will the Minister also ensure so far as he can that this complex does not close with the close of the academic year in the summer so that the community in the surrounding catchment area will have some access to the facilities. In this regard I pay tribute to the college authorities who have developed in a short time magnificent playing facilities and beautiful grounds and woodlands. They have provided general access to the public to these beautiful surroundings. That is a wonderful gesture on their part.
Deputy Horgan referred to the building of a new community school at Balally which has caused some concern to the very large religious minority in the area. In his reply to a question raised earlier the Minister assured us that, whatever the outcome, the minority religions will have representation. We need to clarify the situation rapidly as far as the school in Balally is concerned. I realise that an effort is being made by Dublin County Vocational Educational Committee. The chairman is a Labour Party councillor. Nonetheless, she has made a fair and reasonable submission.
Because of that.
Perhaps. We will not go into the interpretation of "because". She has made a reasonable submission to the Dublin Advisory Council on Education and, from the information available to me, the advisory council were quite impressed by the submission. However, I know there are more difficulties to be faced before the Minister makes a final decision.
Some months ago I attended a meeting in Taney parish Church of Ireland school at which many parents expressed a wish for properly balanced representation on the board of management. I have not yet received the report of the sub-committee set up by the parents attending that meeting to determine the numbers who would like to send their children to the school, but I have no doubt that, given the right representation, very many of them would like to send their children there.
I want to refer in particular to the rather large Methodist community who are not, as many people think, very well off. There is a Methodist church in the area which is very well attended. There are a great number of Methodist students in the area. I have been told that, given the right representation on the boards of management of the new Balally school, community college, or whatever, we will have greater participation. We will probably have maximum participation in the school by the Methodist community.
Before leaving Balally school I should like to mention that there have been some comments about the building standards in the school. I would ask the Minister to ensure that, when the school commences in September of this year, we will not have this recurring problem of maintenance. That should not be necessary if we tackle it at this stage.
I should like to refer to the concern being expressed by teachers in the two VEC schools in Dundrum. They feel the intake may be reduced because of the new community school and that teachers in these two fine schools may be displaced or that the senior cycle may be downgraded or removed altogether. For many years the older teachers in these schools—going back before the time of the recently retired and great principal, Peadar Halpin—with other interests in the vocational sector have fought for a senior cycle. They now have it, and their record is second to none.
They have a record of examination results which matches any community or privately funded school. This is a marvellous tribute to the teachers and to the people in the community who supported them over the years. It is also a marvellous tribute to the tenacity of people like Peadar Halpin who made such an enormous contribution to the establishment and development of the VECs in the Dundrum community. In the 40 years I have been living in Dundrum I do not remember any single case of a bad boy in the VEC schools or any young boy or girl being caught in any act of vandalism. They are a wonderful group of students. I am very proud to be associated with the schools over such a long period in one way or another.
I should like to turn my attention to the problem of primary schools in south Dublin. While the more mature students in third level education are constantly on the crest of a wave seeking more and more grants, more and more support, more and more of this, that and the other, the primary schools are finding it difficult to meet the demands on them, such as demands for accommodation. The stresses and strains on teachers working in heavily populated classrooms are great.
The Minister has been more than helpful in dealing with the problems in south Dublin and throughout the country, given the limited finances available, although they are enormous in the overall context. Given the limited finances available to him, he has done a tremendous job, but there are still difficulties. There are problems which he inherited from his predecessor who was more anxious to develop his image and increase his popularity than he was to build more schools and reduce the pupil-teacher ratio.
Despite the commitment to primary education and the satisfactory progress being made in many respects, the pupil-teacher ratio is far too high. There are difficulties in St. Lawrence's in Kilmacud and in Our Lady of the Wayside in Kilternan. There are problems in Dundrum, Ballinteer, Rathfarnham, Ballyboden, Firhouse and throughout the constituency, but three years ago they were twice as bad. It is a tribute to the Minister's ability to handle the finances available to him that he was able to do so much with so little.
I want to refer briefly to an aspect of primary education which has been much neglected, that is, art education in classrooms. We have come a long way in art education since a Scandinavian team came here in 1961 and said we were illiterate in the matter of design. They left in utter bewilderment at the lack of trust Irish people had in art and design. Thank goodness things have improved. Art is no longer confined to people with money. It is no longer confined to the well to do and the intelligentsia. Art is on the crest of a rennaissance. Therefore it is becoming more and more important for us to take a close look at the state of art education in our primary schools in particular.
The teaching of art in our primary schools calls for freedom and imagination and a lack of the emphasis we put traditionally on technical accomplishment. I do not believe these carefully measured skills are of any consequence. What is important in this context is proper materials being made available for every child. Each school should be properly equipped with the materials necessary to encourage young children to express themselves openly and freely without the constraint of having to work with inferior material. Frequently children come home from school with IBM paper or other scrap paper that may be collected from charities and elsewhere but in respect of classroom lessons, a proper appreciation of colour, texture and space is vital. The importance of art at primary school level cannot be over emphasised. An appreciation of art at that stage gives children a better opportunity for assimilating information later in life.
