Molaim go léighfear an Bille don tarna h-uair. Sé is aidhm agus cuspóir don Bhille seo ná breis fáltais a sholáthar do na Coistí Gairm-Oideachais. Is amhlaidh atá an scéal faoi láthair go bhfuil cuid de na coistí sín i ndroch-chaoi cheal airgid. Is deímhin nach mbeídh ar a gcumas siúd a ndualgaísí do comhlíonadh mar ba chóir sa mbliain airgeadais 1951/52 muna gcuirtear breis gustail ar fáil dóibh.
Tá sé isteach is amach le fiche bliain ó shoin anois ó cuireadh bun suíocháin ar an Scéim Ghairm-Oideachais i dtosach. Tá an scéim sin go tréan ar a bhonnaibh um an dtaca so agus tá glactha go fonnmhar ag an bpobal leis i ngach aird den tír. Ní beag de chruthú air sin an t-éileamh ar ranganna do bheith ag dul i méid agus i ndéine in aghaidh an lae agus na gnéithe iomadúla atá tagtha go nádúrtha i ndiaidh a chéile ar an obair. Na scoileanna atá ar obair cheana féin nílid sáthach fairsing don tslua mhór dalta atá ag iarraidh brú isteach iontu agus tá géar-ghá le scoileanna nua sna límistéir nach bhfuair deis ar bith ar ghairm-oideachas do bheith acu go nuige seo.
Ach ar an dtaoibh eile dhe, is amhlaidh atá fáltas na gcoistí bunaithe ar an méid a thagann isteach as ráta a gearrtar do réir luachála an límistéir áitiúil. Mar is eol, is beag má tháinig athrú ar bith le fada anall ar an luacháil; ach i geás cumais cheannaigh an fháltais, dar ndóigh, níl ann ach tuairim is a leath i gcomórtas leis an gcumas a bhí ann roimh an gcogadh, i ngeall ar na costaisí uile do bheith arduithe, go háirithe na costaisí a bhaineann le páigh is le tuarastal.
Tá ocht gcinn is tríocha de Choistí Gairm-Oideachais ann ar fad. Tá aon cheann déag acu sin a bhfuil barr nó uas-phointe a bhfáltais bainte amach acu cheana féin. Ní bheidh deis ar bith ag na coistí sin leanúint leis an obair atá ar siúl acu fé láthair, gan trácht ar éinní sa mbreis a dhéanamh, muna bhfágha siad breis ghustail don bhliain 1951/52. Tá trí cinn is fiche eile de na Coistí, agus cé nach bhfuilid tagtha go dtí uas-phointe a bhfáltais go fóill, tá forás cuíosach mór beartaithe acu agus is deimhin nach mbeidh ar a gcumas dul ar aghaidh leis muna ndearbhaítear dóthain fáltais dóibh chun é sin a dhéanamh. Níl ach ceithre Coistí a bhféadfaí a rá ina dtaobh go ndealraíonn sé gur leor dá gcuid gnóthaí uile an fáltas reachtúil atá ag dul dóibh fé láthair. Tá sé dá thairiscint, mar sin, an t-uasphointe fáltais atá leagtha síos fé láthair d'ardú, i gcás ceithre gceann is tríocha de na Coistí, go dtí na figiúirí atá dá léiriú san Chéad Sceideal, sé sin le rá, do réir bhreise a théann ó phingin amháin go dtí cúig pingne do réir an cháis. Is amhlaidh socruíodh no figiúirí sin tar éis dianiniúchadh a dhéanamh ar an bhfóras is mó a mbeadh coinne leis ó gach Coiste ar leith. I gcolúin a 4 sa Chéad Sceideal léirítear an méid de ráta is dóigh a chuirfeadh ar chumas an Choiste a luaitear i gcolún a 2 forbairt iomlán do chur ar siúl.
