Statistical Report 1935-1936 - Department of Education and Skills

88The importance of securing the Ceard-Teastas Gaedhilge is beingfully realised by applicants for posts as teachers of Commerce, Science.Domestic Economy and Art, as indicated by the results of the examinationfor the Ceard-Teastas r+-Year19321933193419351936No. of Candidates.1650105271271No. of successes.71452120149Exemption from the written test was accorded to 46 UniversityGraduates in Arts or Commerce who had taken Irish as one of thesubjects for the degree. The great. increase in the last two years in thenumber of persons obtaining the Ceard-Teastas Gaedhilge has had oneimportant effect: there is seldom a vacancy advertised now in whichmore than one of the qualified applicants do not possess this certificate.The newly-appointed teachers are thus able to devote all their attentionin the probationary period to their teaching duties and there is lesstendency for the efficiency of the work to be impaired because of theanxiety of the teacher to obtain, as hitherto, the Ceard-TeastasGaedhilge during this period.Inspectors agree that the position of Irish as a subject in the dayvocational schools is satisfactory. Sound schemes of work are beingprepared and many of the teachers not only impart a good knowledgeof the language but also by their energy and enthusiasm generate intheir students an esteem and regard for their native tongue. In somecentres, under this stimulus, Irish is becoming the general languageof the school, both at work and at play. Inspectors report that thereare other centres in which a similar development could be effectedin view of the fact that so many teachers in the schools now possessthe Csard-Teastas Gaedhilge. Yet because in some cases of the indifferenceof those in local control and because, in others, of thefailure of those teachers with the Ceard-Teastas to support the effortsof the Irish teacher, the position of Irish in several schemes remainsweak.Instruction in Irish to adults in evening technical classes continuesto be a difficult problem. It is being increasingly recognised that theteacher must not only be qualified to deal with instruction in thelanguage but have also ability to include drama and singing to secureand retain a good adult class. In the counties of Cork, Roscommon,Wexford and the South Riding of Tipperary evening classes in IrishWere well-supported for this reason. The organisation of such classesunder the County Cork Vocational Education Committee was so89successful that during the session 1935-36 over 1,100 candidates presentedthemselves for the examinations prescribed by the Committeeat the close of the session.The provision of day and evening courses exclusively through themedium of Irish in Gaeltacht areas is growing. During the session underreview full time day courses and evening classes of this nature wereprovided in such centres as Carraroe, Rosmuck, Galway, Ardmore andCarrigaholt. In the latter, a rural day continuation course embracingWoodwork, Drawing, Mathematics, Rural Science, Irish and OrganisedGames was followed successfully throughout the session by sixteenboys, whilst seventeen girls received a whole-time course in DomesticEconomy, including Cookery, Laundry, Needlework, Housewifery,First-Aid, Household Accounts, Irish and Organised Games. InCarraroe, Rosmuck and Rosaveel in County Galway the instructionin Home Spinning to which reference has already been made, wasgiven entirely in Irish. Similarly, Irish was used as the language forthe training in Engineering in Donegal in preparation for the ArtificialSilk industry at Crolly and for the training during the current sessionat Belmullet for the Toy-making industry. A special grant has beengiven to the County Cork Vocational Education Committee to assistin the erection and equipment of a Vocational School at Ballingearyat which all instruction is to be given through the medium of Irish.The production of Irish plays, debates in Irish, and the preparationof students for competitions under County Feiseanna are features ofmany of the schemes. The spread of Irish drama and of appreciationof its value as a stimulus to oral work has been one of the interestingdevelopments in Vocational schools in the past year.Adequate provision was made by all Vocational Education Committeeswith regard to Scholarships to the Gaeltacht. It is statedthat over 500 students were able to spend a month in the Gaeltachtin 1936 as a result of these scholarships. Summer courses for teachersWere conducted in the Counties of Cork, Donegal, Galway, Kerry,Mayo, Waterford and Wexford, at which valuable work was done.V.-EFFICIENCY OF INSTRUCTION.New and well-equipped Vocational Schools and a marked regularityof attendance, especially in the Whole-time day classes, continue tohave a beneficial effect upon the efficiency of instruction. Moreover,the majority of the teachers have now had three or four years'experience of the working of the new scheme of education, and thefruits of this experience are seen in the more systematic preparation ofschemes of work and in the more practical and interesting presentationof the subjects to the students. Where defects exist, they are mainlydue to the inexperience of new teachers. In one scheme, with a limitedG