User:Jnestorius/Council of Education

1962 report
Apparently some of it is reproduced in Irish Educational Documents Vol. II (1992)

Report was submitted in 1960 but not published until 1962.


 * reported secondary schools were "strongly religious in character, religious motives having led to their foundation and religious bodies being, in the main, their trustees, patrons and managers". (p.80)
 * "But the unqualified scheme of 'secondary education for all' is Utopian: if only for financial reasons." (p.252)


 * its report on the secondary school curriculum recommended strongly that all secondary school pupils be given some science education but concluded that existing subject syllabuses, with the exception of that in music, were suitable, subject to minor alteration.


 * The 1960 report of the Council of Education identified the dominant purpose of secondary schools as the inculcation of religious ideals and values. (p.80) The aim of the schools was “to prepare their pupils to be God-fearing” so that they could responsibly discharge their duties to God". (p.88) The prevailing curriculum was “the grammar school type, synonymous with general and humanist education" (p.88). The report endorsed that role in concurrence with an informal system of vocational guidance. (p.82) It acknowledged the primacy of the humanist subjects and stated that the chief aim of school history was not the training of scientific historians or the critical spirit, except in a broad way, but the development of the civic and moral sense. (p.130) It confirmed the curriculum as still on the lines of that adopted in 1924 following the recommendation of the Dáil Commission on Secondary Education. It accepted the status quo and affirmed that little change had taken place. There had been developments and variations, but the Council acknowledged that there had been no departure from the fundamental principles adopted in 1924. (p.68)


 * apparently §§ 213–228 relate to teaching Irish.


 * "During the junior course the pupil is given the opportunity, to obtain a sound knowledge of the grammar and structure of the Irish language, some acquaintance with modern Irish literature and an ability to express himself lucidly and grammatically in written Irish. The pupil who has covered the pass syllabus in Irish in the senior course has a more marked familiarity with these aspects of the Irish language, while the honours syllabus in Irish for senior students provides for a more thorough knowledge of the language and a wide acquaintance with its literature in prose and poetry" (§214)


 * The report rightly emphasizes the importance of an oral command of the language and recommends that this should be the main aim of the syllabuses (§216) Beyond commending the Oral Examination already introduced (§217) and recommending the use of aural aids (§211)


 * The Council does not consider that any fundamental changes are necessary in the syllabuses at present prescribed, all that is needed being a "lightening of their content in the hope that additional time may be devoted to oral practice". (§220) introduction of prose anthologies (§218) excerpts from Early Modern Irish and Fiannaíocht Tales (§221)


 * "Down to 1959-60 the syllabuses in Irish were so framed that emphasis was laid almost entirely on the literary aspects of the language, consequently they gave little incentive to the development of oral fluency"


 * "great intellectual and educational wastage when students who leave school with a good command of Irish ... lose that accomplishment through lack of opportunity for its use" (§215)


 * three genres at least [of poetry] are envisaged: "contemporary lyric poetry", "more modern Fiannaíocht poems" (§216.4), "lyrics chosen from the early literature".


 * Three conditions for teaching through Irish: pupils' command, teacher's qualification, suitable text book. (§228)


 * "critical situation" [language or language teaching?] (§227)


 * "We cannot find fault with the general construction of the papers, comprising as it does free composition on easy subjects, questions on the matter and language of the prescribed authors, unseen translation, grammar and phonetics, with the addition in the Leaving Certificates of translation from Irish or English into the modern continental language". (§290)

