1925-1926-1927 - Department of Education and Skills

37of the younger teachers, who have come from the Training Colleges,in recent years, are expert at simple sketching on theblackboard to illustrate stories and incidents around which theIrish lesson centres-the best way to make the teaching vividand appealing. The new Programme emphasises the importanceof general conversation in Irish teaching, but it is remarkablehow many teachers have not read their programme carefully, andhave overlooked the stress laid on conversation lessons based oncommon topics.History is not often taught with the vividness and feelingnecessary to develop that national feeling at once intense andwell-informed which is required to make us a self-respectingpeople, and sufficient use is not made of local history. This islargely due to the fact that our teachers have not a good knowledgeof the subject and do not appreciate that history issomething more than the superficial knowledge contained inelementary text-books. But something more is wanted than Irishand history treated as "subjects"; and in developing a propernational sentiment the matter of our English reading books mustnot be overlooked. Many of the reading texts in English areinsipid and colourless. Some teachers have introduced suchbooks as Mitchel's " Jail Journal" and Standish 0 'Grady's"Flight of the Eagle" to their senior classes, and I am ofopinion that such books, if treated intelligently, will give moreinsight into Irish history than much of the formal teaching ofthe subjectOne of the most notable features of the revised programmehas been the re-introduction of Nature Study. The subject is nowbeing taught in most schools with two or more trained teachers,but little more than a beginning has been made, and I do notpropose to offer an opinion on the effectiveness of the teaching inthis branch. The proper development of the subject will only bepossible when small plots for school gardening are more generallyprovided.The elements of Algebra and Geometry are now being taughtin the majority of boys' schools and the teachers are generallyendeavouring to adopt the suggestions made for the treatmentof these branches on modern lines. While in many schools arithmeticis treated intelligently on modern lines, there is a tendencyamong a large section of teachers to adhere to the old traditionaltreatment, and to keep the pupils employed on mechanical questionsthat have little practical value. Where time is wasted onsuch work there is little 'or no inductive teaching of the basicprinciples. and mental questions are frequently neglected. Adherenceto antiquated text-books is largely the explanation ofthese faults, and many teachers follow such text-books regardlessof the requirements of the programme or its recommendations.There is no greater need in our schools than for a progressiveseries of practical modern text-books in arithmetic.