We all know that a child starting school is fascinated, perhaps frightened, but that above all he is curious about his new environment and is anxious to explore and discover what it contains. Therefore, it is imperative that the classrooms be bright and that, within the context of numbers and class control, children be given as much freedom as possible in the first couple of years at school. In this regard I should like to pay tribute to the primary teachers who down through the years have done so much to lessen the anxiety experienced by children in their first years at school. These teachers have been successful in their efforts despite their not having the necessary resources. Education requires sacrifice, sacrifice both on the part of parents and on the part of teachers. Our teachers have never been slow to make sacrifices in terms of their time or in the pursuit of extra curricular activities for the children. While problems may arise at parent-teacher meetings, for instance, we must all agree that teachers should be paid properly for the work they are doing. Most teachers are involved in the community in which they live. Many of them organise the children in football teams, for instance. We hear a good deal of the politics of greed and envy but even it we were to pay our teachers £20,000 per year we would not be paying them enough for what they do. But, realistically, they know and we know that such level of remuneration is not possible. Obviously, they must seek improved conditions but they must have regard also to the difficulties facing all of us today.
I should like to refer the Minister to the adult literacy scheme and particularly to the efforts being made by the Dublin literacy scheme in the city and county. The people involved in this scheme are a group of dedicated people who have taken on voluntarily an enormous task in bringing the art of reading to adults who missed out over the years in this regard.
Hear, Hear.
I know that the Minister has taken remedial action in this area by appointing remedial teachers but this voluntary organisation are badly in need of some finance, even a small amount, in order to enable them to publish the right type of literature for their students. In co-operation with the IMI who have provided them with printing facilities they have done an enormous amount of work. I appeal to the Minister to consider some form of grant for the Dublin literacy scheme and also, of course, towards the national literacy scheme. We owe it to those people who have slipped through the education network to help them in some way now. During the past quarter of a century a great deal of progress has been achieved in making educational provision for handicapped children through measures ranging from residential and day special schools to visiting teacher services and home tution. Most special schools are conducted by voluntary associations. These associations and a number of religious communities have played and continue to play a very important role in the development of educational and other services for the handicapped by stimulating local initiative and providing support for parents. As in the case of the general population, the Department of Education pay the teachers' salaries and the cost of school transport as well as grants towards the cost of building, equipping and operating schools.
One area of special education now coming more to the fore is that of remedial education. There are many children in our schools—estimates range from 10 per cent upwards— whose failure to achieve adequate competence in such basic skills as reading and numeracy cannot be attributed to any disability of mind or body. Their learning problems may arise from a wide variety of causes, for example, lack of motivation, irregular attendance, poor pupil-teacher relationships, inadequate class organisation and specific learning difficulties. If these learning disabilities are not detected and treated adequately as soon as they arise they may lead to serious failure at school and in some cases to the development of personality disorders. This is why the reduction of class sizes in primary schools to a reasonable level must be a first priority. The Minister must be congratulated on the progress made in this respect during the past three years. He must be congratulated also on the substantial progress made in the appointment of remedial teachers, both at primary and post-primary level. We welcome the news this morning in this regard. This is a clear indication that, even in a time of scarce resources, priority is being given to the needs of the disadvantaged. The Minister's assurance that such priority will continue to be given is most welcome.
There is one aspect of special education to which I should like to refer at some length. I am talking about the role of education in dealing with the problem of juvenile delinquency—a problem which is very much on all our minds at present. The increase in anti-social behaviour among our young people is a feature of our present affluent and acquisitive society. Many text books provide exhaustive lists of the causes for this. Parents who are inadequate socially and economically, figure as the chief cause; children who innately or because of the circumstances in which they live are emotionally disturbed or maladjusted, constitute the second great cause.
Theoretically, the home is the ideal centre for the upbringing of all children. Family and marriage counselling, medical care of expectant mothers, school medical services, child guidance clinics, the rapid development of schools and classes for handicapped children and a wide variety of social services are among the many external supports which help to preserve homes which have difficulty in rearing children. This does not imply an under-estimation of the importance of housing, financial support in time of stress and adequate recreational facilities.
The new child-centred curriculum in the primary school enables the teacher to concentrate on the needs of the individual child. The principle objectives of the curriculum, as laid down in the curriculum handbook, are to provide each pupil "with the kind and variety of opportunities towards stimulation and fulfilment which will enable him to develop his natural powers at his own rate to his fullest capacity".
The handbook also states that the curriculum should be flexible enough "to meet the needs of children of widely varying natural endowment and cultural background". The continued reduction in the pupil teacher ratio, the very substantial increase in the number of remedial teachers and the expansion in the facilities for children with physical, mental and emotional handicaps, all contribute to the realisation of the ideals which the curriculum places before all teachers.
It is sometimes claimed that culturally disadvantaged children are unable to cope within our school system and that they find it irrelevant to the needs of life as they experience it. This need not be so. Many schools have a number of such children enrolled and in some all the children are deprived. The unfortunate ghetto system arises from time to time and I hope the Minister will deal with this matter in his reply. I know of many schools which cope very successfully with these children and achieve very creditable standards of attainment. However, I think it is now generally accepted that school of itself is a poor agent of social change. It tends to mirror the society around it rather than change it. That is why projects like that mounted in Rutland Street appear to have done so little to change the areas in which they are situated, although the benefits for some individual children have been very significant.