Na suimeanna breise a bheidh ag teastáil i ngach ceann de na trí bliana airgeadais seo chugainn de bhreis ar an uas-fháltas atá ceadaithe fén dlí atá ann fé láthair, tá sé déanta amach nach rachaidh na suimeanna sin thar an méid seo leanas:—
1951-52: |
£ |
Ó na rátaí áitiúia |
4,746 |
Ó dheontas Stáit |
6,438 |
Iomlán |
£11,184 |
1952-53: |
|
Ó na rátaí áitiúla |
9,965 |
Ó dheontas Stáit |
10,736 |
Iomlán |
£20,701 |
1953-54: |
|
Ó na rátaí áitiúla |
10,016 |
Ó dheontas Stáit |
11,170 |
Iomlán |
£21,186 |
Sé an costas iomlán a bheadh ag gabháil leis na tairiscintí seo, dá gcuireadh na Coistí uile atá i gceist i bhfeidhm iad go dtí an phinginn deiridh, ná:—
Ó na rátaí áitiúla |
124,200 |
Ó dheontas Stáit |
166,512 |
Iomlán |
£290,712 |
I geás daill na gCoistí Gairm-Oideachais do theacht i láthair chuig na cruinnithe, tá sé beartaithe cead a dheonadh chun allúntas pearsanta d'íoc le ball ar bith a mbíonn air turas míle nó os a chionn sin do thabhairt ag teacht chuig cruinniú dhó. Sé an socrú a bhí ann go dtí seo nach n-íocfaí costas dá leithéid le ball muna mbeadh air turas trí mhíle nó os a chionn sin do thabhairt ag teacht i láthair dó.
I would like to take the opportunity presented to me by this Bill to give the House a brief review of the development of vocational education in recent years. As Deputies are aware, our educational system, apart from university education, consists of three main branches—primary, secondary and vocational.
The primary system is now about 120 years in existence. The teachers are paid by the Department, which also contributes a large share of the cost of the building of national schools. The schools are under the control of the local managers, who appoint the teachers.
Secondary education is under private management, the schools are private institutions and are provided and maintained by the churches, religious orders, boards of governors and others. On the State falls the payment of capitation grants in respect of the pupils and the incremental salaries and the pensions of the teachers. The school authorities pay the basic portion of the salaries of the teachers and all building and maintenance costs.
Vocational education comprises two main sections—continuation education and technical education. The Vocational Education Act of 1930 defines continuation education as—
"education to continue and supplement education provided in elementary schools and includes general and practical training in preparation for employment in trades, manufactures, agriculture, commerce, and other industrial pursuits, and also general and practical training for the improvement of young persons in the early stages of such employment."
That is the definition set out in the Vocational Education Act
Technical education is defined as—
"education pertaining to trades, manufactures, commerce, and other industrial pursuits (including the occupations of girls and women connected with the household) and in subjects bearing thereon or relating thereto and includes education in science and art, music and physical training."
That is the definition of technical education under the 1930 Act.
Technical education in Ireland had its beginning in the Technical Instruction Act of 1889, which gave to local authorities the right to raise a rate not exceeding 1d. in the £ for technical instruction. Advantage was taken of this Act to develop schools in county boroughs and in certain urban districts, but progress was slow and very little was accomplished until the passing of the Agriculture and Technical Instruction (Ireland) Act of 1899. Special State grants (an endowment grant and attendance grants) were provided by this Act for technical instruction and local bodies were empowered to borrow money and to raise a rate of up to 2d. in the £ for agricultural and technical instruction, but generally not more than one-third of such rate as was taken up was allocated to technical instruction. A number of schools were built in the cities and larger urban centres. Such instruction as was provided in rural areas was conducted by itinerant teachers, and consisted mainly of woodwork, domestic economy and commerce subjects. Most of the work, both in towns and country, was done in night classes for about two or three evenings per week. The financial provision was altogether insufficient and there was no guarantee from year to year that the amount available from the local rate would be forthcoming.
It was not until the passing of the Vocational Education Act, 1930, that vocational education as we have it to-day really got under way. This Act was drawn up as a result of the report of a commission which was appointed in 1926 to inquire into the system of technical education—
"in relation to the existing and probable requirements of trade and industry".
