1925-1926-1927 - Department of Education and Skills

41older teachers to carry out the intentions of the new Programme.Teachers trained within recent ye3C'shave, no doubt, come awaywith the newest ideas on the subjects,English reading and recitation are on the whole well taught,but there is a falling off in knowledge of Grammar.There is a due amount of practice in writing essays. letters.,descriptions, etc., but it would be well to have an increase offormal teaching, with instructions on how to " attack" a subject,to divide under headings, to arrange sequence of thought,to paragraph, etc. At least one lesson in four should be devotedto this kind of work, varied by judicious discussion of faults anderrors already committed.Officialrequirements are observed in regard to the time devotedto History and Geography, but the traditional methods of roteteaching have not yet disappeared, and without study of themore up-to-date text-books it will be difficult for the olderteachers to break away from what they practised in youth. "LocalGeography I have seen utilised very effectively in some cases,and local History less frequently. Such lessons never fail toarouse the interest of the children in their surroundings. Everyteacher could compile his own local Geography; for History, hewould have to depend largely on books, generally expensive andsometimes difficult to procure. but historical or archeaologicalarticles are often to be found in papers or magazines, and theseshould be carefully kept for use.The singing of traditional songs in Irish is now carried on inpractically every school. Usually there is mechanical correctnessin time and tune, but in some of the smaller schools and inquite a good proportion of the large ones we find artistic feelingand appreciation as well.In Needlework a reduced range of attainment had resultedfrom the programme of 1920, but the quality of the work donewas maintained owing to the careful and thorough supervisionexercised by the organisers of Domestic Economy. The 1926programme has extended the requirements, and is welcomed forthat reason 1)),teachers and Ilarellts.The special training of infants is a branch of our educationalwork which. in the majority of schools, seems never to haveflourished. In many there is sympathetic and motherly treatmentof infants, and such is found as frequently with untrainedas with trained teachers. But skill in the employment of manualmaterials and of devices for suitable occupation of the childrenunder seven is not commonly shown. Not that the skill is entirelyabsent, but that the teacher has Standards I. and n. to cope withas well. Now, I. and n. are easy to teach, and the results of theteaching are soon apparent, whereas to manage infants successfullytemperament and training are required. Besides. theequipment for infant teaching is in most schools meagre andill-assorted.