The provision of special residential schools, covered in Vote No. 33, is one of a number of measures necessary to deal with the problem of young people under 16 years of age who have become seriously involved in delinquent activities, or whose behaviour places them at risk of becoming persistent offenders. It is important in relation to any efforts which are made to solve the problem of juvenile delinquency to recognise that in most cases these children tend to fall into well-recognised categories of intellectual, emotional or social handicap. Their unacceptable behaviour is almost always associated with a failure of their families, schools, or society to meet their special developmental needs.
A close association has been established between juvenile delinquency and illiteracy, chronic truancy and social deprivation. For example, the borderline mentally handicapped child who does not receive the benefit of special education is especially at risk and may develop delinquent tendencies. Many other young offenders are children of normal personality who have been influenced by a socially disadvantaged environment in which anti-social behaviour is widely condoned. Many of these illiterate and cultural delinquents can be helped within the community to adjust to the requirements of society if given individual supervision, support and guidance by a concerned adult acting officially or voluntarily who is able to ensure that the young person under his care receives the benefit of the special or other educational services he needs.
I congratulate the Minister on a job well done. Deputy Horgan and Deputy E. Collins referred to the on-going situation. They said that the Minister's speech was a cover-up for the work done over the past two years and that it did not really refer to the Estimate. There are few people in Ireland who could do as good a job as this Minister is doing for education within the limited financial circumstances. I want to thank him on behalf of myself, my constituents and the teachers and parents in my area for the work he has done.
A contribution to the debates on the Estimates for Agriculture, Health and Education can be termed the most important a Deputy can make. I put great emphasis on this Estimate for Education. This debate gives Deputies an opportunity of expressing their views and it gives the Minister an opportunity to present his proposals for the coming year in relation to progress in his Department. I would like to be able to congratulate him on his numerous achievements, but unfortunately they are not apparent to all Deputies. Within the limits of the amount of money available to the Minister we cannot expect an improved standard in the services provided by the Department. It is most regrettable in a country like ours that there should ever be a question of restricting funds for education.
The Government's handling of the present economic situation has contributed to the restriction of funds being made available for education. I realise that is not a subject we can debate on this Vote. Everybody knows the purpose of education is to educate young people to take their place in an extremely competitive world. The essential of education is to give knowledge on all subjects.
Reference was made to the standard and behaviour of our young people. In my opinion we have the best generation of young people ever. The reason we have the best generation of young people is that they have gone through the test. Many older people, the newspapers and the media are inclined to be critical of our young people but that is wrong, unfair and extremely unjust. On the contrary, instead of being criticised they should be given a clap on the back because they have had to deal with distractions at school and afterwards, such as television, drug addiction—against which our young people have fought courageously—and many other things. Would many of the older generation who are critical of our young people have emerged from such battles as well as they have?
It is gratifying to see the number of young people who participate fully in community life. They are engaged in rural charitable organisations, community work, visiting the sick and are involved in the work of such organisations as the St. Vincent de Paul Society, the Samaritans and others. They are contributing to such organisations generously with their talents, energy, time, care and attention. They are doing so at a time when distractions were never so many or so great. The schools play a big part in that. We always hear of the failures of one or two young people but we never read about the thousands of young people who contribute so well and generously to all forms of community life. They are a credit to our country. Our teachers, lay and religious, deserve our compliments for the type of young people who passed through their classes. All those people need is leadership because they have the courage, will, initiative and drive. We must encourage them.
Our teachers have done great work in this changing world at a time of credit restrictions and many other obstacles. It has been stated, correctly, that culture is the nature of man. Without culture man would be doomed and it is only in his culture that he can survive. Education is undergoing many changes, many of which will take place in this decade. Attitudes in society towards education have been changing. There is a greater demand for higher standards. Courses have been updated, assessment systems reformed and curricula broadened with the result that new pressures are being imposed on teachers at all levels. I should like to know if the Department have considered how the effectiveness of teaching can be improved.
It is possible that the experts in the Department have not had an opportunity to examine that because all branches of it are completely understaffed. Our educational system should be so designed as to attract our young people. For that reason we must consider the views of our experts. Our experts are better than most other countries as far as education and other aspects of work are concerned. I should like to know if any studies have been carried out with a view to improving the effectiveness of our teaching system. We must consider how parent-teacher contact can be improved. Has the present parent-teacher system achieved what was expected of it? Is the lay-out and duration of the school year in need of review? In this regard it is desirable that the opinion of the inspectorate of the Department and the views of the experts should be taken into consideration. The Minister has not made any observations about this matter since he took office and it is worthy of his consideration. We must examine the need for changes in teaching, education and development. Is there a need for a formal and extended in-service education for teachers? Must we endeavour to improve the standard of our teachers in an effort to acquaint them with the background of the children under their care? Such questions must be considered if we are to get good results. We must also consider whether there is a need to establish advisory staff councils in all schools. Although we were promised details of such a scheme some time ago the Department have not presented any reports.
