§ Mr. HORNERasked the Chief Secretary whether his attention has been called to the alterations in the Rules for 1912–13 of the Intermediate Education Board of Ireland in regard to exhibitions; whether a student in the mathematical course of middle and senior grades cannot earn even a £l prize unless he takes honours in five subjects; whether he will state the number of exhibitioners in the middle and senior grades in the year 1911, and how many of these would have been disqualified if the present contemplated Rule of having to take honours in five subjects had been applied; and whether he will advise the Board to reconsider and alter the Rules so as to put mathematical students more on an equality with others as to the conditions on which exhibitions are to be obtained?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe Rule referred to was made by the Board of Intermediate Education with the concurrence of the representatives of the Catholic and Protestant Head Masters' Associations, and of the Christian Brothers. The effect of the Rule is as stated in the question. Exhibitions were awarded to 156 students in the middle and senior grades in 1911. Twelve of these, six belonging to the mathematical and six to the literary group, would not have qualified under the new Rule. The Rule would therefore appear to affect both groups equally. The Rules for 1913 cannot now be altered, but2504W if Rule 40 appears to work unfairly it will be open to the Board to reconsider it when the Rules for 1914 are being made.