Imagens das páginas
PDF
ePub

In 1837 a Committee of the House of Lords and a Committee of the House of Commons held inquiries into National Education in Ireland, without arriving at any definite conclusions; but the evidence given before the Commission convinced the Board that the system required modification, and in 1838 a new Code of Regulations was issued. In this year (1838) the number of members of the Board was increased to nine, and in the year 1839 the number was further increased to twelve. In 1837 the Commissioners granted aid to two Agricultural schools, and in 1838 the Glasnevin Model Farm was opened. A number of Model Agricultural schools were subsequently established in different parts of the country. These had a somewhat chequered existence, and owing to recent changes there are now no agricultural establishments of any kind in connection with the Board.

At the end of 1839 there were 1,581 National Schools in operation, with 192,971 pupils.

In 1845 a Charter of Incorporation was granted by Her late Majesty Queen Victoria to the Board, and the number of the Commissioners was increased to fifteen. The National System now began to spread with rapidity through the country, and at the end of 1849 there were 4,321 Schools in operation, with 480,623 children on the rolls.

In 1850, in order to allay all fear of proselytism, the Religious Instruction Rules of the Board were made more definite. Convent and Monastic Schools were granted capitation payments, and other measures were taken to make the Board more popular. These measures had not the desired effect, and in 1854 an inquiry was held into the System by a Committee of the House of Lords; but, as in the case of former Commissions, no conclusions were arrived at. The Code was, however, subsequently modified by the provision that no fundamental Rule should be changed without the sanction of the Lord Lieutenant, and by the introduction of more stringent Conscience Clauses.

In 1861 a Supplemental Charter was granted to the Board, and the number of Commissioners was increased to twenty.

The System continued to expand, and in 1868-9 there were 6,586 National Schools in operation; but as there was still considerable hostility to the System as a whole, and to the Model Schools in particular, a Royal Commission of Inquiry was appointed and took evidence, which was submitted in a very exhaustive report in 1870.

Up to 1871 the payment of the National Teachers was made by class salaries and gratuities. In 1871-2 the Results System,

which had been in operation in England since 1863, was introduced into the National Schools in Ireland in a modified form. The Results System continued in operation in the National Schools up to April, 1900, and its influence on educational advancement, especially in the earlier years of its operation, was considerable. At the close of the year 1869 the number of National Schools was 6,707, and the average attendance was 358,560. In 1879 the number of Schools in operation was 7,522, and the average attendance was 435,054. In 1889 the number of Schools in operation had increased to 8,251, and the average attendance to 507,865.

Various Acts of Parliament relating to National Education in Ireland have been passed since 1875. In that year two Acts were passed, one providing for additional payments to National Teachers out of Union Rates, and another affording facilities for the provision of Teachers' Residences. In 1879 the Teachers' Pensions Act was passed. In 1881 an Act was passed to facilitate the making of leases of land for the erection of school buildings. In 1884 an Act was passed amending the law so as to provide for loans for the erection of Non-Vested schools and Training Colleges. In 1890 the Local Taxation Act was passed, which provided, inter alia, for additional payments to teachers; and in 1892-3 the Irish Education Acts were passed, providing for the compulsory attendance of children at school, the acquisition of sites for schoolhouses and Teachers' Residences, and for the payment of an additional grant to the Teachers called the "School Grant."

Although the Results System had been beneficial to the cause of National Education, yet the school curriculum under the system had been objected to for a considerable time as being too bookish," and in 1897 your Excellency was good enough to appoint a Commission to inquire into the question of introducing Manual and Practical Instruction into the schools. The Commission, after taking extensive evidence both in the British Isles and abroad, recommended that the instruction in the schools should be made of a more practical character; that the general principles and methods of the Kindergarten system and Manual Instruction should be introduced and should be continued through all the classes; that Drawing should be made compulsory; that Elementary Science should form part of the curriculum; that Singing should be brought within the reach of all children; that drill and physical exercises should be introduced; and that the teaching of Agriculture should be practically dropped. Other recommendations, including a modification of the Results System, were included in the Report of the Commission.

The Board having considered the recommendations of the Manual and Practical Instruction Commission, came to the conclusion that a radical change in the curriculum, in the methods of payment of the teachers, in the methods of inspection of schools, and in the methods of official administration in the

Central Department were absolutely essential, and submitted to your Excellency a memorandum on these various matters, with certain recommendations, which, having been approved by the Irish Government and the Treasury, were carried into effect. The curriculum was entirely altered, the Results Programme was abolished, and a revised Programme, in which provision was made for the various subjects recommended by the Manual and Practical Instruction Commission, was substituted therefor. The system of payments by results was also abolished, and the various payments formerly made to the teachers were consolidated, and a new scale of salaries was prepared, which received the sanction of your Excellency and the Treasury. Modifications in the organization and remuneration of our Inspection Staff and in our system of inspection of schools were also sanctioned, and have since been effected by us, and these changes, together with the reforms which have been approved in connexion with the internal administration of our Central Establishment in Marlborough-street, will, we trust, lead to great educational advancement and mark the commencement of a new era in the history of National Education.