The most important point in my contribution relates to the examination system. In my view there should be a drastic change in the layout and system of examinations. The place of examinations in the national system of education has always been controversial and I doubt if we could introduce a system that would not be. Certainly we should endeavour to get away from the present system which is so highly controversial. Traditionally society has placed great value on examination results as a means of selection for employment and higher education. Many educationalists have come increasingly to question the value of examinations and their role in education. Courses prescribed for examinations have tended to dominate the curriculum in a way which may prevent teachers from introducing learning situations relevant to the needs of students in present-day circumstances. The Minister for Education might take a look at what the Prime Minister of Malta, Mr. Mintoff, is doing there. I hope the Minister will keep as far away from Mr. Mintoff's ideas as possible in relation to education.
I have been anxious to know what alternatives the Department of Education have to the present examinations system. We all know, particularly those of us with families, that the present system of examinations is unnatural and inhuman in many respects. Our young people today are unable to concentrate. In a year in which these vital examinations take place they are keyed-up trying to take in, within the limited capacity of their brains and intelligence, more than they can hold. There is a certain fear, the fear of failure, the fear for their whole future if they should fail to pass one examination in which they may be questioned on subjects far removed from what they have studied. In many instances the examination papers for the leaving certificate leave much to be desired. Has the Minister any intention of setting up what could be described as an examination board, as in the United Kingdom and in Northern Ireland where it is meeting with a high degree of success. I want the Minister and his Department to realise and recognise the feelings and atmosphere prevailing in homes where there are two or three children preparing simultaneously for these examinations so vital to their future. Cognisance should be taken of the number of children who have to seek medical aid and assistance occasioned by mental stress and torture at an age when they should be building themselves up for adulthood.
It is time the present leaving certificate examination system was abolished and replaced by something more fruitful, solid and less fearful to students, some alternative that will not affect their physical fitness to the same degree. It must be remembered that this awful fear on the part of students, the dread of failure and the high tension which results, is responsible for nervous breakdowns. This must be well known to all those engaged in our teaching institutions.
All countries are faced with the problems of examinations and all are offering different solutions. These include the lifting of the time limit to assist slow writers, the introduction of books on certain subjects, allowing individual schools to have their final tests; using typewriters instead of biros and pens in having written parts of examinations completed. There is suggested also local and regional examinations employing IQ tests. There have been numerous demands from time to time for the adoption of some of those alternative systems here. In Britain a certificate is issued to a student in respect of each individual subject instead of our practice under which a candidate must pass all subjects under the terms of the examination before he or she can be presented with a pass certificate in the leaving certificate examination. That is wrong. It is about time we had a change. We are no longer in the forties, fifties, sixties or indeed seventies. Let us shake off the shackles of fear of examinations. Let us become more practical in the real issues of life, the areas in which our young people will have to strive.
It is about time the leaving certificate as we know it was abolished completely and replaced by practical tests. What are the alternatives? There is a duty on the Minister to tell us the alternatives to the present system and which of those will best suit our students and schools alike. One such would be the replacement of a national system of examination by one of teacher assessment. What is wrong with such a system? All teachers in Ireland are dedicated to their work and their students. They want to see their students advance in every degree of education. Teachers have told me that they could not understand why certain of their high-grade students whom they thought would have passed the leaving certificate without any trouble failed to do so. Perhaps it was because they were in bad form on the day of the examination or for some other reason happened to fail. There is, then, the selection of third-level students by means of interview in conjuction with general aptitude tests or on a school report. There might be consideration given also to the allocation of places in higher education by means of a schools selection board, a selection board set up by the Department of Education, or the introduction of an extra year at school for those who will continue into higher education with a special examination at the end.
There is need to abolish the group certificate and leaving certificate examinations as they obtain. There is great need for special transition courses for pupils leaving school. Also greater emphasis should be placed on social and health education as an essential part of the schools curricula.
It is about time we had a further report from the Department of Education on how we can encourage a revival of the Irish language in schools, something which in recent years appears to have taken a back seat completely. Are we going to allow our heritage, culture and language to die out completely in our anxiety about the material benefits continental languages can bring us? We have an obligation to examine closely the prospects of encouraging in the schools a greater interest in our language.
There is also need for a full review of the new curriculum. Why are so many children leaving primary school without basic skills in reading, writing and arithmetic? Members of this House are getting letters from time to time from young people and there is no comparison between the type of letter I am getting today and the type of letter I got 35 years ago from my constituents. The art of handwriting is finished. Are children taught properly to write in our schools, to dot the "i" and cross the "t", to write proper plain handwriting? The handwriting of the older people here was copperplate. It would do one good to look at handwriting 35 to 40 years ago. Now young people are writing and we cannot make out a single word of what is written in many of the letters. I want to emphasise that the Department of Education should impress upon teachers the importance of plain legible handwriting and there should be more emphasis on reading and arithmetic also.
Immediate steps should be taken to reduce large classes. I know the Minister is doing something about that, but a lot more could be done to make greater use of the space in our schools.
