CONVENT AND MONASTERY SCHOOLS. 27. The numbers of these schools, and the attendances, for the year, were as follows: Lay assistants, The teaching power in some convent schools is partly made up of lay assistants-312 in number-who, though not paid directly by us, are recognised under special conditions, and are granted valuable privileges in the matter of service, training, etc. The average number of pupils on the rolls of the Convent and monastery national schools for the year was 111,257. The average daily attendance at these schools for the year was 78,006. The per-centage of the average daily attendance of pupils to the average number on the rolls was 701. WORKHOUSE SCHOOLS. 28. The number of workhouse schools in connexion with our Board on 31st December, 1904, was 140, of which 135 were in operation. The average number of pupils on the rolls of these workhouse schools during the year was 4,097, the total average daily attendance of pupils for the year was 3,382, and the average daily attendance of pupils of 3 to 15 years of age was 3,357. EVENING SCHOOLS. 29. During the session 1904-1905, 836 Evening schools were in operation. The pupils are, as a rule, over 14 years of age, and include many adults. Detailed statistics in regard to these schools appear in the Appendix to this Report. The subjects taught in these schools were as follows: 30. In 28 National Schools, pupils of Industrial Schools (certified under the Industrial Schools Act) were in attendance. The number of these pupils on the rolls on the last day of the year was 239 boys and 1,467 girls-total, 1,706; and the average daily attendance was for pupils of all ages, 1,615, and for those of 3 to 15 years of age, 1,540. The industrial pupils attending school are instructed in the same manner as the ordinary day pupils; but payment for their instruction is not made by us, but by the Industrial Schools Department. Teaching Power. 31. The number of teachers in our service on 31st December, 1904, was as follows: The teachers of the 298 convent and 2 monastery Schools that are paid solely by capitation, and the teachers of workhouse national schools, are not included in this return. New Teachers, 32. During the year ended 31st December, 1904, there were 565 persons appointed for the first time as principal or assistant teachers. Of these 366 had been trained in a Training College and 199 were not so trained. The candidates for the position of teacher are in general well prepared; and selections are, as a rule, made by managers with care and judgment. The recently appointed untrained teachers had received, with very few exceptions, a preliminary training as monitors or pupil teachers. Special facilities are afforded to university graduates to enter our service as teachers, either directly as Assistants or through the Training Colleges. 33. NUMBER of PRINCIPAL and ASSISTANT TEACHERS who left the service during the year ended 31st December, 1904. 34. The number of paid monitors on the 31st December, 1904 Monitors was 775 boys and 2,536 girls. Total, 3,311. The following table gives the number of monitors classified according to their year of service: 35. The annual general examinations of teachers and Annual monitors were held partly in April (Easter) and partly in July, 1904. Pupil teachers in their first year of service, monitors of fifth year, candidates for admission to the Training colleges, candidates for appointment as pupil teachers in the Model schools, and some few provisionally recognised teachers seeking Third Grade certificates, were examined at Easter. King's scholars in training, and 524 other teachers seeking Certificates of competency to teach Irish, were examined in the month of July. There were in all 3,684 persons examined in the various courses, viz. :—2,072 at Easter, and 1,612 in July. The following is a summary of the persons examined :— Candidate Pupil Teachers, Third-year Monitors in Co. Kerry, Examinations. 321 7 Fifth-year Monitors, first-year Pupil Teachers, Provisionally recognised Teachers, and Candidates for Training, 1,744 Two-year King's Scholars at the end of their first year of Training, One-year and two-year King's Scholars at the end of their course of Training, 460 628 Other Teachers examined for Certificates of competency to teach 524 The questions set at the 1904 examinations, and a summary of the answering, will be found in the Appendix to this Report, Section III. D Pensions, &c., to Teachers. Teachers' Pensions and Gratuities, 36. The following Table shows the Number of National Teachers who in each year since the commencement of the Pensions Act (1st January, 1880) were in receipt of Pensions from the Fund; also the number of those to whom, on Retirement, Gratuities under the Act were awarded, with the Total Amounts each year. The figures set forth in the Table have been furnished by the Teachers' Pension Office. |