§ MR. BIGGARasked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Whether the questions on the arithmetical test cards used by inspectors at the results examinations in National Schools are, wholly or in part, taken from the treatise on the Practice of Arithmetic by Professor O'Sullivan, of the Central Training Department, Marlborough Street, 1679 Dublin; whether Professor O'Sullivan has had any share in the selection of the questions, or in the preparation of the cards, now or heretofore in use for the purpose of testing the proficiency of National School pupils in arithmetic; and, whether Professor O'Sullivan's Arithmetic is sold by the Commissioners of National Education to the pupils of their schools?
§ MR. TREVELYANI am informed by the Commissioners of National Education that Professor O'Sullivan is the author of a treatise on the practice of arithmetic which contains upwards of 8,000 carefully selected exercises, and that of the 1,000 or so questions on the test cards used in the results examinations some few are identical with questions to be found in that treatise. Professor O'Sullivan is Chairman of a Committee of nine members, under whose direction the test cards were prepared. Professor O'Sullivan's treatise is on the Board's list of books sanctioned for use in National schools, and sold to managers for that purpose. There are 10 or 11 other treatises on arithmetic on the Board's list. I do not know whether any questions on the test cards are from any of these treatises; but if not they ought to be.