Primary
(significance given in source: )
 * Seanad 1941 motion:That Seanad Eireann is of opinion that the Government should establish a council of education to advise the Minister for Education in matters submitted to it by the Minister in relation to the working of his Department."
 * 1945 Dáil motion: "That Dáil Éireann agrees with the recommendation of the Commission on Vocational Organisation that there should be established a council of education as a permanent institution to act as the accredited advisory body to the Minister for Education, and directs that a select committee, of which the Minister for Education shall be chairman, and consisting of 11 other Deputies, be appointed with a view to the early formulation of the necessary legislative proposals." Éamon de Valera: "Therefore, two things stand against our acceptance of this resolution, apart from any question of principle. Firstly, this council of education has to be fitted in, if possible, to the whole scheme. Secondly, the question of the council of education has to be closely examined on its own merits, apart from that." Question declared lost
 * 1949 Question: Richard Mulcahy I intend, as I have frequently affirmed, to set up a council of education at an early date. The implementation of that intention necessitates a good deal of preliminary consideration and exploration
 * 1949 Question: I have seen it suggested in an editorial in the Irish Independent of the 25th November that further delay on my part in establishing a council of educations may create the impression that my “Officials are not at all anxious to see such a council established.” Only a very tortuous process of deduction could bring anyone into the neighbourhood of such a conclusion. The suggestion is false as well as being fantastic.
 * Irish State Administration Database: Council of Education / Birth 4 April 1950 Source: Report of the Department of Education, 1949-1950, p. 55; Dáil Éireann - Volume 194 - 04 April, 1962 - Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Council of Education
 * Appropriation Act, 1950: Vote No. 39; For the Salaries and Expenses of the Office of the Minister for Education and for Expenses connected with the Council of Education; Supply Grants £285,890; Appropriations-in-Aid £363
 * Report of the Department of Education, 1950-1951, p.3: On 4th April, 1950, the Minister for Education announced that he had set up a Council of Education with the following Terms of Reference: "To advise the Minister in so far as .pertains to the powers, duties and functions of the State, upon such matters relating to educational theory and practice as they may think fit and upon any educational questions and problems referred to them by him." The inaugural meeting of the Council was held on 5th May, 1950. A note in regard to the Council appears [in Irish] in Section VI, page 48 of this Report.
 * Question 1951: The Council of Education has not yet made a report. The Deputy will recall that on the occasion of its being set up I asked the council to agree that their first formal task should be to advise me on (1) the function of the primary school, and (2) on the curriculum to be pursued [156] in the primary school from the infant age up to 12 years of age. The council have met on seven occasions. They have necessarily had the task of examining and studying a considerable amount of material. They are at present inviting public bodies, organisations and persons who are in a position, because of their experience or qualifications, to furnish information which would be of special assistance to the council in its deliberations and to submit statements of their views, together with any recommendations which they might desire to make regarding the function and the curriculum of the primary school. I am unable to say when they may report. I do not expect an early report. Q 5 days later referred back to prev Q
 * Dáil 1958: Richard Mulcahy : I adopted the policy of setting up a council of education and I announced in April, 1950, that that council had been set up. It held its first meeting in May, 1950. It made its first report [669] in May, 1954, and in September of that year I arranged that a departmental examination and consideration would proceed with all possible speed and that the recommendations made in the report would be sent to all the principal bodies responsible in the educational world [...] I should like to ask the Minister whether he considers that the Council of Education on the lines on which it is at present constituted for examining certain aspects of education, and having their proposals reported on to the Department by those vitally concerned with the actual carrying out of education, should be continued.
 * Dáil 1958 : Henry Kenny Lately, the Council of Education recommended that the programme in the schools should be extended.
 * 1962 Q: Séamus Pattison asked the Minister for Education the reasons why the Report of the Council of Education, dated September, 1960, did not appear until 24th April, 1962.
