EDUCATION IN IRELAND. (Hansard, 10 February 1837)

Lord Stanley
rose, and said he was anxious to ascertain from his noble Friend, the Secretary of State, whether there was any intention on the part of his Majesty's Government to appoint a Committee to inquire into the working of the system of National Education in Ireland? That measure had been introduced as an experiment, and it had now been in operation for a sufficient length of time to afford proofs of the way in which it had worked. His noble Friend would admit, he was sure, that the conflicting statements made in that House and elsewhere should be set at rest. If it was the intention of his noble Friend to take up the question, he would be most happy to leave it in his hands; but if there were no such intention on the part of the noble Lord, he should certainly take an early opportunity to move for the appointment of a Committee to inquire fully and impartially into the practical working of the system, so that if it had operated beneficially, it might be continued, and if prejudicially, that it might be suppressed.

§ Lord John Russell
said, he should certainly feel it to be his duty, in the introduction of any measure, to give poor-laws or any other measure of improvement to Ireland, to see that steps were taken to 415 promote a good and extensive system of education for that country. He agreed with his noble Friend, however, in thinking that an investigation should be instituted, for the purpose of ascertaining whether the system now in existence was the best that could be devised. But whether that should turn out to be the case or not, he was satisfied that education, and general education, was a thing that should be promoted by the Legislature and the Government. It was his intention, however, on an early day to propose a Committee of inquiry into Education in Ireland. But he could not even thus advert to the subject, without stating it as his opinion that the present system was working well. It was due to those persons by whom it had been conducted to state that opinion, although, as he had already said, he was in favour of the fullest inquiry into the subject.

§ Mr. Maclean
wished to know whether it was the noble Lord's intention to include in that inquiry the system of education adopted at Maynooth?

§ Lord John Russell
said, he did not think it would be desirable to include Maynooth in the inquiry. With regard to any special inquiry into the college of Maynooth, he saw no objection to such an inquiry. His opinion was, that the result of it would be to show that the grant to that college should he increased.

§ Mr. Hume
wished to know whether there was any objection to inquire into the systems of education pursued at Oxford and Cambridge? If it were considered that the system adopted in Ireland was so important to the people of that country, and he admitted that it was so, surely the systems acted upon at Oxford and Cambridge could not be less important to the people of England.