Under the Act 38 vocational education committees were set up to provide continuation and technical education in their respective areas. Each committee is elected by the local rating authority and holds office for the same period as that authority. In practice, committees generally consist of about eight members of the local authority and about six representatives of employers, trade unions and local educational bodies. Each committee has a chief executive officer who acts as secretary and administrator for the scheme.
The committees derive their funds from local rates and State grants. The 1930 Act provided a maximum rate of 4d. for county and 6d. for urban areas. The maxima have been raised by subsequent enactments to 7d. and 9d respectively.
The formation of whole-time day courses in continuation education was one of the major changes introduced by the Act of 1930. Vocational education committees nowadays provide the following types of continuation courses:—A preparatory course for boys and girls, the foundation being practically the same in each case; a junior technical course specially designed for boys; a junior technical course specially designed for girls; a junior commercial course specially designed for boys; a junior commercial course for girls, and a junior rural course for boys.
These are whole-time day continuation courses, involving 25-28 hours' instruction per week, and approximately 50 per cent. of the time is devoted to practical subjects appropriate to the course, such as manual instruction, domestic economy or rural science. Attendance is voluntary. Religious instruction is given in each course by the local clergy. The normal age of admission is 14 years plus, but students who have already spent a year in the sixth standard in the primary school may be enrolled at 13 years plus.
The following extract from the normal rural school time-table indicates the nature of the course considered most suitable for boys and girls in rural vocational schools, on the basis of a week of 25 hours:—For boys, eight hours are devoted to manual instruction and drawing, five to rural science and surveying, four to practical mathematics, and eight hours are divided between religious instruction, Irish and other subjects, making a total of 25 hours. For girls, ten hours are devoted to domestic economy, three to household science and gardening, four to commercial arithmetic and business training, and eight hours are divided between religious instruction, Irish and other subjects, again making a total of 25 hours.
The rural science syllabus covers all the more important principles of science underlying farming, and the household science course for girls includes the basic knowledge required for an intelligent understanding of the work of a housewife.
Part V of the 1930 Act, which provides for the enforcement of compulsory education, introduced another important change. Power is here given to the Minister for Education to raise the school-leaving age to 16 in any area, or any part of an area, under the control of a vocational education committee. Where Part V has been put in operation, young persons between the ages of 14 and 16 years have the following alternatives:—
First, they may remain in whole-time attendance at a primary school; second, they may attend whole-time at a recognised secondary school, and, in the third place, they may attend a whole-time day continuation course. Failing this, they are obliged to attend a special compulsory day continuation course for one day of five hours each week for a session of 36 weeks. Thus, young people who do not attend a whole-time school must attend for at least 180 hours each session during two sessions at the prescribed compulsory course. The course is of the ordinary continuation type, manual instruction being included for the boys and domestic economy for the girls. No exceptions are allowed, and young persons must attend even if they are in employment. The school-leaving age has been raised in this way in the County Boroughs of Cork, Limerick and Waterford, and the numbers enrolled in the compulsory courses in these centres at present are approximately 900, 500 and 300, respectively.
A special sub-committee—Comhairle le Leas Óige—has been set up since 1942 by the City of Dublin Vocational Education Committee to organise suitable training courses for unemployed young persons between the ages of 14 and 16 years. Three training centres have already been set up, two on the north side and the other on the south side of the city. The three centres cater for approximately 500 boys. The boys attend two evenings a week for instruction in woodwork, metalwork or craftwork and a third evening for organised indoor games under the direction of trained youth leaders. Thirty-one boys' clubs and 25 girls' clubs formed by other organisations in the city have affiliated with the comhairle and secure for their own members the services of the instructors in practical subjects. In this manner, the comhairle influences the character and progress of over 3,000 young persons between the ages of 14 and 16 in Dublin. This scheme is still in the experimental stage and most of the cost is defrayed by a special annual grant from the State.
