E No. 8.-RETURN of INSPECTOR of DISTRICT 8, relative to the APPENDIX B. Inspectors Donegal, April 10, 1852. GENTLEMEN,-In compliance with your instructions of the of Pupils. 5th instant, I beg to state that I have not thought it necessary to consult any of the Managers, in order to give you the information you require. Owing, however, to the changes made in the districts some time since, I am not as familiar with all my schools and their working as I could wish; but I am of opinion the subjoined information, taken from my notebook, will be found pretty correct. Of 54 schools, in which I have asked questions similar to those you have now asked me, I make you a statistical return of 33. In one, the children were exclusively Protestants; and in the remaining twenty exclusively Roman Catholics. In my whole district there are only three houses of worship belonging to the Presbyterians; hence the small proportion of that persuasion attending the National Schools. There is only one Presbyterian Manager. In reference to the schools mentioned in this report, I may add, that I consider the attendance of pupils of different creeds almost in proportion to the families who reside in the neighbourhood of the school. In many parts of this district the population is almost all Roman Catholic, and in parts where there are a few Protestant families, there is generally a Church Education School. I have found, however, that if the parents acted according to their wish, they would continue to patronize the National Schools in preference to any other. I have generally found that a school conducted by a zealous, conscientious, and efficient Teacher, has been attended by the pupils of the various persusions in the locality, in proportion to their respective numbers. In such cases, also, I have found that the Teacher, almost invariably, has Saturday set apart for "Religious Instruction ;" and he believes the people, in general, are much better satisfied, and have a surer guarantee against interference in religion. Teachers do not like separating the pupils in a school-room, or sending one part home, and retaining the other. In the following table you will observe that 23 of the At present my notes do not furnish me with any other The Secretaries, Education Office. RETURN of INSPECTOR of DISTRICT 10, relative to the Religious Denominations of the Children attending the Schools in his District, which comprises portions of the Counties of Fermanagh and Tyrone. The figures showing the attendance of the children will indicate, with tolerable accuracy, the proportion which the religious denominations of the population bear to each other. No. 10.-RETURN of INSPECTOR of DISTRICT 11, relative to the APFENDIX B. Religious Denominations of the Children &c., attending the II. Returns Schools of his District, which comprises portions of the from District Counties of Armagh, Down, and Tyrone. Dungannon, June 11, 1852. GENTLEMEN,-In reply to your letter of the 5th of April last, I have to say, that after careful inquiry, I find that the principle of united education is fully carried out in all the schools in my district, except a few situated in large towns, and in localities in which the population is exclusively of one denomination. I herewith forward a list of 72 schools in which the attendance of the children of the different religious denominations is in proportion, or nearly so, to the population -above 30 of the Schools are situated in localities in which the population is exclusively, or almost exclusively, of one denomination. From a number of Schools in which the attendance is mixed, I have not yet been able to procure the exact number of the children of the different creeds attending. I am, Gentlemen, your obedient servant, THOMAS M'ILROY, District Inspector of National Schools. Inspectors relative to the Religious Denominations of Pupils. The Secretaries, VOL. I. |