asked the Minister for Education whether he will state if music is a compulsory subject in the entrance examination of candidates for training as National Teachers; whether failure to pass in that subject involves forfeiture of the entire examination, and if so, for what reason such over-riding importance is attached to music in the case of male candidates, that complete disqualification is considered necessary in case of failure to pass in that subject.
CEISTEANNA—QUESTIONS. ORAL ANSWERS. - TEACHER-CANDIDATES AND MUSIC.
Candidates for entrance to the training colleges, on the results of the Easter scholarship examination, must pass in music (i.e., vocal music) unless they are placed in the first division. Those who are placed in the first division must pass either in drawing or in vocal music.
Vocal music is an obligatory subject of the curriculum for National Schools, and it is necessary, therefore, that the great majority of teachers should be competent to teach it.
Consequently candidate - teachers whom it would not be possible to train as teachers of this subject, as shown by the results of their examination at the Easter scholarship, are not admitted to training with the exception of those who display high merit in the other branches of the examination.