Unionist politicians objection to teaching of “Irish or any other useless language”

in schools Young children should also be made at regular intervals to salute the flag, they urge

Belfast, 17 August 1923 - A recommendation to include instruction in the Irish language in the curricula of schools in Northern Ireland has been denounced by two Unionist politicians. The Irish language recommendation is just one of several contained in a final report issued by a Departmental Committee set up by the Northern Ireland Minister for Education, the Marquis of Londonderry, to inquire into the organisation and administration of education in the six-counties.

This latest report addresses such matters as the training of teachers; the amalgamation of schools; curriculum expansion to include instruction in civics, patriotism and temperance; examinations; school inspections; and the establishment of central, or continuation, schools.

On the issue of the Irish language, two members of the Northern Ireland Parliament, Mr. Miller MP and Mrs. Chichester MP, have expressed strong objections to the minds and brains of children being burdened by what they consider useless work and a stronger objection to that language being ‘paid for out of the public purse.’

They added that:

‘if parents wish their children to learn Irish or any other useless language they should pay for it out of their own pockets, but it should not be a charge upon either the tax or rate payer.’

Both Mr. Miller and Mrs. Chichester also voiced strong views on the use of the education system to bolster loyalty to the state. ‘In our opinion, not only should the flag of the State be flown over every State-aided school, but even the youngest children should be assembled at very frequent intervals and taught to salute the flag, thus inculcating loyalty in the children and preparing the soil in which the seeds of Civics, as they grow more advanced, could be planted.’

On these very matters, the report notes that careful consideration had been given to the desirability of ensuring that in all schools supported by the Ministry of Education, children should be trained in the habits of loyalty to Northern Ireland and the British Empire as a whole.

Given that the Northern Ireland government has already imposed an oath of allegiance on all teachers, the report therefore recommended that in so far as actual instruction and discipline was concerned, ‘All state-aided schools should aim at cultivating a spirit of respect for law, and obedience to constituted authority, and no aid should be given or continued to any school in which principles are inculcated subversive of the authority of the State. No books should be used in State-aided schools to which reasonable objection might be entertained on political grounds.’

[Editor's note: This is an article from Century Ireland, a fortnightly online newspaper, written from the perspective of a journalist 100 years ago, based on news reports of the time.]