asked the Minister for Education (a) if he will state if lady Pupil Teachers, under the new system, will be called to training as a result of the Intermediate Leaving Certificate Examination, 1928, to the exclusion of all others; (b) whether he considers that those who were Pupil Teachers under the old system, and were not called to training as a result of the Easter Scholarship Examination, 1927, and who passed the Intermediate Leaving Certificate Examination with Honours in 1927, have a special claim on the Department in the matter of being called up for training, or whether the Department will give them an opportunity of competing at the Intermediate Leaving Certificate Examination, 1928, for places in the Training Colleges; and (c) if, in view of the fact that Pupil Teachers will fill the majority of places in the Training Colleges, will the Minister state the probable number of vacancies to be filled by lady candidates as a result of the Easter Scholarship Examination, 1928, so that the education of a number of children may not be directed towards the filling of vacancies which do not, in reality, exist.
CEISTEANNA—QUESTIONS. ORAL ANSWERS. - LADY PUPIL TEACHERS.
(a) Pupil Teachers appointed under the new scheme who, at the termination of their Pupil Teacher service, pass the Leaving Certificate Examination in the prescribed course and fulfil other conditions required by the regulations take priority over Easter Scholarship candidates in regard to admission to Training Colleges. These Pupil Teachers are appointed in Secondary Schools.
(b) Pupil Teachers under the old scheme were appointed in Primary Schools and the course of study for them was that for the Easter Scholarship Examination. Under this scheme only persons who obtained places as a result of the competitive examination at Easter could be admitted to training. It is not possible under the regulations to allow these students to sit for the Leaving Certificate Examination for the purpose of being admitted to training.
(c) It is not possible to state the number of places in the Training Colleges for Catholic girls likely to be available for Easter Scholarship candidates in 1928, as this will be largely determined by the number of Pupil Teachers who pass the leaving certificate examination in that year and otherwise qualify. Unless the number of vacancies in Training Colleges for Catholic girls is increased, it is possible that not more than thirty vacancies in these Training Colleges will be available in 1928 for Easter Scholarship candidates.