Evening star., 1934-11-04
Compulsory Teaching of
Irish in the Free State
BY A. G. GARDINER.

LONDON, november 0.-1C Is nOt
only in the countries where the dicta-
tors are in power that the idea of
the totalitarian state is encroaching
upon the liberties of the individual. A
remarkable case in Ireland reveals the
same motive at work in the Free
State.
Five parents in the district of En-
niscorthy have been prosecuted by
the local police, apparently at the in
stigation of the Department Of Educa-
ton, for not complying with the pro-
visions of the Free State school at,
tendance act.
The district justice, in postpon-
ing his decision, remarked that the
case raises an issue of tremendous
importance" That issue Is whether
the act does or does not empower the
minister to compel all parents to have
their children taught Irish, or even
taught all subjects through the me-
dunn Of Irish.
There can be no doubt Of the in
in the matter. In pursuing his policy
Of making the Free State an entirely
elf-sufhcient and self contained COM
munity. President De Valera has
stressed nothing more than the i'm
portance Of reviving the Irish Ian
guage.
The achievement of that goal is ad-
mittedly a tremendous task. Except
in a few backward and impoverished
regions, Irish has long since ceased
to be living language, and its resto-
ration to universal use would involve
generations of laborious spade work
But this fact does not weigh with De
Valera He believes the cause of Irish
nationalism is worth any sacrifice and
that that cause cannot be effective
until the Irish nation has recovered
its Irish speech.
x X n
Two drastic steps have been taken
toward the accomplishment of the
object. The first is the compulsory
teaching of Irish. No school is certi-
fed as suitable" by the education de-
partment which does not provide for
such teaching. And any parent who
sends his child to such a school is, il
is suggested, guilty of a breach Of the
law.
This year the policy has been car
ried step further. All children in
the first standard must be taught the
medium of Irish. This presumably
is the thin end of the wedge, the ulti-
mate aim being that all teaching shall
be conducted through modernized
Irish.
This. according to the Irish CORE
spondent of the Manchester Guardian
has had two consequences: % the
none-too-lofty standard of English
and mathematical teaching in the
certified public schools has had to be
lowered: (2) the competition of pri-
vate schools is being suppressed OF
brought to the common level. It would
be disagreeable for the education de-
partment to tolerate the competition
of private schools free from the handi-
cap of having to teach through the
medium Of a strange and imperfectly
modernized language. Hence, since
it has resolved to subordinate all
other ends to the revival of Irish as
a spoken language. it must feel bound
by hook or by crook to bring the pri-
vate schools into line" says the Man
chester Guardians correspondent.
The issue is being raised in a re-
mote country town, but If the depart
ment wins it must take action against
the richer and more powerful Offend
ers" in Dublin who send their children
to un-Irish schools not only in the
capital but across the channel at such
places as Eton. Stoughurst and Down
site. Behind this question is the ques-
ton whether the state is entitled to
dictate what education parents shall
be allowed to give their children, even
when they themselves pay the whole
cost Of 1t, and when that education
can, by no stretch of argument. be
construed as subversive of the inter-
,ests Of the community.
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