asked the Minister for Education if he will furnish a return showing in respect of each of the years 1952 to 1955 (a) the number of candidates for the primary teachers' training colleges who, despite having higher places on the list of qualifying candidates, were excluded from the colleges because of priorities given to preparatory college and other applicants, (b) the number of preparatory college entrants who were thus admitted because of such priority, and (c) the number of places reserved for other classes and the number of candidates who were so admitted although they were lower on the list of qualifying candidates.
Written Answers. - Primary Teachers' Training Colleges.
The following is the number of candidates, other than members of religious communities, who were admitted to the training colleges for national teachers in each of the years 1952 to 1955:—
|
Preparatory Colleges |
Open Competition |
University Graduates |
Untrained Assistant Teachers (Women) |
|
|
1952 |
104 |
144 |
— |
— |
|
1953 |
102 |
195 |
1 |
1 |
|
1954 |
97 |
199 |
5 |
— |
|
1955 |
103 |
284 |
18 |
3 |
The open competition consisted of preliminary tests at Easter in oral Irish, oral English, singing, and, for the girls, needlework, with a maximum of 200 marks for Irish and 100 marks for each of the other tests, and certain subjects at the Leaving Certificate Examination in June. The order of merit list was prepared on the basis of the combined results in the preliminary tests and the Leaving Certificate Examination.
Whilst the examination for admission to the preparatory colleges is itself competitive the subsequent admission of preparatory college students to the training colleges is not on a competitive basis and furthermore they do not undergo the preliminary tests at Easter, their qualification in the subjects concerned being determined during the preparatory college course.
In these circumstances, it is not possible to relate preparatory college students to the order of merit list for open competition candidates and there is no basis for the Deputy's reference to certain open competition candidates being excluded from the training colleges despite their having higher places than those admitted from the preparatory colleges.