There are now seven Training Colleges in operation in Ireland Training Collegos. providing places for 1,076 King's Scholars. Our inspectors report that the work of these institutions is progressing in the most satisfactory way, and we are taking steps to increase their efficiency still further by amendments of the programmes of examinations of the students and by modifications of the curricula. We hope thus to bring the colleges in every respect up to the level of the best of similar institutions in Great Britain, and we have to acknowledge the most cordial co-operation of the authorities of the Training Colleges with us in this regard. Pro We are pleased to find that during the past year great efforts have been made by managers and teachers to co-operate with us in introducing into the National schools the new system of instruction approved by us in 1900-1, and the new subjects Revised which form special features of that system. These efforts have gramme. been largely successful. In issuing our Revised Programme, we said that it was promulgated tentatively, and we gave considerable freedom with regard to its adoption. We were prepared for severe criticism of the Programme as a whole and of its details; but we find that the representations that have been made to us on the subject have chiefly been in the way of suggestions for improvement or amendment of details. In the notes which we publish in connexion with the Revised Programme, we remark "that the Commissioners do not wish to exclude the higher branches of Arithmetical knowledge, and in schools where there are senior pupils desirous of studying these branches arrangements can be made for enabling them to do so." In like manner, all the optional subjects, viz., Mathematics, French, Latin, Irish, and Instrumental Music may be taught in any school during school hours provided the adequacy of the course of instruction in the usual day school subjects is not impaired or hampered thereby. We feel satisfied that the Revised Programme is a great move in the right direction, but we are carefully watching the development of instruction in connexion with it, and when sufficient time has elapsed to enable us to determine in what respects the programme requires improvement or amendment, we shall take such steps as may be necessary to make it the basis of a really sound and comprehensive system of national primary education. Portions of the Revised Programme, especially in respect of Hand-and-Eye Training and Elementary Science teaching, have not as yet been introduced as generally into our schools as we should wish, owing largely to the initial difficulties which had to be overcome We are glad, however, to report that there is a rapidly growing sense of the great benefits that must certainly accrue to the rising generation from the training in habits of accurate and quick observation and precision Evening Book Department. of thought, and the improvement in general intelligence which are the direct results of Manual Instruction and Elementary Science teaching. We made 1,185 Equipment Grants of Elementary Science, Hand and Eye and Drawing apparatus during the year. The Revised Programme has already caused a great improvement in Reading and Explanation, and the spread of information has been stimulated by the use of historical, geographical, and literary readers. Physical Drill, Drawing, and Vocal Music have been taken up in a large number of our schools with beneficial results. The effect of the promulgation of the Revised Programme has been in one respect remarkable. It has aroused in Ireland a real, living interest in primary education, which must eventuate in the work of the schools becoming more efficient. We have evidence of the greater personal concern which managers now have for the success of their schools; and we are satisfied that the teachers are, on the whole, doing their work under the new condition of things with great earnestness. We indicated in our last Report what our intentions were with regard to Evening Continuation schools. The result of the publication of the new rules for Evening Schools has exceeded our anticipations. Applications for grants have been received from all parts of the country, and, from the reports which we have received from our inspectors, we are sanguine that the evening schools in future will play a considerable part in the removal of the reproach of illiteracy from the country. During the year we had under consideration the question of the re-organization of our Book Department. The increase in the number of books and requisites sanctioned by us for use in the national schools in connexion with the new scheme of instruction, rendered such a re-organization necessary. We found that it was impossible to give satisfaction in the matter of the supply of books and requisites without a considerable extension of our Stores accommodation, and a corresponding increase in the staff of the Book Department. Even if we were able to effect both these changes, it would still be doubtful whether we should be successful in meeting all the demands that might be made on us. We tried, therefore, the experiment of supplying