asked the Minister for Education if he will introduce legislation to give a firm legal basis for the radical changes taking place and proposed in the whole structure of education.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Education Structure.
36.
As regards changes taking place in education the position is:—
(1) At primary level a new curriculum has been evolved and is being implemented. No special legislation is required for this purpose.
(2) At post-primary level in pursuance of the Government's policy directed towards providing comprehensive education and equality of educational opportunity for all our children the idea of community schools in certain areas has been developed. The legislation necessary to enable vocational education committees to participate in such a development was enacted in 1970. No further legislation is required.
(3) At the third level of education a Bill setting up the Higher Education Authority on a statutory basis is before the House at present.
Is the Minister aware that there now exists in the country a very considerable body of responsible and informed opinion which holds the considered view that if the Oireachtas is to discuss and to bring forward democratic major changes in the structure of education a minimum pre-condition should be that a White Paper should be produced by the Government setting out those changes?
No, I am not so aware. I went into this at some length in a reply to a supplementary question by the Deputy last week. I pointed out that the policy pursued by us here is a logical continuation of Fianna Fáil educational policy since Dr. Hillery's time. The aim, as I stated then, is to make as wide a range of subjects as possible available to all our children so as to develop their abilities and aptitudes to the fullest possible extent. That is what we are doing.
Question No. 37.
A Cheann Comhairle, may I ask a second supplementary question?
No, not necessarily.
I am only asking. The Vocational Teachers' Association, various teaching organisations, various school managements and a large number of educationists throughout the country have suggested that in view of the current developments a White Paper would be of immense benefit to the nation, to parents in particular, in considering future developments in education. Surely the Minister must be aware of the volume of such opinion? Indeed it would be of great benefit to his own party, particularly former Ministers for Education, to know what exactly is going on.
I am sure the Deputy is very perturbed about members of my own party. What I want to make very clear here is that I began to consider this whole question in relation to the small towns of Ireland. I can fully appreciate Deputy Desmond's problem because the perimeter of Dublin and Dún Laoghaire is probably the extent of his vision in relation to it. I endeavoured, and so did my predecessors, to get co-operation between the schools in these small towns, with very limited success. It should be obvious now, having heard, as the Deputy has already mentioned, the views of the varying groups throughout the country who have discussed this and been involved in argument and discussion in relation to it, that we would never reach what would be regarded as an acceptable solution to all of them. I feel that the children of the small towns of this country simply cannot wait that long and I believe that they have the same educational rights as the children in larger towns and cities. Therefore, I have put forward these proposals as the best possible solution in the circumstances and I feel that anybody who has followed the line of Fianna Fáil educational policy over the last number of years fully accepts and recognises that we are concerned not only with the education of our children through the free education scheme, but also in making available to all our children equal educational opportunities.
To what Fianna Fáil policies is it a logical sequel to hand over vocational schools and schools owned by religious orders to be vested in the Roman Catholic Hierarchy?
It is a sell-out and the Minister knows it.
It is not a sell-out.
It is worse than a sell-out. You are giving them away for nothing.
The Deputy tried this out last Thursday and it did not work.
It is a complete sell-out.
Would the Minister not list these Fianna Fáil policies?
Order.