Star.
London, England, 1828-05-28 00:00:00

IRISH EDUCATION REPORTS.

REPORT OF THR SILRCT COMMITTEE, ORDERED BT THE
HOUSE OF COMMODS TORN PRINTED, MAT 19, 1828.
During several centuries the Legislature has recog-
nised the necessity and expediency of providing means
for the education of the Irish people. So far back as in
the 28th Hen. VIII. an Acc was passed for the general
establishment of parochial schools. By the 12th Elie.
the diocesan . schoola were founded, affording to the
higher classes facilities for education, analogous to those
provided for the poorer orders under ti.e statute Ail
Henry VIII. It is worthy Of iitstereation, that even at
this wkly period the progress of crime is traced by the
Lagislature to the ignorance of the people, and educa-
tion is relied upon as producing moral improvement,
and of supporting the institutions of civil policy. Va- '
rious statutes have been passed on this important sub-
' ject, in the reigns of Charles H. William 111. Geo. 1.
Geo. IL and Geo. 111. and charters have been granted,
and endowments made, with the same intent. These
laws and institutions have varied extremely in their
spirit and character, according to the temper of the
times and the disposition of the Government and of the
Legislature; the latest its their foundation being gene-
rally the Moat comprehensive in their principles.
Inquiries, have at different periods been instituted both
by Committees of Parliament and by Parliamentary
COMlllitiiollos, appointed for the purpose of considering
the state Of edttcatlon irx Ireland: 01 these the mast

Nor has•the interference of the State been solely con.
fiord to regulation anal to inquiry—Parliamentary.
grants have been at various times must liberally made
fOf the purposes of education. The amount of the ex- •.
penditure will appear from the following account:
Charter Schools
Foundling Hospital . . 820,005 3 4
Association for divan's:tenanting Vice 101,991 II 6
kildaro-place Society . . 170,106 0 •
Lord Lieutenant's Fund . • 40,996 0 0
Maynootb College . 271,869 12 6
Soma tenhotion . 4.1.5 S 0 9
C•wk, fnetittrtion • . . 45,716 0 0
Hibernian School . . 240,326 2 6
Marino Society . 64,269 10 0
Female Orphan *boot - . 50,414 10 6
Hiving thus adverted :lardy to the legislative pro.
ceedings and the Parliamentary grants for promoting
education in Ireland, it is important so consider the
existing state of the schools now in opeiation. The
number or scholars receiving iustruction in 1826 was
560,549; leaving in all probability upwards of 150,006
without the means of education. Of the actual nista.
ber of scholars returned, 394,732 are brought up sa
the common pay schools; 46,119 in schools,sopported
ezchnively by the Roman Catholic priesthood and
laity; 84,295 under various establishments of private
charity ; and 55,246 (or less than one tenth of the
whole) are instructed in schools maintained in the
whole or io part at the public expense. It is air, worthy
of consideration, that whilst in the leastesclusiveol the
latter establishments (the Association for discountenan-
cing Vice and the Kildare-place Society) the number
of Protestants as compared with Catholics is as 35,354
to 34,616 ; in the pay schools the proportion of scholars
of the respective religious persuasions is as 87,338 to
307,405. It is, however, right to observe, that at the
time these returns were made many of the children are
stated to have been withdrawn from the schools • and
consequently the numbers are probably below the' real
strength of scholars in permanent attendance at other
times.

In pursuing their inquiries, your Committee have
avoided as much as possible the consideration of all
questiows that would add to existing irritation and party
violence. Their sole object has been to consider the
principle upon which it is expedient hereafter to grant
public money in aid 9f Irish education. With this view
your Committee have preferred dealing with the pro.
`position in the abstract; to entering upon any detailed
!examination of the comparative merits of existing esta-
blishments. After the most anxious deliberation, your
!Committee adopted the following Resolutions, founded
upon a consideration of the documents referred tothem
by the House.

Resolved—Thar k appears to this Committee, that
COSMO% I ssionets were appointed under legislative autho-
rity in the year 1806, for the purpose of inquiring iuto
!the state and condition of schools in Irelana.

-------
' Resolved—That it appears to this Committee, that a
'Report was agreed to by these Commibsieners in the
year 1812, communicating the result of their delibera.
tions, on the subject of extending and improving the
Education of the Poorer Chuset of his Majesty's Mtn
subjects"
Resolved—That it appears to this Committee, that
such, genets' Report, signed by three Prelates, by the
Provost of the University of Dublin, and by several
other distinguished Ecclesiastical as well as Lay Mem-
bers of the Established Church, was presented ti Par.
liament.

Resolved—That it appears to this Committee, that
in that Report the Commissioners felt it their duty to
express their unanimous opinion, "That no plan of edu-
cation, however wisely and unexceptionably contrived
in oche► respects, can be carried into effectual operetion.
in Ireland, unless it be explicitly avowed, and clearly
understood, as its leading principle, that no attempt
shall be made to influence or distal) the peculiar reli-
gious tenets of any sect or denomination of Christians."
Resolved—That it appears to this Committee, that
second Commission issued in 1824, by command of his
present Majesty, in consequence of. an Address from the
House of Commons, for the purpose of inquiring into
the state of education in Ireland.

Resolved—That it appears to this Committee, that
the first Report of the Commissitners so appointed,
has been presented to Parliament by his Majesty's
cumtnand.

Resolved-That it appears to this Committee, that in
such Report it is stated as the opinion of all the Com-
missioners, "That in a country where mutual divisions
exist between different classes of the people, Schools
should be established for the purpose of giving to
children of all religions persuasions such useful instsuc•
"lions as they may severally be capable and desirous of
receiving, without having any ground to apprehend
any interference s ith their respective religious prinei.
isles rand the Commissioners further express u their en.
lire concurrence in the principles laid down is the 14th
Report," already adverted to.
Resolved—That it appears to this Committee, that
the Schools recommended to be founded under the 14th
Report of the Commissioners of Education, were in-
te..ded for the purpose of affording a common educat:oa
Committee, that
forliPer:otveset Lot
la.bnad
titßomanapthulic.
thisi),Cwasto
the opinion of the second Commission of 'minify has
also been given u in favour of the expediency of re•
vi:irig a system of mutual education, from which sus-
' pickn should, if possible, be banished, and the causer of
distrust and jealousy should be effectually removed, and
Gi.der which the children may imbibe similar ideas and
form congenial habits, tending to diminish, not to in-
cre.oe, th.-.t distinctness of feeling now but too prevalent.°
Resolved—That this Committee, with reference to
opiiiic,ris above recorded, consider that no system
of education can be expedient which may be calculated
to
sector
eenoomr disturbination
of
thecphr
peculiar religions tenets-of
any
Resolved—That it is the opinion of this Committee,
that it is of the nittctst importuner Pr kin together