The Kerryman (South Kerry Edition)
School system in sharp focus
A NATIONAL school teacher and former Kerry schools inspector has this week launched a book with a strong focus on the National School System under British colonial rule, and he said he hopes readers enjoy his “original account of an important and cherished dimension of like in Ireland”.
Patrick F O’Donovan launched “Stanley’s Letter: The National School System and Inspectors in Ireland, 1831-1922” at Kerry Library in Tralee this week, and he said the book fills a significant gap in Ireland’s education and social history.
“Children and schooling are at the heart of the book, which is written primarily for the general reader,” he said.
“Ireland had the first state system of elementary schools in the English-speaking world, pre-dating Britain’s by forty years. The national school system proved to be the most successful government initiative for education in Ireland in the 19th century.
“Over the years, hundreds of thousands of children benefited from the elementary education provided. Numerous Irish emigrants carried with them skills of literacy and numeracy from the national schools, helping them to build new lives in America and many other places.
“While the national school system had many limitations, the education it provided had transformative effect for millions of Irish men and women, and for Ireland as a country,” he added.
Mr O’Donovan explained that the Irish system was looked to as a model by other countries, but he also pointed to its failure to take account of the Irish language as a subject.
The book provides a considerable additional information about many aspects of the system, including material on its foundation, the appointment of inspectors, rules, regulations, the Great Famine, and more.
“It will be of interest to anyone with an interest in Ireland’s history and its rich heritage connected with education and the national school system,” he added.