The main change in technical education introduced by the 1930 Act was by a broader definition to increase the scope of the work that might be done by the school. The ultimate form of evening technical courses was, however, more definitely influenced by a new system of technical school examinations introduced by the Department in 1936. This was the result of a report in 1934 of a special advisory committee consisting of chief executive officers and headmasters, of vocational education committees, of inspectors of the Department and of other educational and trade experts.
In the field of technical education, the vocational education committees have within recent years brought their work into close touch with industrial needs and have greatly extended the facilities for instruction in trades and factory operations. This instruction is now widely distributed over the country and is given not only in the technical schools, but also in the factories themselves. Amongst the trades and industries to which assistance has been and is being thus given are boot factories, aluminium factory, flour milling, shirt factories, electrical engineering, fishery industry, toy making, glove making, pottery factory, tanning industry and ready-made clothing factories.
There are two types of tests for trades—the junior trade test, which is of a standard equivalent to the degree of skill expected of an apprentice in the middle of his apprenticeship; the senior trade test calls for the standard of skill which would normally be expected to be reached by an apprentice at the end of his apprenticeship. In each case, there is a written paper on the knowledge of trade principles and processes. These trade tests proved so popular that in 1944 the Department introduced an elementary practical test in woodwork and in metalwork for boys who had completed a two years' junior technical course in the day schools.
Technological certificates are awarded in three stages, as the result of written tests—elementary, intermediate and advanced—denoting in the final stage the standard of technical knowledge suited to the needs of work managers, engineers, designers and other factory executives.
In domestic economy, provision is made for two practical tests in cookery, two in needlework, and one in laundry and household management. Written tests are also arranged in cookery, laundry and household management. Girls who complete a two years' junior technical course also enter for these tests in large numbers and are generally successful.
Examinations in commerce are divided into three groups: Group I, dealing with clerical occupations; Group II, dealing with retail distributive trades; and Group III dealing with languages. Tests of an elementary, intermediate and advanced stage are set in each subject.
Classes in domestic economy and in woodwork are common to all schemes. Classes in metalwork and commerce are established mainly in the larger urban centres. In these centres there are also classes for the building, the mechanical, the motor and the electrical engineering trades. In the county boroughs, still more specialised courses are formed to meet the needs of professional bodies such as the Institute of Architects, the City and Guilds of London, the Institute of Mechanical Engineering, the Chartered Accountants and the Institute of Insurance. In rural areas, provision is made for sessional and short intensive courses in woodwork and in domestic economy in centres where no permanent vocational school yet exists.
Up to 1930 there were few direct contacts between industry and the technical school, and the attendance of a young worker at technical classes was generally a matter of individual ambition and personal choice. Since then, and particularly since the introduction in 1936 of the new scheme of technical school examinations, there has been a growing series of contacts and many useful schemes of training have been developed by vocational schools working in association with particular industries or occupations.
Some of these schemes were temporary and intensive to meet the needs of new industries which required large numbers of operatives at short notice. Training schemes of this type were devised for industries such as aluminium, artificial silk, bootmaking, button-making, cotton, electrical fittings, fishing, flax-spinning, laundry work, glove-making, pottery, readymade clothing, sugar beet, tanning, wire products and woollen manufactures. Instruction was generally in the daytime; but occasionally evening classes had to be formed to fit in with the local school time-table or the availability of the technical trade expert.
Permanent schemes for the systematic training of apprentices are in operation mainly in the county boroughs. They fall into two categories:—
(a) Permanent schemes regulated by statutory committees set up under the Apprenticeship Act, 1931; and
(b) Permanent schemes regulated by committees voluntarily set up by representatives of particular trades.
At present, schemes under the Apprenticeship Act are confined to the furniture-making, hairdressing, painting and decorating trades and are held in the vocational schools in the county boroughs of Dublin and Cork only.
The more successful schemes are those which have been organised voluntarily. These cover a wide range of trades such as bakery and confectionery, bootmaking, bricklaying, carpentry and joinery, electrical installation, farriery, marine engineering, mercantile marine, painting and decorating, plastering, plumbing, printing, readymade clothing, shirtmaking, tailoring, watchmaking, and the trades of Air Force mechanic, chef, cinema operator, hotel cooks (women) and garage mechanic. Whilst mainly concentrated in Dublin and Cork, such courses are also held in larger urban centres, e.g., Drogheda, Dundalk and Galway, and the course for garage mechanics can be held in any vocational school which has an engineering room with adequate equipment.
