Vol. 194 No. 3
asked the Minister for Education whether teaching service in the Republic is recognised for salary purposes by educational authorities in Great Britain and Northern Ireland; if it is proposed to extend reciprocal recognition to qualified Irish citizens who have had suitable teaching experience in these areas; and, if not, why.
41.
asked the Minister for Education if he is aware of the shortage of qualified teachers of science; what is being done to supply the deficiency; if he is prepared to recognise for salary incremental purposes teaching service in Great Britain and Northern Ireland in respect of Irish science graduates so as to encourage their return; and, if not, why.
With your permission, a Cheann Comhairle, I propose to take questions Nos. 40 and 41 together and in this connection I would refer the Deputy to my comprehensive reply to a similar question by him on 18th May, 1961. I have nothing to add at present to that reply.
Is it the case that service in Northern Ireland is not recognised for incremental purposes? Having regard to the fact that a number of religious orders, particularly, operate schools in the North of Ireland and in the Republic and normally would like to have their staffs interchangeable, will the Minister take steps to ensure that they will not be put at a financial disadvantage, say, the Christian Brothers wishing to transfer one of their staff from Newry or Belfast to Dublin or Cork?
The answer to which I referred the Deputy covers these points. In other countries where service abroad is considered, it is because those countries are short of teachers and want to attract them. We have not that problem here. Another point which seems to be overlooked by Deputies is that such recognition will not create new posts. There seems to be a general assumption that if you recognise service abroad, you will create new openings here for Irish people abroad. If the Deputy refers back to my answer, he will see the whole question is being kept under review from the point of view of the needs of education in this country.
Will the Minister agree there is a shortage of science teachers?
There is a shortage of science teachers in every country in the world, and it is from industry, not from other teaching systems, you have to attract science teachers.
Is the Minister aware there are many graduates of Irish universities engaged in teaching science in English schools who would be more than glad to come back here, if they were not put at a financial disadvantage?
Would the Minister not agree, while it is desirable that there should be some reciprocal arrangement in relation to countries where our teachers can learn languages or can help emergent countries, it is also desirable that teachers should be able to go to English-speaking countries like Great Britain, Canada and the U.S. or Northern Ireland in order to study different teaching methods and come back to use that knowledge here? Would it not be desirable for the Minister to recognise this fact and make the same concession in respect of these countries as he has made to the other countries?
I recognise the desirability of experience abroad, but, having all the information before me and having the responsibility of the decision, I do not agree that such an arrangement would work in the way Deputies think it would work. That is our experience.
They are afraid of some strange influence.
We are not afraid of any strange influence.
Does the Minister consider such cases independently?
The problem is being considered and, in the past year, I have made two decisions in regard to recognition. The whole matter is still under review. If you have a responsible decision to make, there are a great number of factors you have to consider besides vague ones like "desirability". I intend to consider all the factors and to keep the matter under review.
Would the Minister consider approaching his opposite number in the Six Counties, in view of the desirability of ending Partition, so far as education is concerned? Surely the Minister is not going to recognise Partition in the educational field if he has it within his power to remedy it? No answer.
I have an answer but it is only at the Deputy's level and so I will not use it.
