IRELAND: 1870 – 1914 EDUCATION

WHY WAS IMPROVEMENT NEEDED IN EDUCATION IN IRELAND? IMPROV EMENT ECONOMIC & MILITARY IMPORVEMENTS (LIKE US AND GERMANY) HELPED PEOPLE MAKE VOTING DECISIONS BETTER JOBS & OPPORTUNITIES

Britain wanted multi- denominational schools (national school system – 1831). Churches in Ireland didn’t support this and the Powis Commission (1870) agreed that Catholics & Protestants could be educated separately. 1.Why do you think religious groups wanted separate education? DENOMINATION means religious group

NATIONAL SCHOOLS POSITIVES 8,500 National Schools, educating 770,000 students. Increase in literacy. NEGATIVES 1/3 students were absent on a regular basis. Curriculum was limited and focused on the 3 Rs. Shortage of qualified teachers.

SECONDARY SCHOOLS POSITIVES More inclusion of middle classes with increasing prosperity of wealthy Catholics. Increased call to regulate secondary education. NEGATIVES Mainly the wealthy classes attended – no scholarships. Unevenly distributed. Focus on the wealthy parts of the country – Munster & Leinster.

INTERMEDIATE EDUCATION Intermediate Education Act, 1878 This would bring about reform in education without clashes with the church. It would benefit the state as they would not have to fund new school and also benefit the church as they would receive financial support to fund schools. The Intermediate Education Board set out its policies. Intermediate Education Board Common syllabus Common examination State finance for schools with students who passed exams – payment by results. Certificates for sucessful students.

INTERMEDIATE EDUCATION POSITIVES Rise in the number of students attending – 40,000 by Rise in number of girls attending – 33% of all students by NEGATIVES Access was still restricted to the wealthy. Limited and traditional curriculum. Teaching methods – passing exams through cramming. Teaching standards were variable and only standardised through the establishment of training colleges in the early 1900s. Lack of co-ordination between different levels in education.

TASKS: 1.Answer 3 short questions Ordinary Level p Write the heading MURDER MACHINE. Answer document question p 198.

THE UNIVERSITY QUESTION University was attended by few – the influential Catholic and Protestant middle and upper classes. Entry to university brought social and employment advantages. The main Irish universities were Trinity College, Maynooth College, Newman College and the Queen’s Colleges.

THE UNIVERSITY QUESTION Established in 1592, Trinity College is Ireland’s first university. It had strong links with the Church of Ireland and the Anglo-Irish aristocracy.

THE UNIVERSITY QUESTION Maynooth was founded in 1795 to train men for the priesthood. Did not satisfy the Catholic need for a university.

THE UNIVERSITY QUESTION The Queen’s Colleges were set up in 1845 in Belfast, Cork and Galway. They were non-religious and the government hoped this would please the Catholics who rarely attended Trinity. The Colleges were not supported by the church and attracted small numbers.

THE UNIVERSITY QUESTION The Catholic University was founded in 1854 with John Henry Newman as its first head. It developed a good reputation, especially in medicine.

ATTEMPTS TO REFORM THE UNIVERSITY BILL – Gladstone proposed this bill to link all colleges and set exams. It would remove religious influences. It didn’t please anyone and was defeated. THE ROYAL UNIVERSITY – This body was set up in the 1879 University Education Act to set common exams and award degrees. Women were allowed to sit exams. NATIONAL UNIVERSITIES ACT – This was introduced in 1908 and it replaced the Royal University with Queen’s University Belfast and the National Universities of Ireland (UCD, UCC, UCG). Trinity would remain independent. The state would provide financial support and the governing body of each college should be acceptable to the main religious group. This pleased the different religious groups.

TASKS: Write a paragraph on two of the following: 1.National schools in Ireland between 1870 and The Royal University 3.The National Universities Act, 1908