§ MR. WILLIAM JOHNSTON (Belfast, S.)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland (1) whether he is aware that when the 26 National Board of Education recently proposed to establish classes in the Model School, Sligo, under special teachers, for the instruction of the national teachers of the district in elementary science, under the new programme recently adopted by the Board, the Roman Catholic Bishop of Elphin refused to allow any Roman Catholic teacher in his diocese to enter the Model School for such purpose; and (2) seeing that, notwithstanding this refusal, the National Board have sanctioned the formation of elementary science classes in the Mercy Convent, Sligo, for nuns only, from convents in the diocese of Elphin and other convents; whether (3) he will say what provision the National Board intend to make for the instruction, in elementary science, of Protestant teachers and Roman Catholic teachers other than nuns, in the diocese of Elphin.
§ MR. WYNDHAMThe facts are as stated in the first and second parts of this Question. No provision, I am informed, has yet been made for the instruction in elementary science of Protestant teachers and of Roman Catholic teachers other than nuns. The number of Protestant teachers who reside in and near Sligo is small, and the Commissioners did not consider it necessary to make special arrangements for their instruction in elementary science in the Model School. The buildings in which it was proposed to form classes for the instruction of Roman Catholic Lay teachers in elementary science were not considered suitable by the Commissioners.