The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1909-03-27

The Dublin Weekly Freeman, in It's
Notes on the Language Movement"
gives the following information on n
subject which is OF especial interest
TO the Irish at home and abroad Ut
the present time:
Irish in the National Schools. presented
10 the Commissioners of National Edu
cation at their request by Mr.. ID. Le-
hanc. has been laid on the table of the
| House OF Commons. AS Mr.. Leblanc
ceased to be head Of the Irish Inspec
lion Department of the Board about
duties as a. general inspector in Kerry.
it may be taken that the report refers;
to the calendar year ended December
31st, 1907, and not the school year
1:07-s, which terminated on June 3Oth.
190S After some general observations
cn conditions relating to the teaching
Of Irish, the report states:
From the retGrfis to hand, Irish was
during the year taught in 1881 Natior,
nj Schools. Irish was also one OF the
subjects Of instruction in 233 evening
schools during the same period. Irish
Is taught In nearly one-sixth Of the
Ulster schools. in upwards OF one
nearly one half of tho Munster schools,
and in upwards Of one-half Of tho
Connaught schools. Donegal leads tho
Ulster counties in tho number Of
schools in which instruction is given
in Irish, and It leads every county In
Ireland in the number of it's bi-lingual
schools. OF tho Munster counties.
Waterford, taking into account that
Irish is spoken and understood
throughout n large portion of it. oc-
cupies relatively. the worst place. Irish
IS taught in n larger proportion Of
tchools In Galway than in any other
county. Leitrim has n record Of its
own. The percentage Of schools an,l
the absolute number OF schools in this
county in which Irish is taught are
the lowest in Ireland. There Ia one
feature deserving Of attention, viz,
that Irish is taught in 568 schools
throughout tho country, and that no
fees are claimed in respect Of the work
done. There may be a few Of these
schools that are attended only by in
f.tnts. and Standards ]. and II. pupils.
and: therefore, Ineligible for fees; but as
regards the remainder, the fact that no
) teaching; and Furthermore, it indi-
Gates that teachers and conductors are
aware of, and tacitly admit this when
they waive their claim for payment
IT is preferable from every point OF
view that admittedly defective teach
) ing of Irish should cease than that It
should be allowed to continue
with regard to the quality OF the
teaching, the Inspector says:-"I have
visited about 14O Of the 2153 schools
In which Irish is taught with a view to
earn fees. Most Of the teaching is
elementary, being confined to Standard
III. course. It is unusual to find pupils
studying Standard v. and STANDARD
vi. courses though the fees payable
FIR satisfactory knowledge Of these
courses are substantial. The partial
etoppage Of fees in 1867, and the re.
taxation in teaching. on the part OF
many teachers, that followed as con-
: sequence, have left traces that havi
not been obliterated. The method o.
teaching Irish as an extra subject Is
!, steadily improving. Conversation II
much more followed now than former
ly, and further progress, for which
there Is plenty of scope. will, have
no doubt, take place"
: Dealing with bilingual instruction II
the schools, the report states:-"Th'
schools adopting the bilingual pro.
. gramme have increased from 40. II
1867 to 10 during 1so7-s Donegal hal