§ MR. M. HEALY (Cork)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland when the decision of the Lord Lieutenant, as to the modifications proposed by the Irish Board of Intermediate Education in their new rules, will be announced?
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURThe Lord Lieutenant is at present in communication with the Intermediate Education Board His Excellency's decision will be come to at the earlist date practicable, and then will be announced without delay.
§ MR. M. HEALYI beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether it was the intention of the Board of Intermediate Education in Ireland, in framing their new rules, to restrict the benefits of intermediate education to students intended for Universities, and whether they intend to modify their rules, so as to meet the complaints which have been made, that their new curriculum, owing to its largely literary and classical character, tends to seriously injure commercial schools? Also whether the attention of the Board of Intermediate Education in Ireland has been called to the general complaints which have been made as to the tendency of their new rules to restrict the benefits of intermediate education to students of the better class who obtain a classical education at Board schools to the prejudice of the poorer class of students who by the operation of the system as previously administered were enabled to obtain a good commercial education in the various day schools which sent forward pupils for examination, and whether they will reconsider their recent rules so as to secure that the public moneys which they administer will benefit the poorer class of students who most need education assisted by the State?
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURI must ask the hon. Gentleman to defer these questions until a later day.