There should be financial support to encourage parents in disadvantaged areas to keep their children at school. There is not very much encouragement for them to do so.
I would like the Minister to comment on the vocational schools. At present they are very much under-valued and unfairly treated. I have been associated with the VEC in my own constituency for the greater part of my lifetime. I put great value on vocational education. It is in the vocational schools that real, practical training can take place. If all our young people flock to the universities where are we going to get craftsmen and tradesmen? What is to become of all our trades? How many people do we send out of the country each year to Venice by way of scholarship to get qualifications in trades and crafts? What value have we put on and what interest have we displayed in the European cultural scene at Delphi in Greece? Perhaps the Minister for Education might drop me a line sometime and let me know what help the Government have given to progressive students to go and benefit and learn the skills that are readily available at the school for the teaching of crafts in Venice since it was established.
Special emphasis must be placed on the vocational schools because it is there that co-ordination between brain and hands can be developed. It is not possible to get a livelihood unless one has the proper functioning of both brain and hands. I want to pay tribute to the vocational schools throughout Ireland which, since 1930, have made a wonderful contribution through giving us the high standard of craftsmanship that many of our people have been noted for. In recent years, for some reason or another, the same emphasis is not being placed on the important role of vocational education here. Vocational education is of the greatest possible importance. If we examine the crafts and the trades which many of our people follow today it is obvious that they are the result of vocational education. Our leading electricians are products of our vocational schools. Most of our leading printers, our furniture makers and those in joinery and carpentry, metal work and the engineering sections of Bord na Móna and the ESB are products of our early vocational schools.
We should be very slow to take people away from where the good money is and where the good money will be, on the development of hands and brain together in our vocational schools. We should be encouraging people to go into our vocational schools rather than into some of the professions where after many years of studying there will be no place for them and they will have to emigrate to earn a living. Has any assessment been done of the number of doctors we will require in the next ten years? What other professional people will be required? What type of people will be required as a result of our advancement in science and technology? We will require engineers and others who will be products of our vocational schools. Very serious thought should be given to the importance of and the special benefits which vocational schools can contribute.
Having referred to the importance of vocational training in trades and crafts I want to refer to the teaching of history. I referred to this some years ago here. When are we going to have an effective change in relation to the teaching of history? Instead of teaching some of the biased and narrow minded history that is being taught now why do we not have a broader outlook on history? European history should be taught. When I speak of Europe I do not mean the EEC; I mean all Europe, the entire Continent. Broad-minded history, the heritage of Europe to which we most generously contributed in the sixth, seventh and eight centuries, should be taught. It is astonishing the number of people who know nothing about European history because they have been taught a little narrow-minded history of Ireland and the United Kingdom. Ask them about the Greek scholars. Ask them about the early Italian artists. Ask them about early Greek civilisation. Ask them about the Viking activities in the Scandinavian countries. They do not know. But they will tell a little about the domestic differences between this country and the United Kingdom. This type of history is too narrow-minded. We must adopt a broadminded and impartial approach to the teaching of history because the improper teaching of this subject can lead to violence and many other undesirable results.
We have made an important contribution to the heritage of Europe and people throughout the Continent as a whole, not just in EEC countries, know about Irish history and which monks did or did not come from Clonmacnoise. They know about the activities of the monks who travelled throughout Europe during the eight and ninth centuries; yet we know very little about the history of those countries.
Proper emphasis should be given to the teaching of civics in all secondary and vocational schools with particular reference to all aspects of human rights. There is no evidence of the proper teaching of civics. On the contrary there is lack of respect for authority and the institutions of State, and lack of respect for our flag and national anthem. Have our young people been taught anything else? In European countries there is silence and respect for the anthem, as there is also respect for the flag and the institutions of State. Our people are slowly losing respect for all institutions of State and for Parliament itself because of the lack of a proper civics course in our schools. We must teach our young people to be the great citizens of tomorrow in a world where there is justice, understanding, forgiveness, co-operation, respect for the dignity of the human person and for the views of others. Where are the vast majority of young people to imbibe these ideas if not at school?
I have read two very important books published by UNESCO for use in schools and I am sure the Minister has seen them. These should be used in every vocational and secondary school and not left on the shelves gathering dust.
The school transport system is extremely unsatisfactory. I am satisfied that the provision of transport to Church of Ireland schools is not as generous as it might be. Many of these schools cater for children from very wide areas and special consideration should be given. There should be a special section in the Department devoted to achieving a higher standard of efficiency in relation to the minority. Under the Constitution parents have a right to send their children to whatever schools they wish and the Department should give special care and attention to what we can describe as Protestant schools. The Protestant population are part of our heritage and they should be given priority in the provision of the best possible educational facilities for their children. This would encourage more Church of Ireland children to attend Church of Ireland schools. I have always been a great advocate of Catholic schools for Catholic children, while at the same time advocating the provision of similar facilities for Church of Ireland children who have a heritage which must be handed on.
