§ 60. Mr. O'DONNELLasked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether he can state the total number of children learning Irish in the national schools of Ireland during the year 1911?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe Commissioners of National Education inform me that the number of pupils enrolled for instruction in Irish on 31st December, 1911, was as follows: Under bilingual programme, 16,361; as an ordinary subject, 46,562; as extra subject, 89,896. Some pupils receive instruction in Irish as an ordinary, and as an extra, subject.
61. Mr. GIN NELLasked the Chief Secretary for Ireland, in view of the complaints of the Commissioners of National Education in Ireland for many years of the insufficiency of the funds placed at their disposal for the purposes of their department, if he will say how much of the money voted by Parliament for those purposes has been refunded to the British Treasury since 1900; and why it has not instead been applied to meet those purposes pro tanto?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe Commissioners of National Education inform me that the total sum surrendered to the Exchequer in respect of the excess of the Vote for Public Education, Ireland, over the actual expenditure from 1900 to 1911, inclusive, was £83,132, out of a total of £.15,818,092 1670 voted for these years. It was not permissible for the Commissioners, under the Regulations sanctioned by Parliament and the Treasury, to apply this money, or any portion of it, towards payment of Grants not provided for in the Vote, or for which the sanction of the Government and the Treasury had not previously been obtained.
§ 62. Mr. GINNELLasked when, and on whose initiative, the form for private and confidential report was first issued from the Education Office to school managers; when it was discontinued; whether a copy of it will be supplied; the number of teachers with salaries above the minimum who were not forced out of the service by the scheme officially known as enforced inefficiency, notwithstanding the reports being filled unfavourably; and if he will state the percentage of the national school teachers in Ireland in the lowest class or grade in 1899 and at the present time, respectively?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe Commissioners of National Education inform me that the form of report referred to was first issued under the rules made by them for the year 1900, and was discontinued by order of the Commissioners in May, 1911. No useful purpose would be served by publishing a copy of the form. There is no scheme officially known as enforced inefficiency. Teachers were not divided into grades in 1899. In 1911 67.8 per cent. were in third grade. In 1899 there were three classes of teachers and 31.5 per cent. were in the third-class. Gradation under the existing rules and classification under the old rules are materially different things and a simple comparison between them would be misleading.