Education has been a contentious subject in Ireland for centuries and has brought the church and state into conflict on numerous occasions, it was not, however, available to all of the people of the island until the middle of the 19th century. In 1800 the Anglican Church was responsible for the oversight of education of children at both the primary and secondary levels. At that time many areas of the country were Catholic and they were not permitted to attend the few schools available by law and no provision was made to finance schools for their community. There were a few superior schools in Ireland for wealthy Protestants, the well-funded Royal School at Armagh for example, but these were the exception. Therefore many areas of the country, relied upon private academies taught by schoolmasters with various skill and education levels to educate students in the cities and rural towns. Some of the schoolmasters were clergy. Standard subjects were elocution, arithmetic, bookkeeping, foreign languages, and geography. The girls' schools added "finishing school" classes to raise cultured pupils. The Lurgan Free School was established by Lord Lurgan (the Right Honourable William Brownlow) in 1786, which provided education for the children of tenants on the Brownlow Estate, regardless of religion. A number of meetings were held during August 1786, to lay the 'Plans of a School for the Education of poor Children in the Town and Neighbourhood of Lurgan'. The school was to be paid for by an annual subscription from the Brownlow family, an annual charity sermon at Lurgan Parish Church and liberal subscriptions from the wealthy citizens of Lurgan. The children would be taught free, so that they might be able to read and be 'instructed in the Principles of the Christian Religion'.

For the majority of the population in the early 1800s, schooling was not high on their list of priorities. Their main concern was feeding their families and keeping a roof over their heads. For tenant farmers and those in the blossoming Linen industry, every member of the household, Man, Woman and Child were expected to work and contribute to the family coffers. Even for some Protestant families where education was available, the needs of the family came first and their children were not sent to the academies, which had to be paid for. By 1810 this attitude began to change. The poor realised that without the ability to read, write and know their numbers, their children were doomed to live the same impoverished lives of their ancestors. Education then, was the key to a better future for their children. There had been Free schools in Ireland since the late 1700's, but these were run by the Established Church, namely the Church of Ireland and although there were some Roman Catholic pupils who attended, the teachings were not compatible with their faith. Soon travelling scholars (some barely literate themselves) roamed the countryside and set up temporary schools wherever they could, charging a small fee for their services and so the secret Hedge Schools which had begun some 30 years before, began to flourish.

Hedge Schools Hedge schools (Irish names include: scoil chois claí, scoil ghairid and scoil scairte) were small informal secret and illegal schools in Ireland, designed to secretly provide the rudiments of primary education to children of 'non-conforming' faiths (Catholic and Presbyterian). Under the penal laws only schools for those of the Anglican faith were allowed. Instead Catholics and Presbyterians set up secret and illegal schools that met wherever they could, sometimes in Hedgerows, hence the name. However, classes were normally held in a house or a barn. Some of the schools in and around the Lurgan area were reportedly in: "A thatched cabin, someone's kitchen, a miserable cowshed and even in a wretched hovel." Payment was generally made to teachers per subject, and bright pupils would often be smuggled to Mainland Europe, for Catholic higher education at one of the Irish Colleges. Payments to teachers took many forms. Sometimes it could be accommodation for the travelling scholar or food and local produce or livestock. Subjects taught included the reading, writing and grammar of both the Irish and English languages, and maths, the basic 'three Rs'. In some schools, the Irish bardic poetry, local history and home economics were also taught. These were dangerous times for Hedge School teachers and many was the time that teacher and scholars had to run from local law enforcement. There are accounts from varying sides, some stating that the laws against education were 'never put rigorously into force', however there is much evidence to the contrary. Schoolmasters were imprisoned and fined; considerable rewards were offered and given to those who played a part in convicting those educators who taught in the Hedge Schools. Schoolmaster, householder, and friendly magistrate were equally good game for the informers. The Protestant historian Lecky wrote "The Legislation on the subject of Catholic education may be briefly described, for it amounted simply to universal, unqualified, and unlimited proscription". Protestant schoolmasters were forbidden to employ Catholics as assistant teachers and magistrates were warned to attend strictly to the letter and to the spirit of the law. Hedge Schools were of uneven quality as likely to be taught by an itinerant, unqualified teacher as a scholar. In time, however, even some of the secret, underground hedge schools became permanent fixtures in a community, and the classrooms sometimes were the equivalent of mainstream classrooms with proper textbooks instead of merely a handy Bible or popular novels. Nonetheless, Catholics, in particular, considered them a better alternative to Protestant schools or no schooling at all. Estimates during the 1820s were that as many as 400,000 pupils were in attendance at hedge schools, there were 9,000 such schools in existence in 1824. Hedge schools declined after the foundation of the National School system by government in 1831.

