§ MR. JOHN O'DONNELL (Mayo, S.)To ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether any Part II. organisers science classes, which deal with the programme for sixth and seventh standard pupils in boys' schools, or any courses for training female teachers in the special programme in elementary science in girls' schools have been held in the counties of Mayo or Galway; whether the Commissioners of National Education intend to make provision for the training in these programmes of the teachers of these counties, for the majority of whom no technical schools are available; and, if not, whether they will have these programmes withdrawn.
§ MR. JOHN O'DONNELLTo ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether the Commissioners of 1698 National Education intend that in districts generally where no technical schools are available for training the teachers any science instruction is to be given to the sixth and seventh standard pupils in boys' and girls' schools respectively; and, if so, what provision is to be made in these districts to give the teacher the necessary training to enable them to impart such instruction.
(Answered by Mr. Walter Long.) No such classes have been held in Mayo or Galway, but teachers from both counties have attended classes of the kind in Dublin. No special arrangements have been made for these counties, but, as I have already stated, the head organiser and two assistants have been permanently retained to continue the training of teachers in science. It is not intended to withdraw the programmes for the sixth and seventh standards. These programmes were promulgated tentatively, and managers are strongly urged to submit for approval syllabuses to suit the particular requirements of their localities. Object-lessons on suitable subjects are considered sufficient in all standards in schools having only one teacher, or not having teachers specially qualified in science.