Kieran’s Our City, Our Town Article,

Cork Indepedent, 31 January 2013

“Technical Memories (Part 42) – Cutbacks and Apprenticeships

A late April meeting in 1928 for the City’s technical education committee reveals a raft of cuts to their educational programme. The minutes were published in the Cork Examiner on 2 May 1928 and they outline that the Department of Education wrote to the committee conveying approval to parts of their scheme for the academic year, 1927-28. They approved of payment on salaries and the cost of giving a bonus to the whole time employees for the period. A contribution of £2,227 10s 1d was to be made by the Department towards the overall programme, contingent upon the fulfilment on conditions laid down and the efficiency of the instruction.

Approval was withheld on certain expenditures that were proposed. In view of the small enrolment in the printing trade classes, high cost and bulk of machinery, and lack of accommodation for other classes, the Department were unable to sanction proposed expenditure of £270 for a printing press and accessories. They were unable to approve of the payment of a grant in excess of £450 to the School of Music. They were not prepared to sanction a salary in excess of £200 per annum to a Mr Tobin, the Irish teacher. They were not prepared to approve any increase in the existing wages of Mrs L Manning and Miss M Looney, cleaners, and Miss E Falvey and Mrs C Regan, Department of Education attendants. The Department drew attention to the limited amount of teaching undertaken annually by a large number of whole-time teachers. The Department had laid down 800 hours teaching per annum as a reasonable minimum for certain classes of whole-time teachers. It was requested that a reorganisation of duties be initiated as that would lead to the full employment of such teaching staff and a possible reduction in the employment of part-time teachers.

The Department also wrote stating that they were unable to contribute to any special financial aid towards the provision of adequate accommodation or equipment for the teaching of motor car engineering at the Technical Institute, owing to the heavy demands made annually by the other committees. They were in agreement as to the necessity for the development but suggested that the expenses could be defrayed out of the savings held by the committee or by means of a small additional loan from the Cork Borough Council. They approved of the invitation of tenders for the erection of a motor engineering laboratory in accordance with the specification and plan submitted. The Principal of the Technical Institute, Mr King, said the proposed accommodation was to consist of a garage, costing approximately £400. He considered it the most essential thing for the school at that moment as other classes were suffering owing to the overcrowding in the Motor Engineering Department. It was unanimously decided to advance the money from the Committee’s savings, and it was ordered that an estimate be prepared and tenders invited for the work.

The first committee meeting in early May 1928 gives insights into the committee’s opinions on the reform of technical education at government level. The sitting TD on the Committee R.S. Anthony referred to the fact that one of the upcoming matters that would come before the annual technical congress would be the position of the Education Commission, and its recommendations with regard to technical education going forward. He hoped that the delegates would interest themselves in such findings, especially the recommendations on the training of apprentices. He noted that in Dáil ireann he had made an effort to press for the putting into operation of such schemes for some time; “the Education Commission’s report had been referred to dozens of time in the Dáil by their representatives, and there was no delay in taking action on that report. A certain procedure had to be adopted before a Bill dealing with it could be introduced”.

Brother Ryan, another member of the technical education committee, expressed the view that a great deal of technical skill was required in connection with important City works that gave considerable employment. He noted “Cork people are practically unskilled owing to lack of facilities for the providing of technical education for them”. Mr Foley supported Brother Ryan’s and instanced cases where people seeking employment in Fords were unable to get positions owing to lack of training. Men with such training had to be brought from England and elsewhere to fill such positions.

Mr J F Murphy referred to the efforts of the Master painters’ Association in connection with the training of apprentices in that trade in the Cork School. They were informed by the government that funds would support it. The Lord Mayor, Seán French, said that such classes were needed. He referred to the external appearance of some of the city’s buildings, even in the main streets of the city, and said he thought that the firms having such buildings should do something to make them more presentable. They should be encouraged to decorate the outward portions of their buildings and premises. That would not alone give a good deal of work to painters but would provide a training forum for apprentices.

To be continued…

Wanted: looking to talk to people about their memories who attended the “Crawford Tech”, c.1930-c.1970, contact Kieran, 087 655 33 89

Caption:

676a. Ford Plant, Cork, c.1930 (source: Cork City Library)