§ MR. JUSTIN M'CARTHY (for Mr. SEXTON)asked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Whether his attention has been drawn to the fact that, whilst a pupil in an English Elementary School, who has been examined in any subject by one of Her Majesty's Inspectors of Public Elementary Schools, may be presented for examination in the same subject by the Science and Art Department on the expiration of a period of six months (vide "Directory of the Science and Art Department," Rule XLVII, page 20, edition of 1881), on the other hand, no pupil in a school under the patronage of the Commissioners of National Education in Ireland, who has been examined by an officer of the Commissioners in any subject can be presented for examination in the same subject by the Science and Art Department until after a period of twelve months has elapsed (vide "Directory," page 41, Rule I.); whether he is aware that this difference in the rules applied to the two countries by the Department operates to lessen the earnings of the Irish as compared with the English teacher, inasmuch as, in multitudes of cases, owing to the months in which the Irish examinations are held, the teacher cannot present his pupils at the next annual examination by the Department; whether he is aware that, in regard to extra subjects, the Result Pee paid by the Department being eight times as much as that allowed by the Commissioners, the Irish teacher is driven to withhold from the Irish examinations in extra subjects those pupils whom he thinks likely to pass the examination by the Department; and, whether, in regard to the extra subject of Agriculture, the Irish teacher is obliged, by a rule of the Commissioners, to present his pupils for examination by their Inspector, though the Result Fee for each successful pupil is but five shillings, and though this regulation, coupled with the time rule already quoted, prevents him from earning the Result Fee of two 257 pounds allowed for each successful pupil by the Department; and, whether the time rule will be made uniform for both countries?
§ MR. TREVELYANSir, it is not the practice of the Commissioners of National Education to pay a results fee for any subject for which a results fee has been already paid within the results period (one year) by the Science and Art Department. This rule was made after consultation with the Science and Art Department—the object being to prevent a duplication of payment for the same subject in the same results period on the answering of the same pupils. If a different rule applies in England, it appears to me to be a matter for the consideration of the Science and Art Department whether any change should be made; and, if so, in what direction. For my own part, I have no hesitation in saying that, if other things are equal, the same rule should apply in Ireland and England, and I will communicate with the Science and Art Department on the subject. I think that the query as to agriculture in the third paragraph of the hon. Member's Question is put under some misapprehension, as I understand that agriculture is not an extra subject in Irish National schools.