fees.

Mr.

be published, many of those who unfortunately committed themselves Appendix D. would to-day have had a clear conscience, and the publication of a few Attendance names would, I am confident, have more effectually prevented any re- and Schoolcurrence of such conduct, than the infliction, in the usual way, of any number of fines. I shall for the present only make another remark on this matter-viz., that I think the policy of confining, in almost instance, a knowledge of the punishment which a teacher may be so imprudent as to bring on himself, to his superiors, is neither just to his well conducted peers, to the Inspectors, nor to the National system of education.

every

In returning to the consideration of the school-houses, I need scarcely remark that mediocrity characterizes most, that only a few, as the New Girls' School-house in Ballinasloe, built by the Sisters of Mercy, at a cost of upwards of £4,000; Lord Ashtown's at Woodlawn, and some of Lord Clonbrock's, are excellent, while a few are bad. There are only five thatched cabins in the district used as school-houses. But even where the houses-fairly substantial, plain buildings were erected for school purposes, they were seldom properly fitted up, and are often badly kept in repair, while upwards of forty have no out-offices. This cannot be regarded as a satisfactory state of things. I should like to see all school-houses more or less ornamental buildings, certainly they should be models of appropriateness, neatness, and taste, and, above all, the requirements of decency should be provided for. Would not the Commissioners be fully justified in refusing grants to future applicants till this were done?

With the exception of three or four schools, the accommodation provided is adequate, while in nearly three-fourths it is in excess of the requirements of the neighbourhood. Of late years the best lands in the district have gradually been withdrawn from cultivation, and laid down in permanent pasture, and this process, with the consequent diminution of the population, is going on still. This has seriously affected the attendance at a large number of the schools, so that many of them are now very small. The number of schools whose yearly average did not reach 30 was 29 in 1871, 44 in 1872, and 51 in 1873. I had an opportunity of comparing the attendance for the past year with that for 1867. The average attendance for the two years was nearly the same, but the centesimal average for 1867 was higher than that for 1873 by 5 per cent. in the case of boys, and 3.5 per cent. in that of girls. This is the opposite of what I would have expected, and is not easily accounted for. It is, no doubt, partly owing to the earlier hour at which the rolls are now called, partly to the increased value of children's labour, and partly to the fact that the efforts of teachers and managers to improve the attendance was more effectual in bringing children to school than in keepiug them there. As far as I have been able to ascertain, there are few children of the school-going age who do not attend school for some time each year. In contrast to the character of the general attendance, that on one day in the year-the day of the results examination—was alike creditable to managers, teachers, parents, and pupils. On that day there were only 172 pupils absent, or 1.6 per school, of those who had made the 90 attendances. This refers only to the 105 ordinary National schools, and it shows how groundless were the apprehensions that parents would show themselves indifferent or inimical to the interests of the teacher on the day of examination.

The year's experience proved another cause of alarm to be equally illfounded--namely, that the requirements of the programme were unattainable. There were several cases in which ordinary rural schools

MacMillen.

Appendix D. examined in the same month of the years 1872 and 1873, made much Attendance better answering in the latter than in the former year.

and School

fees.

Mr. Dugan.

Mr. Newell

Only two teachers left the service voluntarily during the year, and one of them, I think, is very likely to return soon. There is only one vacancy in the district at present for a male teacher, while there are eight or ten classed female teachers who cannot find employment.

District 36, Parsonstown; Mr. Dugan.-From a comparison of returns and from personal observations, I am enabled to state that the condition of the schools in this district is improving, both as to the total numbers of pupils under instruction, and the amount of proficiency attained by each.

With few exceptions, all the houses are in good order-school-rooms cheerful, clean, and adequately furnished with educational appliances— while the personal appearance of the pupils indicates a degree of comfort and contentment most gratifying to all interested in the country's welfare.