In these schemes, the old tradition of evening class instruction has been broken, and the young workers attend the school during working hours, either at suitable periods during the week or for a few months at a time. A brief account of the appropriate schemes of the Society of Irish Motor Traders, the Electricity Supply Board and of Córas Iompair Éireann may be of interest to Deputies.
The Society of Irish Motor Traders' scheme for garage mechanics prescribes that boys must have attended regularly a day junior technical course, and have passed the Manual Training Group Certificate of the Department's day examinations. Candidates who pass this examination are entitled, on payment of a registration fee of 2/-, to have their names entered in the society's register, i.e., in the Register of the Irish Motor Traders.
On securing employment in the motor trade the apprentice enters on a course of apprenticeship for five years. He must attend regularly throughout his apprenticeship at a suitable course of instruction at a technical school, should such a course be available to him. He must present himself for the junior stage of the Department's examination for the Group Trades' Certificate in Motor-Car Engineering at the end of his second year and for the senior stage of the Department's examination for the Group Trades' Certificate in Motor-Car Engineering at the end of his fourth year.
As a result of the Department's examinations held in 1950, 368 candidates were entitled to registration in the society's register of candidates, as compared with 75 in 1945 when the scheme was started, and the following figures give some idea of the growth of this scheme:—
NUMBER OF CANDIDATES FOR DEPARTMENT'S MOTOR-CAR ENGINEERING EXAMINATIONS
Year |
Junior Stage |
Senior Stage |
1945 |
75 |
14 |
1950 |
342 |
189 |
For the Electricity Supply Board scheme recruitment of apprentices is made as a result of local interviews held by the board's district engineers. These interviews are held generally throughout the country and are not confined to large centres of population. Generally boys nominated must have completed the Junior Day Technical Course, be between 15 and 18 years of age and have entered for the Department's Manual Group Certificate examination.
During the apprenticeship, which extends over a period of five years, the board, in conjunction with the Department, arranges for a course of full-time day training which is carried out with the assistance of the City of Dublin Vocational Education Committee. The course covers a period of four years and each group of apprentices is released from ordinary employment for a period of three months each year to attend the course. At the end of the second and fourth sessions apprentices must sit for the Junior and Senior Trade Certificate examinations respectively.
There are at present 183 apprentices in training under the Electricity Supply Board scheme.
Under the Córas Iompair Éireann scheme apprentices are recruited also by interview conducted by a board consisting of two representatives of Córas Iompair Éireann and one each of the Department of Education and the trade unions. Candidates must have passed the Primary School Certificate or have attended for one session at a day junior technical school, and they must be between 16 and 17½ years of age.
The period of apprenticeship is five years. For the first two years apprentices must attend courses of training for one full day and two nights per week. After two years the best of the apprentices, as decided by the results of the Department's examinations, may be required to pursue a higher technological course necessitating attendance for two full days and two nights at a technical school. The other apprentices continue to attend the technical school for one full day and two nights per week pursuing the ordinary trade course.
The following figures illustrate the growth of the scheme since its inception in 1945 up to 1949-50:—
Session |
Number of Apprentices |
1945-46 |
84 |
1946-47 |
169 |
1947-48 |
206 |
1948-49 |
218 |
1949-50 |
221 |
TOTAL |
898 |
Trade courses in farriery and smithwork and in rural building for the better training of tradesmen and apprentices of these trades who live in rural areas have been conducted in recent years by some vocational education committees in conjunction with the Department. The sponsoring committee provides the necessary accommodation, instruction and materials and the Department pays, by way of scholarships, the maintenance costs of the students during the courses.
