§ Sir J. YOXALLasked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether the national school recently opened at Kilkeel, county Down, to which the Commissioners of National Education have given provisional consent, is regarded by the Commissioners as an ordinary national school; is he aware that within a radius of about 300 yards of this school there are already four national schools in which provision is made for the instruction of pupils over twelve years of age in the ordinary national school programme; will he state the nature of the evidence which the Commissioners had before them when they gave their provisional consent to this school, to show that, as required by Rule 178 (a) of their code, the school was required for the purposes of national education; and, in view of the fact that the Commissioners in their annual Reports have frequently drawn attention to the unnecessary multiplication of national schools in the past and to the urgent need for the reduction of the number of such schools, will he say what steps he proposes to take to see that official sanction will not be given to this school unless the necessity for its establishment is clearly demonstrated.
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§ Mr. SHORTTThe school recently opened at Kilkeel, county Down, will, if taken into connection by the Commissioners of National Education, be regarded by them as an ordinary national school, and will be subject to the same regulations as to salaries and staffing as other national schools. There are four national schools already recognised in the town of Kilkeel at which pupils of twelve years of age and upwards are in attendance, and provision is made in these schools in the ordinary course for the instruction of such pupils up to the sixth standard, and in a few cases in the seventh standard. The Commissioners had before them, a special report from their inspector, who ascertained the views of the managers of the schools situated in the town of Kilkeel and the immediate vicinity, and considered fully this report in connection with the general educational needs of the locality before giving their provisional consent for the establishment of the proposed school. The Commissioners, while opposed to the unnecessary multiplication of national schools, satisfied themselves from an examination of the statistics of the scholars and the general educational requirements of the locality that the proposed school at Kilkeel, which would be attended by pupils of the higher standards only, would be a distinct educational advantage to the town and the surrounding neighbourhood, without appreciably interfering with the interests of the existing national schools.
§ Mr. FIELDasked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether the constitution of the Committee promised to inquire into salaries, grants, etc., in intermediate schools, and the terms of reference to that Committee, have yet been decided upon; and, if not, will he state the cause of the delay?
§ Mr. SHORTTConsiderable preliminary progress has been made with regard to the formation of the Committee, and the terms of reference have been under consideration. Owing to the recent changes in the Irish Government, some unavoidable delay has occurred, but I hope shortly to be in a position to make a statement on the subject.