apparatus, &c., for Equipment Grants for Elementary Science Training, Manual Instruction, &c., direct from the vendors to the schools, and this experiment has been eminently successful. We have, consequently, resolved to extend the same system to the ordinary supply of books and school requisites. It is our intention to discontinue storing books and apparatus in future. All requisites will be ordered through our Book Department, and we shall enter into arrangements with vendors and publishers to supply books and requisites direct from their stores to national schools. In this way teachers and managers will be saved trouble and expense, while we shall be able in the interests of the pupils to maintain an efficient control over the books and requisites supplied to the schools. We further expect from this new arrangement an economy of the public funds that will enable us to supply more extensively Equipment Grants to the schools. We e now proceed to give Your Excellency detailed information under various heads. School-houses and Teachers' Residences. 1. On the 31st December, 1901, there were 9,222 Schools on our Roll, of which 8,692 were in operation. * 2. Of the total number on our Roll, 4,097 were Vested Schools, Vested the remainder were Non-Vested. Schools. 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. Grants to new 4. The number of applications for aid to new Schools con- Number of sidered in the twelve months to 31st December, 1901, was 149. In 143 cases we gave the required assistance, either as grants for schools. building new premises, or as grants of salary and books. The remaining 6 applications were rejected. The erection and improvement of Vested School premises are Amount of carried out under the direction of the Board of Public Works. Building On the first of April, 1901, the amount for which that Board For Schools inoperative see paragraph 8, page 12. Grants. was liable in respect to grants already made by us and notified to them was, £42,642. In addition to this sum, we had made grants amounting to £4,907 58. 9d., which had not been ready for notification to the Board of Works. The total liabilities, therefore, on that date amounted to £47,549 68. 9d. As in the previous financial year, we received in 1901-1902 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 307 cases. The following Statement shows the condition of the grants and liabilities on 1st April, 1902:— The grants made by us during the year ended 31st March, 1902, were apportioned as follows: 35 25 1,304 s. d. ន s. d. £ s. d. 5,881 13 6 56,711.13 8 Loans for improve ment of schools. 5. We also approved of applications to the Board of Works for loans, to the amount of £1,675, for building, enlarging or otherwise improving existing Non-Vested school-houses. Residences. We approved of loans in 34 cases to provide Teachers' Loans for Residences, and in 3 cases to improve existing Residences. The total amount of the loans approved was £8,365. Since the year 1875, when the Residences Act came into force, 1,436 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. Residences The number of free residences available for Teachers, and Free provided exclusively by local funds, as returned by the Managers, is 1,174. Their estimated annual value is £6,814 18. 11d. 6. The Vested school-houses, especially those Vested in the Com- Condition missioners, 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. We had special returns prepared by our Inspectors during the year, showing school-houses that required to be replaced by new buildings, and also school-houses that required improvements,. together with an estimate of the cost. We find that there are 472 school-houses that are so unsatisfactory that new buildings should be erected, and 597 schools require extensive improvements. The majority of these school-houses are non-vested, and in many of the cases there is no hope of anything effective being done owing to the want of local aid. We have made representations to the Lords of His Majesty's Treasury on the subject, and we have submitted recommendations which, if approved, would, we think, remove the obstacles that at present exist to the building of new school-houses and the improvement of old ones. According to the Returns furnished by the School Managers, Local aid the amount subscribed from local sources towards the erection towards building and of new buildings, additions to school premises, &c., was repairing £28,569 128. 10d.; and similarly for repairs, improvements of schoolhouses and furniture, and other local expenditure, the amount was £41,809 6s. Od. Total, £70,378 18s. 10d. houses. of Sites. During 1901 three applications were received for power to Compulsory acquire site for schoolhouses under the Act of 1892. Trustees Acquisition were authorised to take the necessary proceedings in the matter in one case, in another the site was acquired by agreement, and the third case was not proceeded with. There was also an application for power to acquire a site for a Teacher's Residence. The case is under consideration. Since the Act came into operation Trustees have been authorised in 33 cases to acquire sites compulsorily. |