§ Mr. KEATINGasked whether any application has been received from the National Board of Education in Ireland for leave to pay the travelling expenses of national teachers attending Irish classes in the Gaelic colleges; whether the travelling expenses of teachers attending classes in cookery, drawing, science, etc., in technical institutes are paid; and, if so, can it be arranged to place teachers attending Irish classes on the same basis?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe answer to the first two paragraphs is in the affirmative. The Estimates for the current year make no provision for the payment of travelling expenses to teachers attending the Training2684W Colleges for the teaching of Irish, but the matter will be considered in connection with the Estimates for the next financial year.
§ Mr. FIELDasked the Chief Secretary whether he can state the various loans and grants, other than the grants (£50 and £35) and bonuses (£10 and £7) under the provisions of Rule 174 of the rules of the National Board of Education and the corresponding rule of previous years, that have been made since the year 1889 to the several training colleges affiliated to the National Board in Ireland, stating the year in which the loan or grant was made, the amount of the loan or grant and the specified purpose for which the loan or grant was made?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe following loans have been made by the Board of Public Works to the various training colleges under local management which are connected with the Commissioners of National Education on the usual conditions as to repayment since 1889. St. Patrick's Training College, £9,000 in 1891, and £4,000 in 1892 for extension and improvement of the college buildings, and £5,000 in 1896 for erection of chapel. Church of Ireland Training College, £2,000 in 1889 for extension of college buildings. St. Mary's Training College, Belfast, £12,000 in 1898 and £2,653 in 1899 for erection of college buildings, £2,900 in 1901 for additional accommodation, and £2,400 in 1903 for laboratory, drawing-room, and chapel. Mary Immaculate College, Limerick, £16,000 in 1898 for erection of college buildings, and £10,000 in 1904 for deficit on college buildings and to provide chapel, music rooms, etc. The grants to training colleges other than the annual payments under Rule 174 consist of annuities to cover cost of housing (free home grant) and annual repayments of ground rents where such exist. They are as follows: St. Patrick's Training College, annuity of £1,407 3s. 6d., terminable in thirty-five years from its commencement in 1892; ground rent, £192 3s. 8d. Our Lady of Mercy Training College, annuity of £1,139 10s. 3d., terminable in thirty-five years from its commencement in 1892 Church of Ireland Training College, annuity of £1,031 9s. 6d., terminable in thirty-five years from its commencement in 1892; ground rent, £101 10s. 9d.
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De La Salle Training College, St. Mary's Training College, and Mary Immaculate Training College Annuities of £1,000 each, commenced 1911. In the case of Marlborough Street Training College, which is under the direct management of the Commissioners, no loan has been made, but there is at present an annual grant of £50 1s. in reimbursement of ground rent. Until 1909 the rent of residences for men King's scholars, amounting to £160 per annum, was also paid by grant, but this charge has disappeared since the establishment of the new residence at Glasnevin, towards the cost of which a total grant of £50,000 was made from the Ireland Development Fund. This amount was contributed as follows:—
Year 1904–5 £10,000 Part purchase of site. Year 1905–6 £5,838 Part cost of erection and equipment. Year 1906–7 £17,488 16s Year 1907–8 £12,396 14s Year 1908–9 £4,276 10s.
§ Mr. O'DONNELLasked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland if he will state how many students were admitted for the commencement of a two years' course to each college in September last, how many students admitted to each college passed the Easter examination of 1911 in second division and how many of those second division students admitted to each college were assistant teachers when called to training, and how many first division students were left uncalled by each college; whether he is aware that a monitress serving in an Irish national school completed her three years' course last June and obtained first division at the last Easter examination but was not called to training, and that she is able to compete again next Easter; and will he state if the service marks awarded to her at the end of her course will be added on to the total she obtains in 1912?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe numbers of students admitted to the various training colleges last September were as follows:—
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Training College. Men. Women. Marlborough Street … 69 45 St. Patrick's … 81 — Our Lady of Mercy … — 112 Church of Ireland … 21 37 De La Salle … 102 — St. Mary's … — 51 Mary Immaculate … — 47 Total … 273 292 In addition eighteen students were admitted to the Extern Class at Marlborough Street Training College. The numbers of the above students who passed the King's Scholarship Examination of 1911 in the second division were as follows:—
Training College. Men. Women. Assistants. Others. Assistants. Others. M'rlb'rough Street — 26 1 1 St. Patrick's — 36 — — Our Lady of Mercy — — 18 47 Church of Ireland — 6 — 20 De La Salle 2 74 — — St. Mary's — — 4 22 Mary Immaculate — — 8 11 The number of candidates for training who passed the King's Scholarship Examination of 1911 in the first division, but who did not enter the training colleges were as follows:—
Three of the above women have been admitted to the Extern Class at Marlborough Street Training College. The Commissioners of National Education are not aware of the particular case referred to in the question. It is not the practice to award service marks to monitors who are candidates for training, except in connection with the examination which is held in the final year of the monitorial course.
Training College. Men. Women. Marlborough Street … 1 13 St. Patrick's … 3 — Our Lady of Mercy … — 30 Church of Ireland … — — De La Salle … 5 — St. Mary's … — 17 Mary Immaculate … — 10 Total … 9 70
§ Mr. MEAGHERasked from what source money lately given as prizes to teachers who have finished their training course in Ireland was obtained; on what principle was this money allocated; how many students from each of the men's training colleges and each of the women's training collegs received such prizes; for what number of men students is Marlborough Street training college licensed; how many men competed at the Easter examination, 1911, as candidates for 2687W Marlborough Street training college; how many of these were successful; and how many were actually called to training for the present session as first year students?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe Commissioners of National Education inform me that the prizes referred to in the question were provided out of the entrance fees paid by candidates at the King's Scholarship Examination of 1911, in accordance with the scheme framed by the Commissioners whereby they were awarded to the King's scholars who answered best at the final year examination irrespective of the colleges to which they belonged. The number of students who were awarded prizes were as follows:—
Marlborough Street Training College is licensed for 130 men students. There were eighty-nine men candidates for this college who attended at the King's Scholarship Examination of 1911. Seventy-five of these passed the examination, and sixty-six of them were admitted to the college for the session commenced in September last.
Training College. Men. Women. Marlborough Street … 1 5 St. Patrick's … 6 — Our Lady of Mercy … — 10 Church of Ireland … 1 2 De La Salle … 19 — St. Mary's … — 11 Mary Immaculate … — 13 Total … 27 41