There is a keen demand for these courses, but it is not possible at present, mainly owing to lack of suitable teachers, to meet all needs. In 1950 four courses were held in farriery and smithwork at Kilkenny, Ballinasloe, Roscommon, Skibbereen, respectively, and two in rural building construction at Tralee and Ballyhaunis. In 1951 it is proposed to hold four farriery and four rural building construction courses.
Twelve apprentices attend each course which, in the case of farriery and smithwork, is of six weeks' duration and in the case of rural building eight weeks. Maintenance scholarships are paid by the Department.
Apart from instruction in manual work and domestic economy for adults which has always been the main feature of evening classes conducted by vocational educational committees there are organised annually by the Royal Dublin Society a number of lectures on such subjects as agriculture, science, art, or archaeology, and there are also the Barrington Lectures on economic topics given by university professors and others.
Adult education is, however, forcing its attention more and more on vocational education committees and the main problem is at present being investigated by a sub-committee of chief executive officers and inspectors of the Department. An important development in this direction is the university extension courses in social science and allied subjects organised by the university colleges of Cork and Dublin in conjunction with vocational education committees. The courses although open to all comers, were originally provided in Cork for employers, trade unionists and young workers. They have been since extended to smaller towns and are beginning to penetrate to rural areas. Courses have been organised to date in the cities of Dublin, Cork, Limerick and Waterford and in the towns of Clonmel, Mallow, Macroom, Killarney, Fermoy, Dungarvan, Carlow, Mullingar, Athlone, Drogheda, Dundalk, Kilkenny, Wexford, and Newcastle West.
Another promising development in adult education is the discussion groups, which were first introduced to help farmers, farm workers and other adults in rural districts to overcome their natural reluctance to participate in anything savouring of formal class instruction or schooling. At the outset the rural science teacher initiates a discussion upon some formal topic of vital interest to the farming community, and invites questions, thereby stimulating the free exchange of views among the members of the group. I understand that it was from one of these groups that the movement now known as Macra na Feirme sprang.
A scheme of choral classes was organised in County Cork during the session 1948-49, for which purpose the committee appointed as special organiser a permanent whole-time teacher of Irish and choral singing in its employment. A short time previously this teacher had attended courses in the subject and studied the organisation of such classes in and around Glasgow. Classes were established at about 11 selected centres during the first session and at 24 centres during 1949-50. Part-time teachers, most of whom were trained national teachers, were appointed to conduct the classes and special summer courses for the teachers so employed were held in 1949 and 1950.
The County Waterford and County Tipperary (S.R.) Vocational Education Committees have requested the loan of the services of the County Cork Committee's organiser in order to inaugurate similar schemes in their areas and proposals have been received by the Department for the conduct of choral singing classes in each of these two counties.
I have referred already to courses in farriery and rural building conducted by vocational education committees, but other valuable rural courses are conducted from time to time by the committees. For example, with the co-operation of the nuns at Drishane Convent, courses in rural domestic economy have been conducted by County Cork Vocational Education Committee in each of the years 1948, 1949 and 1950 for 16 students between 18 and 30 years selected from the committee's classes. Each student received a scholarship of £10 from the vocational education committee and was given an intensive training in household management, homecrafts, poultry-keeping and dairying. Under the auspices of the County Westmeath Vocational Education Committee a similar course for 19 students drawn from the areas of six adjoining committees was conducted at the Convent of Mercy, Moate, last summer. The committees were those of Counties Dublin, Meath, Westmeath, Longford, Louth and Monaghan. Students were awarded scholarships to the value of £20 per head by their respective committees.
A course in wood and concrete work and in rural science for local young farmers was conducted at Ballymote by the County Sligo Committee in 1949-50 for 12 students, who were awarded scholarships of £5 each. This course consisted of six hours' practical instruction on two days per week from November to March.
With the co-operation of the county committee of agriculture, a course for 16 students of the committee's classes was held in Mallow in each of the years 1948, 1949 and 1950 by County Cork Committee. Intensive training was given in agricultural science, horticultural science, repair and maintenance of agricultural machinery, woodwork and rural building construction. The students, who were between 18 and 30 years of age, received a scholarship of £10 each to enable them attend the course.
