§ MR. DONAL SULLIVAN (Westmeath, S.)On behalf of the hon. Member for Cork (Mr. M. HEALY), I beg to ask the 1243 Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland if he could state on what grounds the Commissioners of National Education refused the application made by the manager of the Cloghroe School (county Cork) to postpone the annual results examination this year for a month, so as to allow of a year's interval since last year's examination, which was postponed until the end of April in consequence of an epidemic of mumps amongst the children; and, whether, in view of the fact that the epidemic was certified by the local dispensary doctor and lasted to May last, steps will now be taken to postpone the examination so as to secure a full year's interval since the last?
§ MR. GERALD BALFOURThe decision of the Commissioners in the case of this school has already formed the subject-matter of a correspondence between them and the school manager, who has been informed that the postponement of the examination applied to last year only, and that it was impossible for the Commissioners to accede to the present application. I am informed that the effects of the epidemic upon the school attendance have not been serious, and that the school suffers no hardship by being examined in March. It has had the full period of 12 months for making up the attendances that qualify for examination.