If Church of Ireland people neglect to demand from the Department of Education their right as citizens to funds for the upkeep and maintenance of their existing schools and, if necessary, the building of new schools, then within 25 years the Protestant population will be considerably reduced and more harm will be done than is alleged to have been caused by mixed marriages. They are entitled to the best possible standards of schools and educational facilities the State can provide and there is a duty on the Government to increase financial assistance to the minority. This can be done without in any way interfering with the entire finances of the State. Their children must be transported to school from very remote areas and often must be driven by their parents because there are not sufficient children in a catchment area to warrant the provision of school transport. Let us have a school transport system which will bring all children to Catholic and Protestant schools. It is quite wrong that the system should serve some children and not others. One or two children from a family may be taken but perhaps a third child from the same family cannot be accomodated because of age or the class the child is in.
I know the Leas-Cheann Comhairle will direct my attention to the time. I shall finish on this, which is not for the Chair or myself but for the responsible committee. What will be the deathknell of Parliament and the loss of respect for it are the measures which we have taken to prevent ourselves from talking and putting across our points of view. It is wrong and farcical that the Minister for Education should bring in an estimate and Members of the House who desire to comment on it should be restricted to 45 minutes.
The Chair has no responsibility for that. It was a decision of the House taken between the Whips and unanimously agreed in the House.
I know that.
I am sorry, Deputy. We were enjoying your speech.
I know that what the Chair says is correct, but if there is disrespect for Parliament outside we have no one to blame but ourselves. It is disastrous when we are dealing with public Estimates, where millions of pounds are being voted to restrict ourselves to time and not be able to comment effectively and fully. I understand the position of the Chair. He is bound by the decision as much as I am.
A decision of the House.
It was a wrong decision and an unjust one both to the Minister and to Members of the House who have contributions to make on a variety of aspects.
I did not expect to start by saying that I agree with Deputy Flanagan, but to a certain extent I go along with him. We have the power in our hands and if we have abdicated it either to the bureaucracy or anybody else nobody is to blame but us.
Hear, hear.
Like Deputy Flanagan, I am limited to 45 minutes because the House so decided. Time has to be apportioned and efficiently used in modern times. I am not to be taken as going the whole way with the Deputy, But I take the opportunity to concur in the point he made.
I am glad that this Vote has come up for discussion this year in this way. Of all the problems that confronted this State from its foundation one of the most difficult and far-reaching was that of education. It came about not only because of the essential change that took place when we took charge of our own affairs in 26 counties but because it happened to coincide with a period of human development that must force all communities to revise their views on education. There is no community that can say that it has not got an educational problem.
The best way I can make my point is to give a brief historical survey. To go back to my own time in school, early and late twenties, we were still dealing with an economic and social system with which was associated a traditional educational system where primary school was considered to be all that was really needed to give the average person the wherewithal to cope with life as it then was. The famous three R's were nearly enough for most. Secondary level and third level, as it is now called, were for the select and, as society was stratified at that time, the higher echelons. In that situation it was comparatively simple. There was primary education for all, and it was successful in that all could reckon with arithmetic, which was all that society broadly needed. They could write and read, The percentage of people who were literate was high. That was sufficient introduction to life for the average man.
The system was very efficient and the product of that day could do their arithmetic accurately and knew what they were doing. They could do their sums better than a lot of us can today. They knew their tables and could deal with the commercial problems of weights, measures and so on. They could write a very good hand. I sympathise to a certain extent with Deputy Flanagan in his remarks on that. They read newspapers and books. Before I leave that fundamental base I should like to say—it will have some bearing on what I say when I deal with a type of snobbery that has crept in since—that the primary teacher in those days was an educated man or woman. They may have been restricted in their views and committed to certain dogmatic approaches to thought and things that came within their competence, but the same was true for academics of the highest level. Punditry was a characteristic of learning as it was carried on from, to a large extent, nineteenth century university views. I cannot go into that in too much detail. Primary education was good and effective in those days. It is good that change has come but in those days the line that one took after primary education depended on one's social advantage. As the position of its parents in society rose, the child went in one of three ways.
In the first instance he took a job as a general labourer, and the vast number of children in those days went in that general direction or as farm workers, because further education was not offered to them—their formal education had stopped. The second general area into which primary school pupils went involved the trades. There was a real acquisition of skills through the apprenticeship system which turned out carpenters, plumbers and so on. The acquisition of such skills gradually spread to wider areas and we turned out magnificent workers in wood and metal, and the rest of it. Therefore in those days primary education was an efficient process. The third could be called "education". When this House was founded the funding function of the Minister for Education would have been concerned mainly with the third stream, but before I refer to secondary education I should refer to the growth of vocational education. After that you had the secondary schools.
In this respect it was the social ambition which determined entry to secondary schools. At the time there were very few scholarships to be competed for and the vast bulk of those entering secondary schools were from what we will call the privileged middle and upper classes. Here I should interpose a small point. It will be seen as an important element in the history of Irish education at a critical time that when being educated depended on social privilege, the Irish Christian Brothers, as they were then called, supplied an education that not only fulfilled an important social requirement but also furnished a generation of educated Irishmen who played an important part in the setting up of this State.
