Statistical Report 1935-1936 - Department of Education and Skills

62m.CURRICULUM AND EXAMINATIONS.In the last Report reference was made to the fact that in December,1935, the Department had submitted to the various Associations ofManagers and Teachers certain proposals for the amendment of theRules and Programme for Secondary Schools, and that the Associationshad been invited to give their views thereon. These proposalswere formulated by the Department with a view to givingschools greater freedom in their choice of subjects and for the purposeof simplifying the Rules generally. The principal amendmentsreferred mainly to the Intermediate Certificate Course and Examinationas the existing Programme gives very considerable· freedom inregard to the selection of sUbjects in the Leaving Certificate Course.Among the more important of these suggested amendments were-(1) That in the Intermediate Certificate Course and for examinationpurposes, History and Geography should constitute twoseparate subjects;(2) That an approved course for recognised junior pupils shouldinclude-(a) Irish (Full Course essential in the case of schools in ClassesA and B.l.)(b)(c)MathematicsHistory.(Full Course essential in the case of Boys).(d) G;eography.(e) Not less than five Full Course subjects altogether or theirequivalent.(3) That no subject should be compulsory for the IntermediateCertificate Examination except Irish, and that a pass in the examinationshould be awarded to pupils Who (a) pass in Irish, and(b) pass in five Full Course subjects altogether or their equivalent.(4) That for Intermediate Scholarship purposes-(a) History should carry 300 marks.(b) Geography should carry 300 marks.(c) Elementary Mathematics should carry 300 marks.(d) In general, each Lower Course should carry half the marksallotted to tbe corresponding Full Course.(5) That the Intermediate Certificate COurse in History shouldbe shortened by substituting "General outline of Irish Historydown to the present day" for" General outline of Irish Historyand of the historic relations of Ireland with Great Britain, thecontinent of Europe, America and Australia," and that the examinationin Irish History should deal only with the period from the63beginning of the Llth century to the present day, and in EuropeanHistory from 987 A.D. to the present day. The earlier portions ofIrish and European History to be regarded as a compulsory coursefor First and Second year pupils, to be tested by inspection, and notby written examination.The Department also submitted for the views of the Associationscertain other suggestions or counter-proposals which had been made,mainly in regard to the Lower Courses, and sought an expression ofopinion on (a) the question of making provision for an oral examinationin Irish for all pupils of secondary schools, and (b) an additionalpublic examination to be taken by pupils at the end of the secondyear of the Intermediate Certificate course.All the Associations submitted replies, and the Department isgrateful to them for the care which they gave to the examination ofthe proposals, and for their criticisms and suggestions. There Wasconsiderable divergence of opinion regarding the proposals. Almost allof them Were approved, sometimes with qualifications, by one or moreof the Associations, but none of them received the unqualified approvalof all the bodies. The nearest approach to general agreement was inregard to the proposal to shorten the Intermediate Certificate course inHistory. This proposal Was approved in principle by all the Associations.The proposal that History and geography should constitutetwo separate subjects for the Intermediate Certificate Course andExamination received the next greatest measure of support.Having regard to the views expressed by the Associations, theDepartment decided to introduce only one of the proposed amendmentsfor the school year 1936--'37, namely, that concerning the IntermediateCertificate Course in History. A further change was made inregard to this course. It was decided that the prescribed period ofIrish History should not extend beyond the end of the year 1921 andthat the course in European History should stop at the end of the year1918.8,739 ordinary school candidates sat for the Certificate Examinationsin 1936. This is an increase of 771 on the corresponding numberfor 1935 in which year there were 678 more candidates than in 1934.The percentage of candidates sitting for the Leaving CertificateExamination was 27.4 as compared with 27.1 in the previous year.84.7 per cent. of the candidates for the Leaving Certificate and 76.5per cent. of the candidates for the Intermediate Certificate passedmaking the total percentage of passes 78.7 as compared with 76.3 in1935. In the case of both boy and girl candidates, there was a decreasein the percentage of passes in the Leaving Certificate, but an increasein the percentage in the Intermediate Certificate.In addition to the numbers referred to above, 316 candidates werespecially admitted to the Leaving Certificate Examination for thepurpose of the competition for places in Training Colleges for Primary