Of the entire population of the district I believe that nearly all of the proportion "due at school" (to use an expression of the Germans) appear upon the books of the National schools. It is a matter of regret, however, that this gives no definite criterion for estimating the amount of instruction given. The average attendance per school for the entire district during 1873, was only 54.8 per cent. of the average on the rolls, which means that each child appearing on the rolls of a school throughout a year attends on an average only during about six and a half months out of the twelve.

Since all the numerical data requisite for arriving at statistics on the proficiency and ages of pupils examined during the year for results have been already forwarded to the Office of National Education, I have not thought it necessary to give any comparative tables under these headings.

District 37, Naas; Mr. Newell.-The greater number of school-houses of this district are commodious, and in good repair. In one instance only is rent paid for a school-house by a teacher; and this is the most unsuitable house in the district. Forty-six of the ninety-six ordinary town and rural schools have residences for the teachers attached, and in twenty instances there is a small piece of land, varying in extent from a few perches to three acres, held rent free by the teacher. The furniture and apparatus of the schools are generally good. The absence of reliable clocks, and of a large portfolio or case for holding examination rolls and notices, &c., sent to the teachers, are the principal wants I noticed in the supply of apparatus. On the whole, the schools were well furnished with requisites for sale to the pupils; indeed, few teachers have in this district any excuse for neglecting to keep their schools well stocked with books, &c., since the majority of the schools are within a moderate distance of some station either on the Great Southern, Midland, or Meath lines of railway. Of the management of the schools I am happy to be able to speak in terms of the highest praise. My suggestions have met with an encouraging amount of attention on the part of the managers, and when any important change, such as the appointment of a new teacher, was meditated, they have invariably consulted me. I regret that I cannot refer to either the attendance of pupils or the payment of school-fees as being satisfactory. Notwithstanding the extreme mildness of the past season, the attendance made but little advance on that for 1872, whilst the amount of school-fees the

teachers received continues to be most inadequate. It must be acknow. Appendix D. ledged, however, that in many instances these defects are in a great Attendance measure due either to the inefficiency or the inertness of the teachers them- and Schoolselves. Parents very soon ascertain the value of the education which fees. their children are receiving at a school, and, if it be inferior, they become Mr. Newell. careless about sending them there regularly; whilst I find that teachers are frequently afraid to press for the payment of school-fees, lest the children should be withdrawn before the results examination.

School Accounts.—I think it would not be rash for me to state that falsification of accounts, which prevailed to a shameful extent in 1872, and during the early part of 1873, is now rarely attempted in my schools. The arrangements for detecting fraud of this kind, due to the provisions of the excellent circular of the 11th of August, 1873, and the frequency of visits of surprise, have rendered such bad practices so hazardous that I am convinced they will ere long become extinct. It is only just to state that teachers of high classification and established character seldom stooped to these practices.

Efficiency of Schools.-Were the ninety-six ordinary and six convent schools in this district to be arranged in the following classes, viz. :(a) efficient; (b) improving, but not yet thoroughly efficient ; (c) inefficient from various causes; I would place 18 in the first class, 40 in the second, and 44 in the third. All the schools which I have ranked as "efficient," are fairly attended; indeed, without a fair attendance of pupils, say from 35 to 40 as a minimum, it would appear that even the most earnest teachers are unable to render their schools efficient. This consideration leads me to what I regard as the great defect in the educational machinery of my district (I allude to the number of small schools it contains). Nearly all the schools which I have classed as inefficient are wretchedly attended. The paucity of the attendance seems to act injuriously, both directly and indirectly on these schools directly, by rendering it impossible for even the best of teachers to secure much progress, and indirectly by causing the schools to be sought for by none but teachers whose qualifications are low, as the school and results fees must always be paltry. The teachers of such schools are invariably discontented, and soon lose all heart in their work. There are four schools in this district in which the average daily attendance is under 20; 13 in which it amounts to 20, but is under 25, and 17 in which it is more than 25, but less than 30. Few of these schools are efficient, or ever will be so; on the contrary, as the surrounding population is steadily decreasing, they will probably become more worthless day by day Many of them are double schools-that is to say, there is a boys' and girls' school, with distinct roll numbers, held in separate rooms under the same roof. I would recommend that a few of these thinly attended schools should be removed from the roll, and that many of the others should be amalgamated as mixed schools. I have reason to believe that, if it could be shown that the amalgamated schools would be likely to be more efficient, the managers would rarely oppose the change. My views on this subject are not unsupported by facts, for, since I took charge of this district, two managers have of their own accord amalgamated some of their schools. Both at Derinturn and at Kilbride there were until lately two struggling schools; at each place there is now a flourishing mixed school. It is, perhaps, scarcely necessary to remark that by amalgamating the class of schools which I have referred to there would be a certain saving in salary and apparatus, and that the Inspector would be thereby relieved of a large amount of writing and examination, and his time made avail

