The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1901-08-03
SPURIOUS EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM.

ucSS anu 1OFIlLuue OIL Lue ScdQOlu.
SPURIOUS EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM.
One of the ablest speeches delivered
in the British parliament during the
present session was that of T. w. Rus
sell on Irish national education. Mr..
Russell is Protestant and Liberal
Unionist who represents an Ulster con-
stituency and is now agitating the
question of "the land for the people,"
In the course of his address he depre-
Gated the policy of placing judges on
government boards in Ireland and
called it an evil habit.
'"The question of education in Ire
land, as in England" said Mr.. Russell,
twas a political one What business
had the Irish judges to be in politics
at all? What right had they to be
travelling up the back stairs of Dublin
Castle? a judge appointed to the
bench should stick to his own job. He
was well paid for it and had precious
little to do in Ireland. Let him avoid
the thOrny political issues which arose
in nothing half so much as in the edu-
cation of the people of ireland. In our
own time there had been trouble about
the Christian Brothers. The judges in
tervened in those political issues. He
said it was altogether wrong. and he
asserted. not only as regarded this
board. but as regarded all boards in
Dublin. that the judges should be
cleared out. bag and baggage, to do
their work.
The speaker was enthusiastically
checred by the Irish Nationalist men,
bcrs as he proceeded. Dropping the
judges. he declared that the entire sys-
TEN of education in Ireland was radi-
cally wrong. He went on to say:
'.rhe board declined to teach history.
He wondered at that when he was Il
younger man than now, but since he
had taken a closer view of the history
ever since the year 1900 he had come to
the conclusion that there was good
reason for not teaching Irish history
loud Irish cheers). For seventy years
after the union between England and
Ireland the history of Ireland has been
one Of neglect and oppression, and the
lives of the people were lives of con-
slant misery"
We are glad that a North of Ireland
- Protestant who represents the Orange
men Of that section has the manliness
of telling the British people how Ire
land has been misgoverned since they
took away her parlia ''ant in 1900. I'm
til 1882 ireland had no public schools
in which Irish children could receive
the rudiments of education. The sole
object of establishing them was to ang.
liciZe and protestantiZe the youth Of
the country.
Everything savoling of patriotism
and CathOlicity was eliminated from
the readers and text books. In one
of the readers for beginners appeared
the following pregnant sentence: "To
the east of Ireland is England. where
the queen lives. Many persons living
in Ireland were born in England, and
we speak the same language and are
one nation" General lessons inter-
spersed with passages from King
James version of the Bible were read
by the pupils and "God save the
Queen was one of the gems to be re-
cited. The speaking of Irish was not
tolerated and Irish history was ignored.
The fact is that the children never
knew anything Of their native land
from teachers or text books. To this
day Irish history is not taught in Irish
schools and the national board Of edu-
cation declines to let it be taught.
"There is good reason for not teach
ing Irish history" says 7. w. Russell.
Yes. there is. But what do Americans
think Of it? Every boy and girl attend
ing school in the United States learns
the history of this country from its dis
covery to the present time. Every boy
and girl in England learns English his
tory, but Irish children know nothing
Of the glorious history of Ireland.
They are taught English history in
stead. They must learn English his
tory written by anti-Irish historians in
order to pass competitive examinations
: for government positions. "The his
, tory of Ireland has been one of neglect
and OPPRESSION" says Mr.. Russell.
That is why the commissioners of ma
!: tional education do not wish it to be
. taught to Irish children.
J The Irish children are deprived of
higher education unless they attend
Protestant colleges where their faith
is endangered. The Irish Catholics are
clamoring for university education, but
the British parliament turns deaf
ear to their just demands. They are
taxed for higher education to Protest