Thirty-sixth report of the society for promoting the education of the poor of Ireland, Kildare-place, Dublin

Abstract

Your Committee, in presenting the Report of the Thirty-seventh year of your operations, desire to acknowledge with thankfulness the decided evidences of the continued favor of Almighty God to your Society in the amount of success vouchsafed to it under the existing circumstances of this country. Public attention has been much called to the subject of education both in this country and in England during the past year; and the result has been, that those who were the friends of Scriptural and United Education have been strengthened in their convictions; while many formerly hostile to your principles have been led to see that they form the only solid and safe basis on which to erect the fabric of a truly National Education. It is difficult to suppose, after thirty-seven years of active operation with a sphere of usefulness long co-extensive with Ireland, though latterly much contracted by adverse circumstances, that any person interested in the cause of public instruction, can be ignorant of the principles on which your Society was originally formed, and from which it has never deviated, viz.-That the admission of Scholars in all your Schools shall be uninfluenced by religious distinctions. Secondly-That all catechisms and books of religious controversy shall be excluded during school hours; and Thirdly-That the Holy Scriptures, without note or comment, shall be read in the Schools by all the Scholars who shall have attained a suitable proficiency in reading.

That these principles are sound, that they are unsectarian, yet eminently Christian, must be acknowledged by all, and that these principles alone are adapted to the peculiar circumstances of this divided country, as the only true and solid foundation for a Scriptural united and sound system of National Education, is evident to every thinking and unprejudiced mind. Your Society seeks not to arrogate to itself the rights and duties of the ministry, but to inculcate and diffuse the knowledge of the truths of Scripture as the proper foundation, companion, and safeguard of a good secular education. Let it also be remembered that the Kildare-place system is not one of constraint, it opens a far more extended field for religious instruction than is commonly imagined. If the Managers of a Kildare-place School desire that the Scriptures be committed to memory by the Scholars, there is no rule or principle to prevent or discourage the practice. If they are anxious to give comments, or to lecture upon the sacred truths of Christianity, it may be done with perfect consistency on any, and as many days of the week as the Managers think fit, only taking care bona fide to close the School first and to allow time for those who object to the comment or lecture to retire from it... [Excerpt]