 * 1962 Qs: The Council submitted in June, 1954, a report on the curriculum of the primary school. In November, 1960, it submitted its report on the curriculum of the secondary school. I understand that the latter report is likely to be released by the printers within the next fortnight. In view of there having been as yet no opportunity for that report to be considered by the interested parties and in view also of the fact that at the moment there is a Commission examining all facets of higher education, I feel that it would not be appropriate for the present to give a further remit to the Council of Education.
 * 1962 Questions: Procedure in connection with the Council of Education's Report will be for it to be circulated to the various educational bodies for their observations. On the receipt of these, the Report will then be examined in the Department in the light of all the points of view thus received. Until this has been done, I shall not be in a position to indicate my decisions on the various recommendations
 * 1962 Question: Séamus Pattison asked the Minister for Education Patrick Hillery if, further to a reply of 10th May regarding the recommendations of the Council of Education, he will give a list of the various educational bodies to whom he intends circulating the Council's report for examination and comment.
 * 1963 Q: In addition the Council of Education furnished a Report on (1) the function of the primary school and (2) the curriculum to be pursued in the primary school from the infant age up to 12 years of age on 14th May, 1954, and a further report on the curriculum of the secondary school on 30th September, 1960
 * 30 May 1963 Vol.203 c.598
 * Mr. Pattison: Information on Séamus Pattison Zoom on Séamus Pattison asked the Minister for Education whether he has received the statement issued on 25th May by the Irish National Teachers' Organisation, [598] the Association of Secondary Teachers (Ireland) and the Vocational Teachers' Organisation, in which these organisations stated that he had not consulted them on the plan for education which he announced recently, and that he had not sent a copy of his statement to any of these organisations until specifically requested to do so; whether he will state fully the reasons why he did not consult with the organisations concerned; and why he did not furnish them with copies of his statement.
 * Minister for Education (Dr. Hillery): Information on Patrick John Hillery Zoom on Patrick John Hillery Matters of fundamental policy must be formulated on the sole responsibility of the Minister concerned and with, where necessary, Government approval. There could be no question of submitting such matters to outside bodies prior to their promulgation. Full details of my statement were published in the public press and the necessity for furnishing copies to all the bodies who might be interested did not arise.
 * Search "Council of Education":in Irish Statute Book appears in Appropriation Acts 1950–63 line item "For the Salaries and Expenses of the Office of the Minister for Education and for Expenses connected with the Council of Education" but not separated out from other expenses under that heading.
 * 1964 Seanad:In some respects the problems facing the framer of educational policy in our secondary school system as it is today are greater than those to be found in either the primary or vocational systems. This may be one of the reasons why the recent Report of the Council of Education on the secondary curriculum was the universally condemned failure that it was. In the case of primary or vocational education, a rational framework provided for and watched over by the nation already exists. There are many faults and difficulties but the foundation is there. In the secondary school system, on the other hand, there is little in the way of coherent framework.
 * Seanad 1967:
 * John Benignus O'Quigley: The number of documents one is able to find in this country dealing with the day to day matter of education is extremely limited. I have tried on occasions to find out various sources of information in relation to the system of education. You cannot find any document which gives you the origin of the managerial system, unless you read the Council of Education's Report, which merely gives a summary of that system.
 * Michael B Yeats: Apart from that, to my mind, the only result of setting up this series of committees recommended by Fine Gael to deal with such matters as teaching methods, curricula, examinations and so on, would be that nothing at all would happen. We had an example of what could happen when well-intentioned amateur experts came together to deal with matters in the Commission on Higher Education. To my mind, the Council of Education in its day was not a good type of example either. We are likely to reach the position where outside amateur experts come together to sit on councils, committees or commissions, call them what you will—— ... A teacher is an expert as a teacher but that does not mean that he is an expert administrator. My point is that this type of body is not in a position to make the sort of rapid, comprehensive education system which is required.
 * 1988 Q: John Bruton asked the Minister for Education the present status of the Council of Education established by law in 1950; when it last met; its membership; and if the relevant legislation has been or will be repealed. Mary O'Rourke: I have asked my Department to collate the information requested by the Deputy and I will communicate it to him in due course.

