§ MR. FIELDTo ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, whether the sections set in the programme of the Intermediate Board for algebra are to be read as representing the amount of that subject usually treated in the elementary text books in use in secondary schools, as distinguished from the advanced courses in these sections usually set to University students; whether the examiners have been in the habit of exceeding the programme; and what steps do the Intermediate Board take to ensure that the examination special papers in algebra are of an elementary character, and reasonably representative of the programme.
(Answered by Mr. Birrell.) I have referred this Question to the Intermediate Education Board, and am informed as follows: The Answer to the first part 565 of the Question is in the affirmative. It is, however, not altogether correct to describe the courses for any subjects in the senior grade as elementary. The examiners in algebra have not in any instance in recent years exceeded the limits of the programme. The questions on the special papers are intended by the Board to be of a more searching character than those on the other honour papers.