The National School System

In 1831 a countrywide, state-aided educational system of elementary schools was established in Ireland, championed by Lord Edward Stanley. Its aim was to provide non-denominational education for all Irish children. It was believed that if children from all denominations learned together then they could live in peace as adults. It was the first time that children could attend a school that wasn't either a fee-paying school or a charity school. The National Board of Education was set up and the government gave grants that paid for the building of new national schools and the salaries of teachers. Conflicts immediately arose over the matter of keeping religious influence out of schools, because the elementary schools were told that churches had the right to provide pupils with supplementary religious education. Even though, in theory, no influence was to be given by the church to the primary schools and emerging secondary schools, in reality, religious influences permeated all levels of the educational system, particularly the school boards, which were headed by priests or vicars, depending on the district's religious makeup. Initially Protestants were the main critics against "godless" schools, while Catholic leaders, worried about high illiteracy rates among their people, generally supported the state-run educational system. Eventually, Catholics came to despise the system, saying students were exposed to pro-British and anti-Catholic influences. Nonetheless, the formation of national schools was an important step forward in the history of education in Ireland. It was intended to give an equal education to all pupils without meddling from churches. It gave Irish schools a semblance of structure, and it established a policy of local districts to pick up their fair share of costs for teacher salaries, school lots and building costs, and schoolbooks.

The National Education Board consisted of seven commissioners of education. The commissioners were unpaid dignitaries, three Anglican, two Presbyterian and two Roman Catholic. The rules that they set had to be followed in all national schools and were to be enforced by school inspectors. Whilst all children were to be taught secular subjects together, religious instruction was separate and outside of school hours. This proved to be a very controversial proposal and the commissioners were ultimately forced to back down and allow schools to become denominational. The opposition which non-denominational schooling faced was largely based on the idea that education is an extension of pastoral care and as such cannot be separated from religion. All the major churches saw it as their prerogative and were alarmed by the intrusion of the state into their sphere of influence. In Ulster in particular Presbyterians were strongly opposed the new system, causing the Synod of Ulster to pass a resolution rejecting it in- 1834. This was in addition to the campaign launched in Presbyterian areas of Co. Antrim and Co. Down in which schools were burned and teachers intimidated. It was the reaction of Presbyterians and the other two main churches which forced the National Board to allow schools the power to exclude clergy from other denominations. If the Board had refused, the churches may have stopped their schools becoming national schools and in doing so caused the whole system to collapse. Local control of education by clerics is a notable feature of the system and one which persisted well into the twentieth century. The system was shaped by the religious, social and political realities of the nineteenth century. This was particularly the case in Ulster as populations were more mixed along religious lines than in other areas of the country. Education proved to be a volatile area of 'intense cultural politics'.

On 8 March 1864, the House of Commons published a return by Counties and Parishes, of the names of all the schools in connection with the Board of National Education in Ireland in operation on the 31st of December 1862. I'm proud to say that my ancestor Patrick Austin was head of a school in Derrytrasna with some 140 pupils. You can see the full list here. In 1868 the Powis Commission was established to inquire into the state of the National Education System. One of its recommendations was to introduce a payment by results scheme for all national teachers. The basic premise was that a proportion of a teacher's salary would depend on the marks pupils obtained in exams set by inspectors. The 'results fees' system was adopted in 1872 and meant that teachers earned money for each pupil that had attended one hundred times and reached a prescribed standard in core and optional subjects. This method of payment meant that teachers were accountable for the progress of the children under their tutelage. Unfortunately, the system was flawed and was ultimately detrimental to Irish education. Payment by results ensured that teachers followed a very narrow curriculum consisting of the 'three R's' (reading, writing and arithmetic), geography and needlework for girls or agriculture for boys. This established a dull routine and turned the school inspector into an adversary to be outsmarted. Schoolrooms in National Schools were generally quite basic and sparsely furnished. In 1879, one National schoolroom, contained only five desks with seats attached, a blackboard and a clock, with only a single fireplace for heating. Fuel was kept in a small cloakroom next-door, where the girls hung up their bonnets and coats. The schoolrooms were described as well-ventilated and free of damp, but would have been cold and basic by today's standards. The majority of children probably went to school from the age of 5 or 6 until they were 12 or 13, when they left to help support the family. School hours were usually from 10-3pm, with a half-hour per day designated to religious instruction of prayers and catechism. In contrast to today, attendance at school was not compulsory and many children were unable to attend because their parents could not afford the books or because they had to work to help support their family. At National Schools only those children who could afford to pay fees of 1s a week were charged; paupers and children of widowers generally received free instruction. Attendance figures show that the number of children on the rolls far exceeded those in actual attendance. Moreover, in the summer months, attendance figures dropped considerably, when children were busy helping out with farm work. It is not surprising then that literacy rates were very low and they remained that way until the early 20th century.

