asked the Minister for Education whether he is aware that considerable dissatisfaction exists amongst national teachers at the nature of the Irish paper set recently for the primary schools certificate examination and that it is the opinion of many teachers that this type of paper is calculated to make their task in awakening enthusiasm for the language more difficult; and, if so, whether he will cancel the paper in question and arrange to have a suitable substitute paper set for the examinees.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Primary Schools Certificate Examination.
No representations have been made to me or to my Department by national teachers, as a body, expressing dissatisfaction at the nature of the Irish paper set recently for the primary school certificate examination or at its possible repercussions on the teaching of Irish in the schools. Some complaints—three or four in all—from individual teachers have been received, but isolated complaints of that nature are not unusual in respect of examination papers, and the volume of dissatisfaction, as expressed in formal protests, is not greater in regard to the paper in question than it has been in other cases in the past.
I do not consider the matter of such gravity as to necessitate cancelling the paper and providing a substitute one.
As is customary, however, in such cases, all complaints formally submitted and duly authenticated will be brought specially to the notice of the officials charged with the marking of the candidates' scripts.
Can the Minister say whether he himself has, in fact, seen the paper?
Since the question was raised, I have seen the paper.
Is the Minister not aware that there exists, whether it has been expressed to the Minister or not, very grave dissatisfaction, not alone amongst national teachers but amongst others interested in the revival of Irish as the spoken language of the people, at the setting of a paper of this nature, which is calculated to cause pupils to view Irish with despair and not to awaken any enthusiasm for the language in their minds?
There is not any more that I can reply to the Deputy's question than what I have said at the moment. As far as any representations have been made to me in the matter, the position is exactly as stated, and the complaints that have been made, and any others that might be made, will be put before the people who are charged with the responsibility of examining the papers. That is all I can do at the moment.
Can I take it that the Minister will give the matter further consideration?
I do not know what "further consideration" means.