I will now refer to the third stream which included the professions, the universities. I am talking about a period before my time. The numbers going in to the professions were small and being academic was being truly academic in those days. In that area you found a high level of mental equipment and temperament. There were also the professional bodies for lawyers, medicine and so on.
In my time it became the custom for most people leaving secondary schools to go to the universities as part of their formal education for one or other of the professions. In Dublin, the medical schools were associated with the university colleges. The lawyers' institutions were dovetailed with university courses in law, and there was a certain amount of confusion between the role of the university as a source of learning and research and the training institutions. However, that system was quite workable.
In these days, no longer will simple primary education suffice in any field, and therefore no longer can you say that a worker is equipped in any of the required skills if he does not have continuing education. One must now conclude that secondary education is vitally necessary in the fields of industry and agriculture. Now, this is a very major change. It means that one must broaden the whole secondary level to cover preparation for all the activities in ones' community. It is no longer sufficient to look at our secondary schools as, so to speak, an intermediate step towards the professions, towards academic life in the universities, or to the higher level of business and commerce which I omitted to mention previously. On secondary education, one must provide for the whole spectrum and, at the same time, specialise at points. I have not sufficient time to develop this subject but it gives the intermediate certificate range, if I might call it that, a broader and more general meaning. Similarly, at the higher levels you must take third level education right across the board. In other words, where before there was only one route to the third level, there is now more than one. Whether in industry, agriculture, the traditional professions or anywhere else in society, the third level must be catered for in the educational process. We have higher institutes for management, training and study and at practically every point you will reach the third level.
I emphasised here several years ago that a lot of snobbery had crept into education. People rushed to try to get formal degrees in a university and tended to value a degree in university as something more than the corresponding qualification in a trade, profession, or even in business. That snobbery must be eliminated from our minds in approaching education. Accumulating letters after one's name, and especially hankering after what I might call traditional institutions, is not very helpful. On the one hand, it has tended to result, not only here but elsewhere, in a devaluation of certain degrees and diplomas. On the other hand, and more seriously, it has brought about a situation, where someone engaged in something of as much value to the community as one with a formal recognition will be depreciated. For instance, a master tradesman or a person in business will tend to be, or has tended to be, devalued as against an academic. This subject would need more time to develop adequately and I shall leave it there. The essential point is that we have to take at all levels the whole spectrum of the community and what does that mean? It certainly does not, or should not mean that everybody on these levels is to be bundled into a particular category. At the secondary level, it should not mean that everybody is to be, so to speak, forced into the traditional pattern of what we used to know as a secondary school. At the third level, everybody is not to be bundled into a pattern of a university. To do that, you are doing violence to the balance of the economy and to the persons concerned and you are doing a very ill service to the universities and such. It is essential to grasp this.
If we continue, as we must, to have certain subjects on the intermediate level and even a bias in certain schools towards developing the type of education needed to move to the professions and perhaps from there to the universities, we equally need, elsewhere in the system and valued at the same level, the training which used to be called vocational for technicians, craftsmen, people in business and so forth. No one individual at the present moment can absorb all that is necessary to cover everything which is catered for at that level. There must be a certain amount of organisation. Some schools, or parts of schools if they are bigger units, must be primarily geared towards the traditional aspect of education, others primarily geared to technology, perhaps others primarily geared to commerce and business. All these must be treated on the same level and it is wrong to allow snobbery to creep in, giving more social weight or prestige to one area on that level than another. Similarily at the third level, and this is my main point, I noticed that the Minister in his speech says:
A major priority will continue to be the placing of greater emphasis on scientific and technological education.
Too often, there is confusion between these two words, science and technology. They are not the same thing. The scientist and the technologist should be valued for what they can contribute to our society. They are two different functions and the approaches of both disciplines are different but they should be socially valued in the same way and treated as equal partners in our educational system. However, it is a confusion of thought not to see the difference between the description of "science" and "technology". In a very broad way technology is applied science but it has aspects of its own that are appropriate to it. This is also the case with science. Both areas attract different types of minds. If the two words are used indiscriminately that causes a certain confusion.
The educational authorities in the area of third level education should be aware of the distinction I have tried to point out here. Life is much more complex than it was when I was younger. If full justice is to be done to technology, there will have to be recognition of the scientific background and we must also accept the fact that there will have to be an input of pure science. Scientific institutions will come, of course, to use what is available in the technological area but essentially their concentration will be on a plane of more mental activity than of the student type. I wish to point out that a mistake could easily be made in that institutions of technology very easily could duplicate what is being done in the scientific area. On the other hand, I accept it may be inefficient to look to the pure scientist for answers to purely technological problems. I realise that it may be said one cannot separate the two areas and I accept that. In a good technological institute there will be searchings towards the scientific aspect and the establishment of a scientific reputation. This is evident in some of the American institutions. Let us develop that aspect but we should not start off with pre-conceived notions in which the two functions are mixed.