Appendix D. able for duty elsewhere. Appended is a list of the schools with regard Attendance to which some action will, I think, become eventually unavoidable:

Before concluding, I will add a table by which a comparison, based on the working of the results system, can be instituted between the condition of the schools in this district in 1872 and in 1873-4 ::

It will be apparent from the figures in the above table that the amount of results fees earned has increased by £235 10s. 6d. in the gross, or by 18. 44d. per pupil examined. Some increase was undoubtedly to be looked for, as several teachers were favoured in 1873-4 with advantages which they did not enjoy in 1872, but an increase of 40-8 per cent. proves, I consider, that the proficiency of many of the schools must have genuinely improved. It was in schools with an average attendance of sixty pupils or upwards that I noticed most progress. The fees earned in small schools did not much exceed those gained in 1872. District 38, Dublin, South; Mr. O'Carroll.--The attendance is inO'Carroll. creasing every year. Five new schools were taken into connexion last

Mr.

Mr.

year; an average attendance of from 300 to 400 pupils at least may be Appendix D. expected in one of them-viz., Weavers'-square, situated in the most Attendance wretched part of the city-in the Liberties; two others are rural schools, and Schoolwith an average of from thirty to forty in each; the fourth is a small fees. Presbyterian school in the city; and the fifth is a small evening school. The school-rooms, generally speaking, are much superior to those of O'Carroll. former years, and class-rooms-a most essential school improvement— are not now uncommon. A new school-house, capable of containing from 500 to 600 pupils, will soon replace the confined school-rooms of Leeson-lane.

A comparison of the state of the National schools of this district in 1866 with their condition in 1874, shows a wonderful improvement in the attendance of pupils, in the teaching power, in the increased accommodation, and in the superior class of school-houses which have been erected within that time; and I should say that the munificent aid given by Cardinal Cullen towards the erection of some of those schools has contributed greatly to the above results.

District 39, Carlow.-No report. The Inspector of this district died in December, 1873.

Dr.

The MacSheehy.

District 40, Wicklow; Dr. MacSheehy.-The average attendance per school for the entire district increased from 57 in 1872 to 58.2. latter average is deduced from the numbers ascertained at the results examinations, many of which were held as early as May and June, so that large portions of 1872 (a particularly bad year) were included in the results period. It is certain that if statistics were taken for the year ended 31st March, 1874, a more substantial increase would appear. The singular mildness of the past winter permitted the best attendance of younger scholars within the teachers' recollection.

During the past year the continued working of the results system has most substantially raised the incomes of a large proportion of the teachers. A spirit of alacrity and vigour is generally evident, and in many quarters both managers of schools and parents of scholars have been stimulated to interest themselves keenly in the attendance and progress of the children. The clearest evidence has been afforded of the efficacy of teachers' personal influence, when applied with true earnestness, in improving the amount and character of the attendance.

It has struck me that the female teachers of this district exhibit more hopefulness and energy than the men, and have profited more largely by the results payment, relatively to rates of salary.

I take from my notes some of the most conspicuous instances of progress as regards both attendance of pupils, and the emoluments gained: