§ MR. T. M. HEALY (Louth, N.)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland (1) does the Inquiry into the model schools cover the question of the greater expenditure per head on the pupils of these schools as compared with those in other national schools; if not, what is the explanation of this discrepancy; (2) could he give the percentage of passes under the two systems as a whole, or any other basis of comparison between them, as to educational results, and the percentage of passes in one or two of the best model schools and one or two of the best convent national schools; and (3) when will the evidence and Report be ready for presentation to Parliament?
§ *THE CHIEF SECRETARY FOR IRELAND (Mr. GERALD BALFOUR,) Leeds, CentralThe answer to the first paragraph is in the affirmative. Of the total number of pupils examined in the year 1895, in ordinary national schools, model schools, and convent and monastery national schools, the percentage of passes was 80.7, 88.7, and 91.8 respectively. It would be invidious to select individual schools for purposes of comparison. It is not possible at present to fix a date for the completion of the documents referred to in the last paragraph, as the Inquiry is still in progress, and may continue for some time longer. I think it would be desirable to take the opinion of the Commissioners before promising that the evidence and Report will be laid on the Table.