About 600 scholarships of the average value of about £12 each are awarded annually by vocational education committees to enable selected students to attend summer courses in the Irish language at Irish colleges and other centres. Scholarships are also awarded occasionally by vocational education committees to enable successful students to attend courses in domestic science, institutional management or household management at Coláiste Muire, Dublin, and courses in the National College of Art.
All this recent development in continuation and technical education meant the provision of a regular and increasing supply of trained teachers. For this purpose, special long courses are conducted regularly by the Department for the training of manual instructors in woodwork and in metal-work while domestic science teachers are trained in the colleges of Coláiste Muire, Dublin, and St. Catherine's, Sion Hill, Blackrock. Teachers of commerce, general science, engineering and rural science are, in the main, university graduates. Special long courses have also been held to train teachers and organisers for promoting the Irish language under vocational education schemes. The latter courses have recently been replaced by short, intensive summer courses in the Irish language and teaching methods, mainly for university graduates or for students in their final university year, so as to familiarise them with the kind of activities required of Irish teachers in vocational education schemes.
Refresher courses are held from time to time, at the suggestion of the inspectors, so as better to equip teachers for their work. Such courses are usually in domestic science, woodwork and drawing, with special emphasis on building construction, craftwork, commerce subjects and metalwork. Many of these courses have been, in recent years, directed towards enabling vocational education teachers to cater for the special needs of rural students.
For example, rural building construction courses for woodwork teachers were conducted by the Department at Bush, County Louth, in 1948 and 1949 and at Ballina, County Mayo, in 1950, with the co-operation of the local vocational education committees. A course in farm machinery was conducted in Cork in 1949 with the assistance of the Cork City Vocational Education Committee. A course in Irish drama was conducted by the Department in 1949, in Galway, with the co-operation of the committee of Galway City, to enable teachers of Irish to promote the growth of drama in Gaeltacht areas.
Courses in crafts were conducted by the County Galway committee in 1950, and by the City of Waterford committee in 1949 and 1950, for teachers of art subjects, so as to enable them to give instruction in such traditional crafts as basket-making, rushwork, spinning, weaving and leatherwork.
Special provision was made in the Vocational Education Act, 1930, to enable vocational education committees to undertake the heavy capital expenditure necessitated by the provision and equipment of suitable schools without placing too great a burden on the ordinary income of each committee. Accordingly, since 1930, apart from extensions to existing schools, about 120 new schools of an attractive type and specially designed for vocational education classes have been provided.
Apart from the county boroughs, the general aim of each committee is to provide a permanent vocational education school at each large centre of population in its area and a small, one-room or two-room school in suitable rural districts. By this means and by the aid of itinerant classes in outlying districts, committees hope to make available the benefits of vocational training to most parts of their areas and so reach their optimum development. At first these benefits were not fully appreciated in some districts and progress was slow, but there is no doubt as to the increasing demand in recent years from all parts of the country for this service. Owing to the present high costs and the prior claims of housing and hospitalisation schemes on building labour and materials, it has been necessary to regulate the building of further schools by vocational education committees on a priority basis. This does not appear to have unduly hampered committees, however, as the rate of progress in such undertakings is conditioned by the financial position of each committee, the supply of teachers available, the obtaining of a suitable site and the drawing up of plans and specifications. It is now possible for nearly all committees to envisage what further expenditure would be needed in order to attain their ultimate development and, presuming that no untoward additional expenditure has to be incurred, it is considered that the additional rating provision proposed in this Bill for each committee should enable it to fulfil that aim.
The main purpose of the Bill is to provide the necessary funds for vocational education committees to enable them to extend and maintain their schemes to meet local demands for vocational education services. In the case of 11 committees the need for additional income is urgent because these committees have already reached the maximum income allowed them by existing legislation. Twenty-three other committees have considerable further development pending and cannot undertake it on present resources. Only in the case of four committees does the present statutory income appear sufficient, but even that is subject to the condition that no expenditure of an exceptional nature arises.
