§ MR. THOMAS O'DONNELLTo ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether, in view of the number of subjects specified by the Commissioners to be taught in Irish national schools, managers will be permitted, in districts where Irish is spoken, to substitute Irish for object lessons and physical drill; whether the Board has directed its inspectors to refuse such authority to managers; and, if so, will he say why this has been done, in view of Rule 119d.
§ (Answered by Mr. Bryce.) The Commissioners of National Education inform me that in districts in which Irish is spoken they sanction the bilingual programme in all suitable cases, and do not regard this programme as over-weighted. The Commissioners are unable to consent to the omission of object lessons and physical drill, which they consider to be of the first importance in connection with education in elementary schools. They inform me that they have given no special instructions to their inspectors on the subject. Rule 119 (d) provides that managers may with the approval of the Commissioners arrange school programmes. The Commissioners do not approve of programmes from which object lessons and drill are omitted.