The Ragged Schools Ragged schools were charitable organisations dedicated to the free education of destitute children in 19th century Britain. The schools were developed in working-class districts. Ragged schools were intended for society's most destitute children. Such children, it was argued, were often excluded from Sunday School education because of their unkempt appearance and often challenging behaviour. In 1843, Charles Dickens began his association with the schools and visited the Field Lane Ragged School in London. He was appalled by the conditions, yet moved toward reform. The experience inspired him to write 'A Christmas Carol'. While he initially intended to write a pamphlet on the plight of poor children, he realised that a dramatic story would have more impact. The Ragged School Association was established in Lurgan, in 1862. Working in the poorest areas, teachers (who were often local working people) initially utilized stables, lofts, and railway arches for their classes. The majority of teachers were voluntary, although a small number were employed. There was an emphasis on reading, writing, arithmetic, and study of the Bible. The curriculum expanded into industrial and commercial subjects in many schools. The success of the ragged schools definitively demonstrated that there was a demand for education among the poor. In response, England and Wales established school boards to administer elementary schools. However, education was still not free of fees. After 1870 public funding began to be provided for elementary education among working people. It is estimated that about 150,000 children went through the Lurgan Ragged School between 1844 and 1881. The Ragged Schools were phased out by the final decades of the 19th century. The Ragged School Museum in the East End of London shows how a ragged school would have looked; it is housed in buildings previously occupied by Dr. Thomas Barnardo. The Ragged School Museum provides an idea of the working of a ragged school, but Barnardo's institution differed considerably in practice and philosophy from those schools accountable to the Ragged School Union.

The Model Schools
With the introduction of the National Education System in 1831, a new method of teacher training was also developed. In 1845 the monitorial system of teacher training was put into practice. This meant that promising pupils at the age of eighteen were given the opportunity to become monitors. These older students worked in national schools and simultaneously took extra lessons so that at the end of three years they could sit the King's or Queen's scholarship exam. If they were successful this would allow them to progress to a training college. However the training college was not a compulsory element of a teacher education. Model schools were specifically designed to train monitors; the larger ones also had boarding facilities and were divided into male, female and infant. The central model school was set up in Dublin in 1835. At the apex of the National School system were the Model Schools. The idea was to have a graded school usually connected with a normal school or teachers' training college and use it as a model in the organization and methods of teaching. Model Schools aren't necessarily the highest ranked in the county. Rather, Model Schools are those that are experiencing rapid growth in student achievement; schools that are deliberately working to shift the culture to one of high expectations for ALL students; or schools that are working through challenges such as high poverty rates. They are also the “good” schools making strides toward greatness. But most importantly, they are the schools that are providing a safe and trusting environment where a love for learning is fostered every day. One of its main aims was to provide trained teachers to work in the new national schools. The idea was that able pupils would be encouraged to stay at national school as monitors and train under an experienced teacher. Therefore, the concept of the 'Model School' was set up as non-denominational national schools. In 1870, the Royal Commission into Primary Education examined the model school system and recommended that the schools should be closed and that the buildings should be used as ordinary locally managed national schools. Teacher training was to move into residential training colleges offering one-two year full time courses and model schools were to be used for teaching practice only. The Model School system was not only essential in its capacity to train and thus supply the national schools with competent teachers, but, as the name states, Model Schools also served as models for the ordinary schools in the national system. To that end, each Model School maintained at least one elementary school where student teachers could practice their skills and gain experience in leading a class. Much of the credit for the sighting of the Model School in Lurgan must go to the Brownlow family. They had for years taken a keen interest in the provision of schools in the town. The Erasmus Smith School had been helped and encouraged by William Brownlow, while Lady Lurgan had been responsible for the establishment of an Infant School, and there is evidence that Lord Lurgan played a part in bringing the Model School to the town. Speaking at the school's prize giving in 1879, Mr. J. Hancock said, "The splendid building in which we are assembled owes its existence to the efforts of his Lordship, who has, for 16 years, been a steady friend of the school." This would appear to be public recognition of the part played by the Brownlows in the establishment of the school. The site chosen for the new school was Brownlow Terrace, overlooking the railway line. Construction was completed in 1863, at a cost of £8,000. The premises provided accommodation for 600 pupils, organised in three departments - Boys, Girls and Infants. Each department had three qualified teachers, not counting trainees and monitors. In addition there were visiting teachers for specialist subjects, such as Music.

This is but a brief look at Education in 19th Century Ireland and space does not afford me the luxury of embelishing it further. As can be seen, Lurgan was at the forefront of education for its inhabitants, from the endowment for a Grammer school by Samuel Watts who was born in Lurgan in 1787, to the Eramus Smith School in North Street. Religion has certainly played its part in this story, for good or ill, history will be the judge, but it's safe to say that without those institutions education in the 19th Century would not have been possible for many thousands of our Lurgan Ancestors.

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