This important document,1 compiled by Mr. Cloudesley Brereton, formerly Inspector under the Intermediate Board, is to appear next year; and the Times in its Literary Supplement has deemed it of such importance that it has already published a summary, which gives, we presume, a fair idea of what the Report shall contain. If we are to judge the Report by this Summary, it will be valuable so far as the history of educational movements and changes in Ireland is concerned. But we have a suspicion that, as is quite usual in all such cases, it is only officials, or professional experts that have been consulted; and that the Inspector has not gone down to face the problem and examine it in those places where alone it can be studied and solved, that is, in the schools themselves, and in the lives of the children after they have left school, and passed into the work-a-day world. If our Inspector had taken that trouble, it would have probably saved him the gigantic and useless labour of pouring over worthless statistics in the pigeon-holes of Education Offices; and probably, he could have compressed what we presume will be an elaborate account of the progress and prospects of education in Ireland in the simple words: There is none! That is the verdict of every thinker in Ireland to-day.
The census returns of the number of illiterate persons in Ireland are very misleading. We do not believe there is wilful deception of the officers; but the standard of education is so very low that thousands are returned as capable of reading and writing, who are barely able to spell laboriously through the columns of a newspaper, or scrawl their names in a half-illegible manner on a bank-bill. Most of these semi-illiterate persons have passed through the usual classes or standards in the Primary Schools; but owing to causes, which we shall afterwards specifically
We do not know whether Mr. Brereton has studied this aspect of his subject; but as it embraces the whole subject, being simply the net result of all this elaborate mechanism, with its ever-growing staffs of officials; and as it means, in very plain English, comparative, if not absolute, failure, it may be a useful, although an ungracious task, to cast a little light on the subject. And first as to primary education.
Perhaps, the best manner of elucidating this subject is by comparison of the old and new methods, so far as the attitude of the teachers and the nature of educational work and methods are concerned.
There is a marked difference between the old untrained schoolmaster and the young teachers, who now come out, year after year, from our Training Colleges, and pass at once into our schools as assistants or principals. With the old generation, teaching was something like what Carlyle was always dreaming of and taking about a kind of lofty vocation, a priestly function, which he would not rank lower than that of a Kirk-Minister, or voluntary preacher under the Free Church. The principal teachers then were all old men, who had been trained under fiery discipline, and were rather too anxious that the characters of the young should be annealed, mentally and morally, in the same way. The discipline of the schools was severe. Corporal punishment was administered in a manner, which would send a teacher of to-day into penal servitude. The
It is rather an interesting speculation why these old men were so much averse from granting periodical holidays, or lessening the hours of daily school-work. There really is no explanation of such an attitude, so totally different from everything we are accustomed to in modern life, except that those men had conceived a perfect passion for work, that solitude was unbearable; that they were never happy without the book and the ferule, and the daily worship of a crowd of awe-stricken and reverent pupils. It must be remembered that at that time travelling was almost unknown except amongst the wealthier classes. No teacher would think of wasting weeks by the seaside, much less of going abroad. And, a very important factor in their monotonous, but singularly useful lives was, that they were all deeply conscientious men, and that in addition to their obligations to the State, they had, owing to the then prevailing system of school-fees, a sense of personal duty to the pupils, and a corresponding interest in their educational advancement. There never was a bolder or wiser plan, from their own standpoint, than the attempt of British ministers from time to time to subsidise the Irish Catholic clergy; and never a wiser policy than that adopted by these latter in thwarting and rejecting such attempts. And for the same reason, there never was a greater, and alas! more irremediable mistake than that made by the National Board of Education in abolishing school-fees. It converted the teachers into State officials, and destroyed all personal interest in their pupils. And it broke up that sympathy, arising out of mutual assistance, that existed between the teachers and the parents of the children. It turned the schools into Government Lycées,
Under the old system again, a great deal of initiative, or voluntary work was permitted to the teachers; and with their extraordinary zeal, they eagerly availed of the permission. The subjects marked on the Time-Tables were very limited in number; and the educational capacities of the teachers did not reach beyond them. But what they knew, they knew well; and they had the talent to impart it thoroughly. The inspection was loose and unmethodical. The Managers rarely visited the schools; the Inspectors came once a year for the annual examination. There was a certain freedom permissible in the arrangement of lessons, so that if boys or girls had a fancy or an aptitude for a particular subject or science, they were allowed to exercise it without molestation. And if a class, interested in geography, or mathematics, seemed to covet a few minutes more in that class, no objection was made. We remember one clear instance where two young lads, aged 12 to 14 respectively, were permitted by the master to spend the seven hours a day for the last two years of their course in working out problems in algebra, or exercises (or as they were called cuts) in Euclid to the exclusion of every other subject. This gave them an extraordinary power of mental concentration, that made all succeeding subjects comparatively easy.
The results of this old system were at least twofold:
As we have already said, the subjects were limited. They embraced:
And all of these, with the exception perhaps of reading (the comparative unimportance of which we shall discuss hereafter), were taught in a manner which is now impossible.
