Kieran’s Our City, Our Town Article,

Cork Independent, 7 February 2013

“Technical Memories (Part 43) – A Bill in Question

By early June 1930, industrial unrest was being talked about at the Crawford Municipal Technical Institute. An article published in the Cork Examiner on 11 June 1930 notes a letter being read out at the committee meeting, which asserted the gripes of part-time teachers. They would not resume work for the next session if there was any reduction on the existing rate of remuneration, which as agreed the previous year included 20 per cent advance on the pre war basic rate.

At this June meeting the programme of instruction was also presented, which was the same as the previous year with the addition of a course in sanitary science. The committee anticipated that there would be a number of public health appointments in the future and the course was to be held with a view to qualify candidates. The course was to be conducted by a doctor and it was suggested to comprise 30 lectures. Mr King, the principal, proposed that a fee of £25 be paid by interested participants. After regular business, the committee members made final arrangements for the reception and entertainment of the delegates to the Technical Congress in Cork in the institute on 11-13 June 1930.

The Irish Technical Congress was an annual assembly of teachers, members of various county and urban committees, and others interested in the technical or vocational side of education. The year 1930 coincided with the Vocational Education Bill which was before the Oireachtas in Dáil Éireann. The Cork Examiner on 12 June 1930 details that the Bill proposed to recast the entire system which for many years was under control of the Department of Agriculture and Technical Instruction, but in 1924 was taken over by the Department of Education. The editorial notes;” At the same time, it may have been just as well that the consideration of the whole scheme of vocational education should be put back until the present time, thus allowing time for the easing off of the early enthusiasms…the country is in calm mood today and even the enthusiasts of seven years ago, having learned important lessons by experience, are less inclined to rush matters”.

Professor John Marcus O’Sullivan, Minister for Education, visited Germany in Easter 1928 and visited a range of facilities for the study of the education question in that country. In a subsequent follow up paper he noted that he met German educationalists who described: “We have lost everything in the war, but the one thing left to us is the youth of the country and their proper education- we are determined to make the most of these two things”. In February 1929 Minister O’Sullivan, in a keynote speech in Listowel Co. Kerry, noted that Ireland had not suffered in the same way as Germany, but the German statement could be applied to Ireland. Irish people, he asserted had brains, imagination and ability which, trained in the proper way, was one of the biggest assets the country had. The Minister was convinced that Technical Education ought to be looked upon as “important as primary, and as honourable as secondary and university education and not as a Cinderella amongst the different branches of education,and  not as a luxury to occupy people’s evenings”. In his opinion, which was also based on extensive interviews with Irish technical institutes, no country could afford to lag behind in the matter of training; “if they had not a properly trained population in craftsmanship they could not have a successful nation”. He hoped that a system would be developed whereby boys and girls between the ages of 14 and 16 years would be compelled to attend continuation schools. It was hoped to introduce a part-time system of compulsory attendance for those who were employed and a whole time attendance for those who were not employed. He hoped to get rid of the general claim that technical education did not play any part in the country’s industrial training. He also hoped to evolve a system, which would play a real part in the “promotion and welfare of Ireland’s industries”.

In the 12 June 1930 editorial in the Cork Examiner, the journalist admitted that the system of agricultural and technical education initiated under the Act of 1899 had done a great deal for the country but it was not sufficient for modern requirements. He asserted: “In every country more and more attention is being given to the practical training of young people in the scientific principles of the occupations or trades, which they intend to follow, and not only is instruction given in the underlying principles, but actual workshop training is provided…rule of thumb methods no longer serve the purpose of either the skilled worker or the so-called unskilled man”.

The editorial notes that the new Bill was aimed at providing the necessary facilities for rural and urban areas; The bill was a complicated measure calling for serious reflection: “The teachers and members of Technical committees now meeting at Cork should be better able than any others to form opinions as to its merits or defects, and recommendations they make in connection with it should receive careful consideration from the Government of the Free State”.

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:

677a. Professor John Marcus O’Sullivan, Minister for Education, 1926-1932 (source: Cork City Library)