1927-1928 - Department of Education and Skills
1927-1928 - Department of Education and Skills
1927-1928 - Department of Education and Skills
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otherwise, <strong>of</strong> these surplus teachers will, naturally, be a<br />
prcess exte~ding over many years, but it is hoped to expedite<br />
thl~ op~ratlOn b! means <strong>of</strong> the redundancy regulation,<br />
which .will apply m future to assistant teachers (with certain<br />
exceptions) as well as to Junior Assistant Mistresses. An<br />
assistant teacher who is declared redundant will be expected to<br />
accept any vacancy which the <strong>Department</strong> considers suitable in<br />
the circu~s~ances: ~nd in view <strong>of</strong> the present shortage <strong>of</strong> qualified<br />
teachers. It IS anticipated that there will be many opportunities<br />
'<strong>of</strong> reducmg the number <strong>of</strong> surplus assistants in the amalzamated<br />
schools. 0<br />
'SUPPLY<br />
IV.<br />
OF PRIMARY TEACHERS.<br />
The previous Reports contained a very full account <strong>of</strong> the<br />
development <strong>of</strong> the System <strong>of</strong> Training <strong>of</strong> Primary Teachers <strong>and</strong><br />
the reforms that have been introduced during the past three years.<br />
Under the new system the supply <strong>of</strong> students for the Training<br />
Colleges is to be obtained from three main sources ,<br />
(a) the Easter Scholarship Examination;<br />
(b) the Preparatory Colleges;<br />
(c) the new Pupil Teacher Scheme.<br />
~~ li~ited number <strong>of</strong> places is also reserved each year for<br />
University Graduates <strong>and</strong> for existing untrained teachers. Most<br />
<strong>of</strong> the students admitted to training in September, <strong>1927</strong>. for the<br />
two years' course <strong>1927</strong>/29 were drawn from the Easter Examination,<br />
but in September, <strong>1928</strong>, approximately 26.3 per cent. <strong>of</strong> the<br />
students were Pupil Teachers who came in under the new Scheme.<br />
The students from the Preparatory Colleges will not be available<br />
for the Training Colleges until 1930. A considerable proportion<br />
<strong>of</strong> c<strong>and</strong>idates in training will, therefore, during the next few years<br />
be provided by the Easter Scholarship Examinations.<br />
(e) THE EASTER SCHOLARSHIP EXAMI ATION.<br />
525 men <strong>and</strong> 622 women presented themselves for this Examination<br />
in <strong>1928</strong>, <strong>and</strong> <strong>of</strong> these 193 men <strong>and</strong> 277 women passed the<br />
Examination. The numbers admitted to the Training Colleges as<br />
a result <strong>of</strong> the examination were 90 women <strong>and</strong> 147 men<br />
so that the number <strong>of</strong> c<strong>and</strong>idates who qualified for admission<br />
was considerably in excess. <strong>of</strong> the number <strong>of</strong> vacancies. Though<br />
the number <strong>of</strong> failures is high, the result <strong>of</strong> the Examination<br />
considered from the point <strong>of</strong> view <strong>of</strong> providing suitable c<strong>and</strong>idates<br />
for Training, must be regarded as satisfactory when the conditions<br />
<strong>of</strong> passing the examination are borne' in mind. In order to pass,<br />
c<strong>and</strong>idates must obtain 50 per cent. on the examination as a<br />
whole, <strong>and</strong> not less than 30 per cent. in any subject. C<strong>and</strong>idates<br />
13<br />
are graded in three divisions on the results <strong>of</strong> the examination.<br />
All c<strong>and</strong>idates who pass the examination <strong>and</strong> do not obtain 621-<br />
per cent. <strong>of</strong> the total marks are placed in Third Division, those<br />
who obtain 621- per cent. <strong>and</strong> less than 75 per cent. are placed in<br />
Second Division <strong>and</strong> those who obtain 75 per cent. 01' over are<br />
placed in F'irst Division. 98 women c<strong>and</strong>idates <strong>and</strong> 41 men c<strong>and</strong>idates<br />
were placed in First <strong>and</strong> Second Divisions at the <strong>1928</strong><br />
Scholarship Examination. The c<strong>and</strong>idates supplied to the<br />
women's Training Colleges might, therefore, be regarded as well<br />
qualified, but a large number <strong>of</strong> those admitted to the men '8<br />
Colleges had somewhat poor literary qualifications.<br />
Only about 7 per cent. <strong>of</strong> the papers were answered through the<br />
medium <strong>of</strong> Irish. It is evident from this that as far as Easter<br />
Scholars are concerned the Training Colleges will have a<br />
certain amount <strong>of</strong> difficulty in carrying on the instruction through<br />
the medium <strong>of</strong> Irish for some years to come. It is interesting to<br />
note that, in spite <strong>of</strong> this difficulty, excellent progress is being<br />
made in this respect, as is evident from the figures given later on<br />
in this section.<br />
'<br />
(b) PREPAHATORY COLLEGE SCHEME.<br />
Details as t.o this Scheme <strong>and</strong> the setting up <strong>of</strong> five Preparatory<br />
Colleges have been given in previous reports.<br />
Two additional Colleges have come into operation in <strong>1928</strong>-9,<br />
bringing the total number up to seven, which is the full establishment<br />
contemplated under the Scheme. There are three Colleges<br />
for Catholic boys, three for Catholic girls, <strong>and</strong> one for Protestant<br />
students-boys <strong>and</strong> girls. In addition it was found necessary to<br />
open' a temporary branch College for girls in Dublin, in order to<br />
supplement the existing accommodation available at the moment.<br />
Particulars as to the situation <strong>of</strong> the Preparatory Colleges <strong>and</strong><br />
the number <strong>of</strong> students at present in' residence in each are<br />
given in the appendices to this Report.<br />
On the termination <strong>of</strong> the academic year <strong>1927</strong>-8, the secondyear<br />
students <strong>of</strong> Colaiste Caoimhin, Glasnevin, <strong>and</strong> <strong>of</strong> Colaiste<br />
1de, Dingle, were presented for the Intermediate Certificate<br />
examination" under the regulations <strong>of</strong> the Secondary Schools<br />
Branch <strong>of</strong> the <strong>Department</strong>, <strong>and</strong> practically all these c<strong>and</strong>idates<br />
passed the examination with honours in the courses selected.<br />
At the examination held in June, <strong>1928</strong>, for entrance into the<br />
Preparatory Colleges 1,226 c<strong>and</strong>idates competed. Of these, 159<br />
were subsequently admitted as students to the Colleges. Under<br />
the regulations for that examination fifty per cent. <strong>of</strong> the vacant<br />
places in the Colleges were reserved for c<strong>and</strong>idates who obtained<br />
85 per cent. or over in Oral Irish (i.e., fluent speakers <strong>of</strong> Ir-ish)