Secondary

 * "the Council of Education, an official advisory body of 31 members that functioned from 1950 to 1962"
 * "the theocentric and mercantile paradigms of education can be sketched from official sources such as the reports of the Council of Education which was largely active in the 1950s" 11 of 29 members in 1954 were religious; Generally seen as a conservative and religious-dominated body.
 * 1962 Council of Education report recommended status quo; Minister for Education, Patrick Hillery, set up "Coiste Scrudaithe Oideachas Iarbhunscoile" of five Department of Education school inspectors, chaired by Maurice Duggan; 1962 "Duggan Report" written by secretary Finbarr O'Callaghan. The 1966 OECD report "Investment in Education" is generally thought to mark "a turning point in the reform of the Irish education system"; Bonel-Elliott gives credit to Duggan Report and agrees with consensus deprecation of Council of Education.
 * "Hopes that a long-awaited Council of Education in 1950 would allow for a reappraisal of the existing system were dashed, when it was when it was announced that the Council would simply examine the curricula of primary and secondary schools, without reference to wider structural or administrative issues ... conservative and limited understanding"
 * "The Council of Education was set up in 1950 to review the primary school curriculum. It was issued with narrow terms of reference and largely excluded parents Child Care in Practice and the wider educational community from the consultative process. The Council of Education Report in 1954 concluded that there was little need for reform and, despite some internal debate within the membership, the Report expressed a general satisfaction with the status quo. Consequently, it did not have a substantial impact on policy developments in this period. The Council disagreed with many of the submissions it received calling for a wider curriculum, preferring a higher standard in core subjects (Department of Education, 1954, p. 118). The Infant curriculum introduced in 1948 was adopted by the Council and, despite concerns about its nature and content, it made no steps to alter its structure. There was much criticism regarding the introduction of Irish in the infant classes but the Council endorsed the prevailing status quo, citing the benefits of giving children an ability in both English (30 minutes per day) and Irish (remainder of the day) at this early age." The 1954 report was criticised in Irish education, published in London by Tuairim in 1962.
 * a body satisfied with the system as it then operated and unwilling to consider almost any amendment
 * The Council’s endorsement of the existing curriculum suggested an apparent lack of awareness regarding the more analytical and dynamic thinking afoot which would transform secondary education during the following decade. By the time the report was finally published in 1962, the pace of change in Irish society had outstripped it, making the Council seem outmoded and its limited proposals redundant. Reaction to the report was negative. The Irish Independent of 26 April 1962 argued that the Council was not in tune with the spirit of reform evident in the air at teachers’ conferences: “The most outstanding feature of the Council’s report is that it sees no need for any really far-reaching changes”. The Irish Times of the same date reported that the Council did not make any firm decision on any potentially controversial issue, including the teaching of recent Irish history: “The report of the Council of Education has missed a singular opportunity to give a new direction to the cultural and commercial orientation of Irish secondary education”. During most of the period from independence to the 1960s, one of the most remarkable features of Irish education policy was the reluctance of the state to encroach on the entrenched position of the Catholic Church. The claims of the Catholic Church were not moderate however: it actually established for itself a more extensive control over education in Ireland than in any other country in the world. Political leaders never publicly questioned the prerogatives that the Church established for itself in education. They were mainly the products of Catholic schools, were staunchly Catholic and obeyed the rulings of the church on moral issues. Due to Church-State cooperation on education and the influence of Corcoran, the role of history in secondary schools was largely in accordance, and certainly not incompatible with, a Catholic world-view. Changes that came about in education in the 1960s entailed a sudden increase of state intervention in a field where the Catholic Church had long been dominant. In 1963, the Minister for Education, Dr. Patrick Hillery, announced in the Dáil, as he had done in the public press, that matters of educational policy would be formulated on the sole responsibility of the minister concerned, with, if necessary, government approval, and that policy matters would not be submitted to outside bodies prior to their promulgation.
 * Richard Mulcahy's education by the Christian Brothers informed his view and hence that of the council he appointed.
 * Regarding the Irish language, R. A. Breatnach regretted that the 1962 report was too theoretical and did not ask whether the aims of the existing syllabus were being achieved. Patrick McCann similarly criticised the failure to recognise that the official goal of replacing English with Irish as the vernacular was "not being attained and will not be attained".