asked the Minister for Education if she has any proposals to bring forward a comprehensive Bill on the statutory provision of education with regard to providing a legislative basis for the operation of the secondary school system in Ireland; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Secondary School System.
7.
I do not have any such proposals at this time. The Intermediate Education (Ireland) Acts, 1878 to 1924, provide the legislative basis for the operation of the secondary school system.
Will the Minister agree that legislation conceived in the Victorian age and completed in 1924 is hardly the up-to-date instrument that she — or, indeed, any other Minister for Education — needs to take this country into the 21st century? Will she, therefore, explain to the House why she does not have any proposals to put secondary education on a proper legislative basis?
The Vocational Education Act governs the operations of vocational schools through their committee systems. The voluntary secondary schools are operated through the rules and programmes for secondary schools which are readily available to anybody who wishes to examine them and are updated each year.
Will the Minister agree that many parents do not know their legal rights in respect of the education of their children through the secondary schools system? Will she concede that this position is unacceptable? Will she indicate that she is prepared to resolve the matter by putting it on a proper, legal basis?
It is odd that all the interest in legislation for education has come about during the term of this Government. The previous Government did not indicate any interest in an Act to govern education. Of course, there would have to be extensive consultation with all sorts of interested parties in regard to a new education Act.
Deputy Quinn rose.
I want to bring in Deputy Higgins who has also indicated that he wishes to ask a question.
I just want to ask one question. The Minister has now been in office for over two years and I am sure she does not want to hide behind the magnificent record of the last administration. Will she indicate whether she proposes to introduce legislation to give a legal, statutory and constitutional basis to the provision of a secondary school system of education?
At the moment I do not have proposals in hand for such legislation. However, as in all things, education is an evolving process and the way of dealing with it changes from day to day. Therefore, I cannot say yes or no, but, if one were to go into it, the matter would require extensive consultations with many groups of interested parties, not just unions, teachers, parents, boards of management and all sorts of representatives——
Bishops, Cardinals and Papal Nuncios.
It is not something to jump into, as seems to be implied in the Deputy's question.
Is the Minister concerned that Ireland is the only country in the European Community without a comprehensive education Act as suggested in Deputy Quinn's question? Perhaps the Minister will elaborate to the House the legal basis for the principle of continuity? The rules and regulations to which she referred in reply to Deputy Quinn have no legal basis other than the fact that they have not been challenged in the courts, although I believe that preparations are now being made to do so, to challenge the Minister's basis for authority.
So be it. However, the point I wish to repeat is that Deputy Higgins is making the assertion regarding the legal basis, not I.
Question No. 8 please.