School-houses and Teachers' Residences.

1. On the 31st December, 1900, there were 9,152 Schools, on our Roll, of which 8,684 were in operation

*

2. Of the total number on our Roll, 3,990 were Vested Schools, Vested the remainder were Non-Vested.

£chools.

The Vested Schools were classified as follows:-

(a) Vested in Trustees,

(b) Vested in the Commissioners,

Total,

2,917
1,073

3,990

Our grant towards the erection of Vested School-houses, whether Vested in Trustees or Vested in the Commissioners, is two-thirds of the estimated cost.

3. The Non-Vested Schools include school-houses erected Non-Vested from funds locally provided, or, in a few instances, from loans Schools. available under the Act of 1884, 47 & 48 Vic., cap. 22, and schools formerly vested, the leases of which have expired.

* For Schools inoperative see paragraph 8, page 12.

[blocks in formation]

4. The number of applications for aid to new Schools considered in the fifteen months to 31st December, 1900, was 132. In 121 cases we gave the required assistance, either as grants for building new premises, or as grants of salary and books. The remaining 11 applications were rejected.

The erection and improvement of Vested School premises is carried out under the direction of the Board of Public Works. On the first of April, 1900, the amount for which that Board was liable in respect to grants already made by us and notified to them was, £62,242 6s. 5d. In addition to this sum, we had made grants amounting to £15,221 88. 9d., which had not been ready for notification to the Board of Works. The total liabilities, therefore, on that date amounted to £77,463 15s. 2d.

As in the previous financial year, we received in 1900–1901 a greater number of applications for such grants than the Parliamentary Vote would warrant us in sanctioning. We made, however, building and improvement grants in 57 cases.

The following Statement shows the condition of the grants and liabilities on 1st April, 1901 :

Erection of

[merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small]

The grants made by us during the year ended 31st March, 1901, were apportioned as follows:

New Vested School-houses.

No. of Pupils for which the New Schoolhouses will afford Accommodation.

[blocks in formation]
[blocks in formation]
[blocks in formation]
[blocks in formation]
[blocks in formation]
[blocks in formation]

5. We also approved of applications to the Board of Works Loans for for loans, to the amount of £400, for building, enlarging or other- improvewise improving existing Non-Vested school-houses.

ment of schools.

We approved of loans in 42 cases to provide Teachers' Loans for Residences, and in 5 cases to improve existing Residences. Residences. The total amount of the loans approved was £10,183 3s.

Since the year 1875, when the Residences Act came into force, 1,399 applications for loans, and 74 applications for grants, have been approved by us. In a large per-centage of cases, however, the Teachers are as yet unprovided with suitable residences.

The number of free residences available for Teachers, as Free returned by the Managers, is 1,253. Their estimated annual Residences. value is £7,520 9s. 6d.

6. The Vested school-houses, especially those Vested in the Condition Board, and kept in repair at the public expense, are generally of premises. satisfactory as regards adequacy of accommodation, suitableness

of sites, sanitary arrangements and general fitting up for school purposes.

The Non-Vested school-houses are, in numerous cases, well adapted to their purpose, and are suitably situated, but many of them are still of an unsatisfactory character.

towards

According to the Returns furnished by the School Managers, Local aid the amount subscribed from local sources towards the erection building and of new buildings, additions to school premises, &c., was repairing £31,805 10s. 1d.; and similarly for repairs, improvements of houses. houses and furniture, and other local expenditure, the amount was £39,567 10s. 2d. Total, £71,373 0s. 3d.

school

of sites.

During 1900, three applications were received for power to Compulsory acquire sites for school-houses under the Act of 1892. Trustees acquisition were authorised to take the necessary proceedings in the matter in one case, and the other cases were not proceeded with by applicants. There were also four applications in the period referred to for power to acquire sites for Teachers' residences. Trustees were authorised to proceed in two of these cases. another case it was found that a site could be acquired by agreement, and in the remaining case the applicant did not proceed.

In

Since the Act came into operation, Trustees have been authorised in 32 cases to acquire sites compulsorily. In one case authorisation was refused, as a suitable site could be acquired by agreement, though not the site desired by the applicant.

« AnteriorContinuar »