§ Mr. BRUNSKILLasked why the Commissioners of National Education (Ireland) have closed Crossan national school, county Tyrone; whether there are now six national schools under Roman Catholic teachers and only four national schools under Protestant teachers in the rural district of Trillick; whether he is aware that the national schools at Tummery and Knocknagor, two thatched cabins, under Roman Catholic teachers, are situate within a mile of each other, and that there is not a national school under a Protestant teacher within a radius of four miles from Crossan; what was the average attendance of pupils respectively at Tummery, Knocknagor, and Crossan schools for the year 1909; and whether the Commissioners have made any arrangements for conveying the pupils, who formerly attended Crossan national school, to the nearest national school under a Protestant teacher, or are the pupils expected to walk four miles to school and four miles back each day, if their parents should wish them to attend either of the nearest national schools under Protestant teachers at Dromore or Trillick respectively?
§ Mr. BIRRELLCrossan National School had for several years past an average attendance of less than twenty-five pupils—both Protestant and Roman Catholic—and the Commissioners, having reviewed the provision made in the locality for primary education, came to the conclusion that it was unnecessary to continue to maintain it as a separate institution, and they accordingly directed that it should be amalgamated with the Dromore (2) national school, which is under Protestant management and has Protestant teachers. The Commissioners realised that some of the Protestant children of the Crossan school would find a difficulty in attending at Dromore or at other national schools under Protestant management in the district, but they were prepared to sanction an arrangement by which such 1471W children could be conveyed to and from school by van. There are eight national schools under Roman Catholic managers and teachers and five national schools under Protestant managers and teachers in the rural district of Trillick, county Tyrone. Two of the schools under Roman Catholic teachers—Tummery and Knocknagor—are in bad repair, but the manager of the former is having the necessary repairs executed, and a Grant has been sanctioned to build a new schoolhouse to supersede the existing building at Knocknagor. Tummery and Knocknagor national schools, although within a mile of each other in a direct line, are two miles and a quarter apart by road. The average attendances of pupils at Tummery, Knocknagor, and Crossan schools for the year 1909 were: Tummery, twenty-five; Knocknagor, twenty-four; and Crossan, eighteen. There are at least three national schools under Protestant teachers within a radius of four miles of Crossan school.