§ Mr. KERR-SMILEYalso asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland when the National Education Board repealed the Rule which forbade the granting of public money to convent and monastery schools for building purposes?
1973W
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe Commissioners of National Education inform me that since 1884 building Grants have been made to convent and monastery national schools.
§ Mr. KERR-SMILEYfurther asked the Chief Secretary if he is aware that the Resident Commissioner of National Education, in reply to Question 33,261, informed the Macdonnell Commission that his Board would not recognise as trained a number of English certificated teachers who have only passed an examination; and will he say if the nuns who have superseded the efficient teachers who were dismissed in Ballycastle, with the exception of one, possess any other certificate than the English certificate which the Board does not recognise as evidence of training?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe answer to the first part of the question is in the affirmative. The Commissioners of National Education inform me that the school in question is recognised as a capitation convent school, and the teachers in such schools are not required to be trained teachers. As a matter of fact, however, one of the nuns is a trained certificated teacher under the English Education Board.