And the teachers had the singular and unique success of implanting in the minds of their pupils a sense, that, on leaving school, they were but commencing their life's education, which would end only with life. Hence they turned out generation after generation of reading men, eager to supplement the elementary education of their childhood by the larger reading of after life. The very fact that so much liberty of initiative was allowed that studies were not altogether taskwork, that there was a kind of sympathy between teachers and pupils arising out of a mutual love for kindred subjects, would go far to account for this. The eye of the pupil was upon his master; the eye of the master on his pupil. The Inspector was not much considered. If he choose to give an unfavourable report, the master's pocket did not suffer too severely, if the parents thought their boys were treated well.
All this is now changed. The personnel of the teaching staff has undergone surprising modifications; and the methods of teaching have been revolutionised. The principals and assistants in all National Schools to-day are comparatively young men, most of whom have been recently trained at some recognised College here and there in the country; but with no further experience. They have learned to teach scientifically. Many of them have no idea of making teaching a profession. Conscious of much ability they determine that that school shall be a stepping stone to something higher a little pause in the race of life
It would be the gravest injustice here, if we let it for a moment be supposed that the modern teacher is indifferent, or careless about his pupils except in so far as they help him to his salary and increments. But, in view of the fact, that there is scarcely a teacher in the country, who has settled down permanently in his locality, without hope of a better school in a more comfortable place; and, in view of the fact, that so many Irish teachers are flying away to England, or seeking situations in the Civil Service, and in view of the fact that there are no longer those mutual relations between teachers and pupils that arose from the payment of school fees, it is no exaggeration to say that the calling of a National Teacher in Ireland has sunk down from the Carlylean idea to one of mere officialdom the paid hireling of the State.
The modern methods of education tend to accentuate this. The teacher is now bound, hand and foot, without the slightest power of initiative. The manager, generally a clergyman, visits the school once a week or oftener. The manager's eye is on the Time-Table, lest perchance the Inspector may come in, and find a class out of order, and a prompt, and perhaps peremptory, message will reach him
This abuse arises in great part from the multiplicity of subjects that now form the curriculum of primary education. Let it be remembered that it is of primary education alone we are speaking now. For, one of the worst abuses that prevail in Ireland is the unhappy tendency to foster the foolish ambition and pride of the people, by allowing primary education to overlap Intermediate studies; and these latter to encroach upon the University curriculum. We have heard Analysis taught to little girls in the Fourth Standard in a manner that might suit young graduates in a Scotch University; and the higher grades of Tonic Sol-Fa taught to girls who would much prefer the latest music-hall chorus from London or Liverpool. There are two truths that seem never to have been grasped by Irish educationists. The first is that they rate the average intelligence of Irish children altogether too highly; the second is, that education should also be adaptation, that is, in the great majority of cases, the preparation and training of children for their positions in after life.
The present idea appears to be that children's minds should be, made not only repositories of universal information
A simple example will suffice to show how in one department alone immense trouble is taken in one manner of handling a very common subject which practically is of no utility whatever in after life, except to a chosen few; and no trouble whatever is taken in teaching the same subject in that manner, and under that aspect when it might be universally profitable.
How many children in any National School in Ireland will be called upon in their after lives to read aloud either to an individual, or some select gathering? How many will become professional elocutionists? One boy out of five hundred will be a clergyman, and must read distinctly and with a certain grace. One girl out of ten thousand may be a companion to a lady who may require her to read to her at night, or during illness. The remaining legions will never as a rule be called upon to read distinctly, pronounce correctly, or understand the proper emphasis of words or phrases. Yet, what time, what labour, what pains are expended on an accomplishment which, will seldom or never be requisitioned in after life. Let it be remembered that we are not making light of the accomplishment. It is a very beautiful one; but we are speaking now of educational methods in their application to the utilities of after life; and there, in the vast multitude of cases, the accomplishment is practically useless. On the other hand, reading in the sense of creating a passion for reading and a knowledge of what ought be read, is never taught. The minds of young lads and young maidens of sixteen and seventeen are fed with the crumbs and pills of scrappy literature elegant extracts, bits of poetry, dissertations on
This is only one instance of the irrational manner in which the minds of our children are formed. How this may be remedied, I shall point out when treating of Intermediate Education. A few brief suggestions on the general question must suffice here.