It is accordingly proposed to depart from the type of rating schedule adopted hitherto in connection with the Vocational Education Acts, that is, having the same over-all maximum rate per £ for all county committees and another maximum rate for all county boroughs and scheduled urban district committees. The new schedule provides only such maximum poundage as is considered necessary for each committee. Accordingly ten committees are being allowed to proceed to 1d. above their existing maxima, 12 committees to 2d. extra, five to 3d. extra, three others to 4d. extra and finally four others to 5d. extra. The additional cost of these provisions, which, it is anticipated, will fall due in the next five financial years, is not more than about £11,000 in 1951-52, a further sum of £20,000 in 1952-53, and a further £21,000 in 1953-54. The ultimate additional cost, if availed of to the fullest extent by all committees, is estimated at £291,000, being £124,000 from the rates and £167,000 from State grants.
The Act of 1930 provided for an annual increase of ½d. for county borough and urban districts and of 1/4d. for counties, and subsequent amendments provided for 1/2d. in all cases. This rate of progression would be altogether insufficient now in the case of some committees unless certain developments which are considered urgent were to be postponed for a number of years. Accordingly, while the Minister will continue to exercise his powers to restrict the amount of local contribution which a committee may demand in any year to such sum as may be reasonably necessary for the committee's needs, the Bill gives all committees the power to proceed in future by a rate of progression up to 1d. per annum.
In addition, it was shown recently in the case of one or two committees that schools that were urgently required could not be undertaken for several years unless a rate of 2d. could be made available at once when the schools were completed. To meet this situation it is proposed to give powers to the Minister to sanction a higher rate than 1d. but not more than 2d. in a particular year if he is satisfied that the special circumstances of the committee warrant it. It will be subject to the conditions that (i) the committee submits a copy of its financial scheme for that year to the local rating authority; (ii) the rating authority passes a resolution approving of the scheme, and (iii) the Minister is satisfied that the committee requires more than 1d. that year.
Section 2 of the Bill re-enacts, with modifications, paragraphs 1 and 2 of the Act of 1930 which are being repealed and the section substitutes the new schedule for previous schedules. Committees prepare and submit to the Minister their annual financial schemes in the month of November each year. Section 2 is, therefore, being brought into force as from the 1st November, 1950, so that if committees, especially those on their maxima, should, in anticipation of the passing of this Bill, make provision this month for additional rate next year, effect can be given thereto.
Section 3 of the Bill provides for the condition already mentioned that, where a committee wishes to take up more than a 1d. rate, it must submit a copy of its scheme to the local rating authority.
Section 4 of the Bill is an extension of the powers given to the Minister in Section 46 of the 1930 Act. In that section the Minister is empowered to give a certificate to each committee prescribing the amounts they are to demand from the rating authority, which amount is limited both as to minimum and to maximum. As regards the minimum all committees have long ago passed the minimum prescribed in Section 46.
The maximum to be certified for any year is either the amount proposed by the committee for that year, if approved by the Minister, or the amount certified for the previous year, whichever is the greater.
Previous schedules specified the maximum amount of poundage which a committee could take up in any financial year. The new schedule does not follow this pattern, except for the year 1951-52, but specifies the all-over maximum rate which will be allowed to each committee. The Minister, therefore, is being given power in Section 4 to limit the amount of rate to a maximum of 1d. in any year, except where a committee has not yet reached its existing maximum, or where the special conditions already mentioned are fulfilled. In the former case a committee may proceed to its existing maximum without complying with the special conditions and in the latter case the amount of additional rate is limited to a maximum of 2d.
The latter provision was necessary because, when the financial position of certain committees was examined, it was found that an additional amount of 1d. per annum would be insufficient to enable a committee to equip and staff a new school when built, and, therefore, the school would have to remain partly unused for one year or two.
Section 5 of the Bill merely brings local vocational education legislation into line with local government legislation in respect of the allowances to be paid to members of vocational committees for attending meetings. The previous limit of mileage which could entitle a member to subsistance allowance was three miles and this is now being reduced to one mile, again to bring it into line with local government legislation.