Statistical Report 1935-1936 - Department of Education and Skills

86An important development in connection with toymaking tookplace in County Mayo towards the end of the session under review.It was decided, under the Gaeltacht scheme of the Department ofLands, to establish a toy factory in the disused coastguard station atElly Bay near Belmullet. The County Mayo Vocational EducationCommittee agreed to co-operate by giving preliminary training to thoseto be engaged in the industry. They provided a qualified teachercompetent to give instruction through the medium of Irish and installedthe necessary machinery-lathe, band-saw, circular saw andcarving tools, etc.-in the newly-erected technical school at Belmullet.Thirty-two boys drawn from the Elly Bay and Belmullet districtsare now being trained, in two groups, in the manufacture of woodentoys, and also in associated subjects. Reports indicate that satisfactoryprogress is being made and that the boys are now able tomake toys of a simple design from models. At the end of the currentsession, it is anticipated that the boys will have sufficient skill foremployment in the factory. It is the intention of the VocationalEducation Committee to provide training also for 32 girls as soon asan expert in the manufacture of soft toys can be secured.The factory itself will be under the control and supervision of theGaeltacht Services Branch of the Department of Lands.Glove Making.- Through the co-operation of the Vocational EducationCommittee of the South Riding of Tipperary, successful arrangementswere made for the training of employees for the Glove Factoryestablished in Tipperary during the session under review. From theboys and girls in attendance at whole-time day courses at TipperaryTechnical School, suitable candidates were selected for training asthe result of an interview. The boys thus chosen received in theTechnical School special instruction in craftwork and drawing, andas they became proficient were admitted to a technical class in cuttingoutwork which was held in the factory, under the control of one ofthe experts engaged in the industry. Thirty-three boys were enrolledin such classes and twenty-six of these had secured employment beforethe end of the session.Owing to the existence in Tipperary of a number of girls who hadalready been engaged in this industry, there was not such a greatdemand for the training of girls. Six girls were selected and followeda day course specialised to suit their prospective occupation. Simultaneouslythey received instruction in the factory in the use of themachines for glove-making and proved sufficiently skilful to be absorbedin the industry before the end of the session.Fishing Industry.-Assistance was afforded in two centres to thefishing industry by Vocational Education Committees during thesession.In County Mayo, the scheme described in the previous AnnualReport for instruction in the making, mending and use of trawl netswas again in operation. A class of 30 fishermen was enrolled atMurrisk and followed the course with success. A similar course willbe given in this centre during the current session after which a coursewill ,be organised in Achill.In County Donegal, the engineering instructor from LetterkennyTechnical School was sent by the Vocational Education Committeeto give a three months' course in Marine engineering at Downingsin the Summer of 1936. The thirty-four students enrolled were dividedinto two groups, each of which received instruction every day. Many.of those enrolled were employees of the local boat yard.In County Kerry the Vocational Education Committee are arrangingfor a short course of instruction in Chart-reading and Seamanshipto be given by an expert to the fishermen of Dingle during the currentsession.87Hairdressing Trade.-The Hairdressing Trade in the county and,county borough of Dublin is now a designated trade under theApprenticeship Act of 1931,and as indicated elsewhere in this Report,has a special Apprenticeship Committee engaged in drawing up rules'for the regulation of apprenticeship. Meanwhile, the Hairdressingclasses provided in the Kevin Street Technical School, Dublin, in thesession 1935-36 had their maximum enrolment. Some 140 studentswere in attendance at these specialised evening classes, which includedinstruction in every branch of the trade.IV.-THE POSITION OF mISH IN VOCATIONAL EDUCATIONSCHOOLS.The number of persons fully qualified for the teaching of Irish inVocational Schools is increasing steadily as can be seen from thefollowing results of the examination for the Teastas MuinteoraGaedhilge :-.Year19321933193419351936No. of Candidates.7682579692No. of successes.4126174644In addition, three candidates availed themselves of the concession,granted to University Graduates with an Honours Degree in ModernIrish or Celtic Studies, to claim exemption from the written test andpresented themselves for the oral test only.