Kieran’s Our City, Our Town Article,

Cork Independent, 17 May 2012

Technical Memories (Part 16)

Foraging for Fruitful Ideas

“The Intermediate School is very far from being what we want. It is too literary; it bears but slight relation to commerce, industry, or agriculture. It is true that it is filled with pupils from primary schools, but they enter it too late- at 15 or 16 years of age – when it is futile to try to acquire a serviceable knowledge of the two foreign languages required by the board…the curriculum of the school we seek to create has a different character and aim from that of an Intermediate School. Though not divorced from the humanities, it should be more frankly Utilitarian and practical; more capable of assimilation by children of elementary attainments, and more applicable to actual use in the desk, the field and workshop” (William Starkie, Cork, 5 June 1912)

William Starkie made a well researched address as Resident Commissioner of National Education for Ireland at the eleventh annual congress of the Irish Technical Instruction Association on 5 June 1912, which was held at the Crawford Municipal Technical Instruction, Sharman Crawford Street. In a paper on intermediate schools that would provide technical education for teenagers, 14/ 15 years of age, he pitched his arguments based on the models of other countries. He pointed out that in many countries in Europe, it was generally recognized that the most significant need of the day was a type of school, not of an intermediate character, but closely attached to primary education. It should aim at continuing beyond the elementary stage, and in a practical direction. Such schools should have two aims he argued, first to continue and complete the subjects learnt in the elementary schools, and secondly to communicate such “branches of knowledge – literary, scientific and general, as bear directly on the various occupations in life in some one of which the pupil would afterwards be engaged in”. Furthermore, such hand and eye training and workshop practice would, according to Starkie, “engender habits of manual industry”.

Starkie referred to the arguments of Professor Michael Sadler who was Director of an education-research agency set up by the Education Department in London in 1895. The task of the agency was to gather information about the educational systems of Europe, of the colonies of the then British Empire, and of the United States of America. Sadler’s tenure of this Office of Special Inquiries and Reports lasted from1895 to 1903. During that time he organized 11 volumes of reports, writing 15 papers himself, and directing the energies of numerous specialists. It is significant that within the papers he wrote he wove in the work of German educational schemes. He was a firm believer that of all the foreign influences upon English methods on teaching and education ideals the Germans had during the last 100 years prior to 1912 had been the most formative. Nor had the French educational system been without their due influence. Those traits were also re-iterated by William Starkie in his Cork speech in 1912.

Starkie also made reference to the work of François Pierre Guillaume Guizot (1787–1874) who was a French historian, orator, and statesman. Guizot was a dominant figure in French politics serving as Prime Minister of France 1847-1848. Guizot’s influence was critical in expanding public education, which under his ministry saw the creation of primary schools in every French commune and higher primary schools in the rural districts of France. In a like manner in Germany, they had the “Realschulen”, a German secondary school with an emphasis on the practical that evolved in the mid-18th century. It was distinguished by its practical curriculum (natural science and chemistry) and use of chemistry laboratories and workshops for wood and glass. The Realschule also became the model for educational reformers in other countries.

Starkie went onto to debate in his Cork speech that German ideals had touched every grade from in the British system of education from kindergarten to the university. Starkie debated that English and Scottish departments have “foraged Europe and America for fruitful ideas” through financial support from the British exchequer. But Ireland, Starkie argued was “the Cinderella of the European family, must sit contented in her rags, happy if now and again- for political reasons – a few morsels are thrown to her from the rich banquet of her more fortunate sisters”. He continued to note that in 1904 a scheme of higher education was approved in principle by the British treasury for Ireland but that money was re-directed to land purchase, light railways and harbours.

Willliam Starkie continued to strongly argue that the boy “who is meant for higher things” should leave the primary school system before the completion of the ordinary course. In Germany, the age for making that change was often 10, in France 11, in Scotland 12, in Ireland it was generally 15, when the child was compelled to begin the study of two modern languages. Further commenting Starkie noted that “Freedom of curriculum is clearly hampered because subjects have to be included in the curriculum of a class, not because the students are ready for them but because the exigencies of the written examination require them”.

To be continued…

Caption:

641a. Michael Sadler, Director of Education Department. London (source: Cork City Library)