Captain CRAIGasked the Chief Secretary for Ireland the number of first division candidates passed over, respectively, in each training college for girls in Ireland; whether the Commissioners of National Education have asked any explanation of the heads of these colleges as to their action in passing over first division candidates and calling second division and third division candidates in their places; and to whom are the managers of these training colleges responsible for the proper expenditure of the public money they receive for the training of teachers?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe number of candidates for the various training colleges for women students who passed the last King's Scholarship Examination in the first 667W division, but who appear not to have been summoned to training are as follows:—
These figures include four candidates who were applicants for three colleges and eleven who applied for admission to two colleges. Three of the above candidates for Marlborough Street Training College have been admitted to the Extern Class. The Commissioners of National Education have not asked for any explanation from the heads of the colleges as to the non-admission of first division candidates. With regard to the selection of students for training, it is to be observed that the service marks, which the Commissioners award to monitors and pupil teachers in their final years of service, are added to the marks which they obtain at the King's Scholarship Examination when deciding the order of merit of the candidates in the lists for admission to the colleges. Monitors and pupil teachers who have only obtained second division passes at the examination are consequently sometimes placed higher in the list for the colleges than other candidates who have obtained first division passes, but have not the advantage of service marks. Similarly the marks obtained for the optional subjects—Irish, French, and Latin—are added to the totals after the divisions in the pass lists have been decided, and affect the candidate's position in the list in a corresponding manner to the service marks, although in a much smaller degree. The third division candidates admitted were all teachers already serving in national schools, and for whose admission special provision is made in the Commissioners' code. The accounts of each college are audited annually by the accountant of the Commissioners.
Marlborough Street Training College 13 Our Lady of Mercy Training College 30 Church of Ireland Training College (nil) St. Mary's Training College 17 Mary Immaculate Training College 10 Total 70