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Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 3 Oct 1944

Vol. 95 No. 1

Ceisteanna — Questions. Oral Answers. - Irish Teachers' Qualifications.

asked the Minister for Education if he has received from the Vocational Committee of County Cork a protest respecting the instructions conveyed to them from his Department compelling them to regard as ineligible for the posts of Irish teachers and teachers of Irish and continuation subjects, university graduates who had done their Arts and H. Dip. Ed. degrees through Irish, and who had practical experience in secondary schools of the teaching through Irish, and if he will state why he compels a local committee to regard a certificate like "Teastas Timthire Gaedhilge", issued by his Department, as being more important than a degree of the National University of Ireland.

Much difficulty had been experienced by vocational education committees in obtaining suitably qualified teachers of Irish, that is, teachers who, in addition to the necessary knowledge of the language, were able by organising activities designed to foster the language movement, to maintain the interest and progress of the students. Following representations made in 1939 and 1940 by the Irish Technical Education Association, the Department decided to organise a special course for training for teachers of Irish. This course was held in 1941 and a certificate (called the Teastas Timthire Gaedhilge) was granted to the teachers who completed the course satisfactorily. University graduates were eligible to sit for the preliminary examination for admission to the course and a considerable number of them presented themselves. These specially trained teachers have been very successful in organising and maintaining Irish classes in the districts in which they have been appointed, and it was, therefore, decided to restrict future appointments as whole-time teachers of Irish to persons who had obtained similar training and qualification.

This decision was conveyed to all vocational education committees in August, 1943. A protest against the decision is recorded in the minutes of the meeting of the County Cork Vocational Education Committee held on 27th July last, and the usual copies of these minutes were received in my Department. As regards the last part of the Deputy's question, there was no intention to evaluate the importance of a university degree, nor to institute a comparison between such a degree and any other qualification; it happened that duties were to be assigned to teachers of Irish employed by vocational education committees, training for which would not be in the ordinary way covered by any courses hitherto available, and it was decided that the Teastas Timthire Gaedhilge is the most suitable qualification for the special duties I have referred to.

Both the Minister and myself are in accord with regard to the importance of this matter. Does he think it right and proper that university graduates, who take their degrees in Irish and who have practical experience of teaching in secondary schools through Irish, should be debarred from being considered eligible for the position of teacher of Irish in vocational schools under the Cork County Committee? Does it not prove that he is trying to bring in the Teastas Timthire Gaedhilge to override the qualifications of first-class university students who took their degrees in Irish? Is not that what he is trying to do, and is that right and proper? Does the Minister not agree that university education should be the highest form of education in this country, and that all young boys and girls who possess those qualifications, the highest degrees they can get, should not be debarred from being considered eligible for vocational school teaching simply because some officer in his Department has some been in his bonnet and wants to bring this matter under some form of special rule?

The Deputy is making a speech.

It is a question, Sir.

Under the guise of a speech.

It is not a question of some official having a bee in his bonnet. This decision is the result of prolonged consideration of the matter. The Deputy will recollect that I informed him that teachers of Irish under vocational committees are now being entrusted with special duties in the organising of activities designed to foster the language movement, and, as I have said, to maintain the interest and the progress of the students. There is no question of debarring university graduates from teaching if they satisfy the Department that they have the necessary qualifications. I believe that the courses which have been instituted are the best method through which to obtain teachers who will be suitably qualified and suitably trained to carry out those duties.

Did the Minister consider consulting the National University before setting up this new special degree of his? In the case of boys and girls who have even better qualifications than are required for the Teastas Timthire Gaedhilge, will he consider them eligible although they have not got the Teastas?

I am afraid there would be no use in prolonging this question. I am satisfied that, in order to carry out the duties at present being allotted to teachers of Irish, they need to have special qualifications and special training. There is nothing to prevent university graduates from equipping themselves in the way that is necessary to teach in vocational education schools, but they must acquire this certificate.

The Teastas, which is overriding the universities.

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