If we start with a high level institute whose aim is technological, all the emphasis should be put on that area and the rest will develop from it. In the same way, if we foster an institute dealing with pure research, we should not expect those people to give us the answers to technological questions although I accept that out of such an institution will flow the basis for technological development. An organisational job needs to be done here. It will be necessary to have a clear view of the functions of each institution. Today I am not going to try to spell out in detail my idea of what particular institutions should be and I recognise that what I am saying may seem rather vague. However, I do not think I would do anybody a service if, in trying to develop these ideas, I were to name names or institutions.
In my day the educational system was in a set pattern and life was simple. For the young people of today there is a much higher level of skill and specialisation required across the board. Society requires a much higher standard of education in a broader sense. Skills of all kinds are required and it is the task of the educational system to fill that requirement. Almost all of the community goes through second level schooling in some form or another and third level education will have to cover a much wider area than before. All of this should be placed on an organised basis and the institutions should not try to do everything.
In my contribution I have referred to science and technology but they were only two examples. For instance, I did not touch on subjects such as business and commerce and other disciplines. Irrespective of the area involved, organisation is required to obtain efficiency. We should not tolerate false standards which I have characterised as snobbery. Anybody on that level is as good as anybody else. Then humanity sorts itself out. I would be tempted from my own experience to say something about the roles of the universities which have a very big part to play from the cultural and research points of view. At present, with the tightness of money they are likely to suffer as so much effort must of necessity go into the technological and practical fields——
The Deputy has five minutes.
Thank you. I do not feel I have treated this matter in a very satisfactory manner but I hope I have been able to indicate to the Minister that secondary and third level education nearly cover the whole board and all aspects of society and consequently will have to be organised efficiently and there should not be any question of steps of prestige in it.
I should like to ask the Minister one question: are our curricula for the leaving certificate and the intermediate certificate a little too ambitious in certain respects now simply because they are trying to cover the whole lot? May it not be necessary to specialise these curricula on these levels? In other words, where before you had secondary and vocational, you may have to have a greater variety of units along the line of the level and in each of these have a more specialised curricula at both second and third levels and at the same time simplify and restrict what is common and general and bring it within the compass more or less of everybody.
Take mathematics, for instance, in both leaving certificate and intermediate certificate. Anybody looking at them will see the very commendable effort made by the framers of these curricula to try to meet modern needs, but has it got to the stage where they are too diffused and too demanding on the student? Would it not be well at this stage to have it all reviewed and not by the specialists? I mean no disparagement of the specialists, and by specialists I mean officers of the Department or people who specialise in pontificating on such matters as science, no matter where they are found. I do not know if it is feasible but is there any way arrangements could be made by which one could get a reaction from a fair sample of parents and from the average teacher who is implementing these curricula in their particular subjects and overall?
I have mentioned the mathematics curricula. I would question them on two grounds, first the feasibility of getting them over to the average leaving or intermediate certificate student whether honours or otherwise. Secondly, I also question how much in it has to be superficial to the point of making one wonder whether it was wise to include it at all at that level. Looking at some of the things mentioned here I would be very glad to know that I was really on top of such subjects as the cardinal number of a set or the whole theory of sets and many other things that look very nice. I wonder if the programmes, particularly in science and mathematics, could be profitably drawn in and made more concrete. Perhaps that is only an individual reaction. I want to leave the subject with the points I have made.
In the four minutes that Deputy de Valera has left me I have little chance to comment except to say that I sincerely hope that next Friday we shall have a resumption of this debate on this Estimate and that we shall be able to deal adequately with the problems in this area.
I want to ask the Minister one question. He is aware of the great shortage of places in primary schools in Navan. Arrangements were made for the erection of a primary school in Abbeylands which was to have been started this year and was to be in operation next September. In the parish bulletin of 24 February it is stated:
As a result of further representations to the Minister for Education during the past week, we have been given to understand that during the coming week, sanction will be given to certain school building projects throughout the country, and that the school at Abbeylands will be one of the schools considered, with a view to sanction.
"Considered" is the operative word. On 11 March, in answer to a question, the Minister stated that the contract for the building of a new school at Abbeylands would be placed only after the necessary preliminary procedures in connection with the examination of tenders and acceptance of a suitable tender had been completed. He said he was not in a position to state when building work would commence but he anticipated that it would be in the reasonably near future. I asked the Minister if there would be any objection or any obstruction to the sanctioning of that building if everything was cleared and he assured me there most certainly would not be.
On 20 April the parish bulletin stated:
Since the proposed new school in Abbeyland will not be available in September—permission from the Department of Education to sign the contract and proceed with the building is still awaited—it will not be possible to accommodate all children over four in September.
Is the Minister or is he not going to sanction the contract for the erection of the Abbeylands school now, not next year or the year after and not when the scarce financial resources referred by both Deputy de Valera and Deputy Andrews are a little better? I want to know will it be done now. I understand over 50 per cent of the children who go to primary schools do not reach leaving certificate standard and do not sit for the leaving certificate. These children who go to the primary schools are the children who really count more than any others. Will this be another case where children will be deprived of primary education because sanction will not be given for a school, sanction which should have been given several months ago?
Debate adjourned.
The Dáil adjourned at 4 p.m. until 2.30 p.m. on Tuesday, 6 May 1980.