This was posted to another list and I thought it might be of interest. ---------------Original Message--------------- Taken from PRONI : Local History 5 In the early years of the 19th century there were numerous schools in Ireland but many were in poor condition and were badly conducted. The Province of Ulster, for example, had 3,449 schools in 1821 (Cos Antrim and Down had over 1,000 schools between them) but they were fragmented in structure with numerous types of schools, including `charter` schools, schools of the London Hiberian Society - to which Roman Catholics did not want to send their children because they were all of a proselytising character - and `pay` or `hedge` schools. It was against this background of haphazard educational provision that the Irish system of National Education was founded in 1831 under the direction of the Chief Secretary, E.G. Stanley. The national schools which resulted were built with the aid of the Commissioners of National Education and local trustees. Some 2,500 schools came into existence in Ulster between 1832 & 1870 and grant of aid applications provide much information about their establishment such as the name of the teacher and the number of enrolled pupils. They were made on printed questionnaires, but are often accompied by inspectors reports and correspondence. Applications for further funds for extra teachers, equipment, etc are also included. The inspectors reports can be particularly revealing to the local historian as they can include details of the standard of education in a particular area; the attitude of the local landlord and of the local people to the state control of education; and the rivalry between neighbouring townlands. The attitude of the local clergy towards the national school system is also of interest. Due to the fact that the newly established primary school system was to be non-denominational, all of the main churches were united in their dislike of the separation of the religious from the academic. On occasion this clerical oppostion resulted in the establishment of rival schools in the area (ref ED.1) Also of interest to local historians are the Registers which exist in an almost complete series from 1835 to the early 1850`s. These are not the registers of pupils but volumes summarising the Commissioner`s dealings with the particular schools. They give details of where the school was located, when it was established and when it first came under the authority of the Board. The names and religious denominations of the patrons and of any clerical or lay correspondents are given (ref Ed.6/1) >From 1835, Ireland was divided into 61 education Districts and the old school correspondence registers were reorganised into `district books`. In addition to the information in the original series, the books often provide information on the standard of instruction in the schools and the state of repair of school buildings. (reg ED.6/2) There is an alphabetical list of all the schools for which PRONI holds records available in the `Guide to Educational Records` which is avaiable on the shelves of the Public Search Room. Alex Hughes >from Ayrshire, Scotland Searching for Duncan,Bleakie,Bruce,Kilpatrick,Campbell,Fairley,Milne,McKechan, Jamphray,Strathern,Kelso,Smith & Auld in Scotland Searching for Hughes,Hughs,Graham,McCutcheon,Donaghy,Irvine,Dorian, Kelley & Black in Ireland ----------End of Original Message----------