§ Mr. PIRIEasked the Secretary for Scotland whether, seeing that there are no regulations of the Scottish Education Department forbidding primary school teachers to give their pupils such secondary instruction as would justify their presentation in single subjects at any examination, he will explain how it is that passes in single subjects do not count for the course that ends in the leaving certificate, and if, therefore, it is not the case that practically teachers in rural schools cannot train their pupils so as to pass into the university?
The SECRETARY for SCOTLAND (Mr. McKinnon Wood)Neither the junior student's certificate nor the leaving certificate has any direct value in relation to university entrance, but passes in single subjects, for which it is open to teachers in rural schools to prepare their pupils, are accepted by the universities of Scotland as exempting pro tanto from their own preliminary examinations.
§ Mr. PIRIEIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that there is an idea prevalent throughout all the rural schools of Scotland that single subjects do not count in the course that ends in the certificate?
Mr. McKINNON WOODNo. The single subjects count as far as they themselves are concerned for entrance to the university.