§ 10. Sir J. BUTCHERasked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether his attention has been called to the history manuals which are or were until recently in use in the primary Roman Catholic schools in Ireland; whether the question of the continued use of these manuals has been recently considered by the Board of National Education; whether the use of any of these manuals has been discontinued and for what reason; and whether he will place in the Library of the House some samples of these manuals to which objection has been taken?
§ Mr. HENRYI would refer my hon. and learned Friend to the reply given to a somewhat similar question asked by my hon. and gallant Friend the Member for Mid Antrim (Major O'Neill) on the 17th February, 1919. Since that date sanction has not been withdrawn from any additional text books in history, but the Commissioners of National Education have for some time past been considering the general question of the selection of books (including historical text books) for the use of the pupils of National Schools for secular instruction, and are about to issue a revised list of such books to come into force after 1st July, 1920. This revised list is intended to comprise only works of high merit in each branch of instruction, and will consequently not contain all works previously sanctioned, but it is not to be assumed that any historical text books excluded from it have been omitted owing to objections on religious or political grounds.
§ Sir J. BUTCHERWould the right hon. Gentleman kindly reply to the last part of the question, whether he will place in the Library some samples of these historical text books to which objection has been taken, so that we may see for ourselves whether they are not saturated with sedition?
§ Captain REDMONDBefore the right hon. Gentleman answers that, may I ask whether it would not serve a useful purpose if he would convey to his hon. and learned Friend copies of these historical manuals, and thereby enable him to display a greater knowledge of Irish affairs than he has in the many years during which he has displayed such a wonderful activity in this House?
§ Sir J. BUTCHERWill the right hon. Gentleman give us an opportunity of deciding whether these books are fit for educational use in Ireland?