§ DR. KENNY (Cork, S.)asked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Whether the Commissioners of National Education in Ireland have recently issued a rule to the effect that, at the examination commencing July 5th, in case the sum of the values given in any subject to the several answers be not equal to at least thirty-three per cent. of the maximum marks, no value will be assigned to the answering, and the teacher will be regarded as having failed on that subject; whether failure in any one subject involves failure in the whole examination; whether, in the past, twenty per cent. was the minimum required for a pass in each subject; what proportion of the successful candidates for promotion or classification at the examinations held in July 1885 obtained thirty-three, or more than thirty-three, per cent. (the now proposed minimum) in all the obligatory subjects; and, whether he can state on whose responsibility this rule was introduced?
§ THE PRESIDENT OF THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT BOARD (Mr. STANSFELD) (Halifax)(who replied) said: The Commissioners of National Education proposed to raise the minimum percentage of marks required for teachers' qualification in any subject from 20 to 33; but the change is not to take effect until July, 1887. It is the case that candidates must pass without failure in any subject in their respective programmes of examination. The information asked for regarding the examination held in July, 1885, cannot, I am informed, be made out without considerable trouble and expense.