And first, with regard to the personnel and the training of teachers. I doubt if the educationists of Ireland have ever realised the dignity and importance of the office of teacher. They are so accustomed to consider teaching as a mere means of livelihood, and teachers as mere Civil Servants, that it must be difficult, if not impossible, for these latter to rise to a higher conception of their profession. In fact, it is only once or twice in a generation that some profound
Hence I am of opinion that at once the material interests of the teachers, their salaries and pensions, should be placed in such a position of adequacy and proportion as would liberate the minds of teachers from all anxiety about their futures, and leave them absolutely free to devote themselves to the more spiritual side of their exalted calling. I do not think therefore that the salary of a teacher should be made dependent on the size of his school, or the number of his pupils. For thence arises the deadly temptation of regarding himself as a mere bird-of-passage, who has not and never can have an interest in his pupils, but is ever looking out in the daily paper for an advertisement for principal in some more populous place, whence again he is to migrate when the opportunity offers. On the other hand, reason, justice, public opinion and common sense demand that, when a teacher has honestly and conscientiously
With regard to the time devoted to education in Ireland, we find that 200 days is the minimum exacted by the National Board. That is to say, the working days in our schools are little more than half the days of the year. Setting aside Sundays and holidays, there should be 306 working days at least; and allowing the 40 days, which is the maximum of vacation allowed by the Board, there should be 266 working days in the year. Yet a minimum of 200 days is all that is required from teachers or pupils. And each working-day means but four hours. Now, considering the multiplicity of subjects required by the Board and the very limited time that is imperative and obligatory on the teachers, it follows that only the most superficial education can be imparted to the children of the country. Add to this the number of days that are lost by individual pupils, who are absent through sickness, epidemic or otherwise; by agricultural requirements; and through the thousand and one excuses that are made by negligent and ignorant parents; and it will be seen how impossible it is to create in Ireland a body of youths of both sexes who may be said to leave school even fairly equipped for the responsibilities of life. There seems to be no reason why (except in the case of infants) the school hours should not be extended to five; there is no reason why, as in former times, Saturdays should not be half-holidays; there is no reason why a uniform standard of vacation allowing a fortnight at Christmas, ten days at Easter, and four weeks at summer should not be rigidly maintained.2 The Night-Extension Schools was an admirable idea. It failed; and it failed because the youth of the country were not already prepared by the day-schools to recommence their education. They were never taught that education meant anything but task-work without design or object but to help the teacher to live; and they had no notion of commencing such task work again, when weary after the manual labour of the day.
With regard to the programmes of Primary Education, let it be again insisted upon that the systems should not be allowed to overlap each other; but that each, Primary, Intermediate and University, should be kept rigidly within its own limits. Hence, what are called accomplishments, the frills and decorations of education should be absolutely excluded from Primary Education, for the object of Primary Education is not to discover talent, not to help on a favoured few, not to create reputations for clever teachers or pupils; but to extend the blessings of an elementary training amongst the vast masses of the population. To raise these masses up from their frightful ignorance in which they now spend their lives; to introduce into their homes something of the sweetness and light of modern civilisation; to show them, the poorest of the poor, and the humblest of the humble, that human life has higher issues than are involved in mere drudgery for daily bread; and, in a practical sense, to show them how to avail of the vast utilities that lie beneath their hands, and which only a fairly educated people can adequately develop this is the sole object of Primary Education in Ireland. It may be fairly said, that 90 per cent of the children frequenting our schools will have to earn their bread by manual labour. It would seem reasonable, then, that whilst technical education should hold a primary place, everything that savours of mere accomplishments, or that belongs to a higher and secondary course, should be rigidly excluded. How does the National School Programme meet these demands?
The entire programme in an ordinary girls' school embraces the following subjects:
This is an extensive programme for two hundred days at four hours a day; and one wonders whether it is possible for the pupils to obtain more than the merest superficial and elementary knowledge of these many subjects.
As mere accomplishments, such subjects as Freehand, Geometrical and Scale Drawing, Analysis (which is only fit for University students), Tonic Sol-Fa, Staff-Notation, Fancy Work, Mathematical and Physical Geography might be struck out at once. Imagine a class of grown girls staring at a blackboard, crowded with geometrical figures, and knowing all the time that in a few weeks they will be milking cows and washing clothes. Or a class struggling through the intricacies of Tonic Sol-Fa, when we know that every girl there will discard all that in a few weeks and pick up the latest music-hall song from London! And imagine little children in a 4th Standard puzzling their poor brains over subject, predicate, qualifying predicates, and objects when we have known young philosophers in Colleges torturing their intellects about such things. Surely, so far as mere literary training is concerned, it should be quite enough for working boys and girls to know how to read, and what to read; to write a decent legible hand; to compose an interesting and grammatical letter; to speak distinctly and clearly without mouthing, mumbling or slang; to know how to tot up figures and keep accounts, and understand the intricacies of buying and selling; for boys, some technical training should be made indispensable; and for girls, cooking and laundry, and for both, some elementary knowledge of hygiene.
It seems incredible, but it is a fact, that the ordinary people who form the bulk of our population, do not know, have not even the faintest idea of how their bodies are constituted
I regard their instruction in elementary physiology and elementary pathology as absolutely necessary in our primary schools. And for girls, a knowledge of the science of nursing should be made equally indispensable. Nursing
Finally, there just now arises a temptation that must be promptly met. The Irish people are particularly prone to be caught by catch-words, which are passed on from mouth to mouth, carrying no sense, but like a
Tale of little meaning, though the words be strong.
One of these catch-words is just now flying from lip to lip in connection with University Scholarships. We hear a great deal about the poor man's son, and the necessity of giving clever boys a chance of developing undoubted talents in the halls of some University. It is a specious cry because it holds an elemental truth that it is a deordination in nature to have splendid talents allowed to run