FROM THE ARCHIVES:Some familiar themes, and still-familiar names, were noted in this editorial in 1908 commenting on the results of secondary level State exams. – JOE JOYCE
WE PRINT to-day the lists of medallists, exhibitioners, and prize-winners at the recent examinations of the Board of Intermediate Education. These examinations are certainly, in the best sense of a much-abused word, the most democratic institution in Ireland. With a few exceptions, every secondary school submits its best pupils to this test of knowledge, and the result is an honourable, stimulating, and, as we cannot but think, useful competition of intellect between our Irish youth of all creeds and classes [. . . ]
It will be noted also that an uncommonly large proportion of this year’s prizes is allotted in the courses for Mathematics and Experimental Science – an index to the increasing influence of the Department of Agriculture’s policy on the work of our secondary school system [. . . ]
The leading establishments, both Protestant and Roman Catholic, retain, for the most part, the positions which they have won at these examinations.
Undoubtedly, a special word of congratulation is due to the Christian Brothers’ Schools. During recent years the larger institutions of this fine and self-sacrificing body of teachers have improved not only in the number but in the quality of their successes. In the list of priority, as counted by exhibitions, the Christian Schools, Cork, and those at North Richmond street, Dublin, tie for first place with a total of twenty-one, including, in the case of the former school, six exhibitions in the Senior Grade.
As a general rule, the more important of the prizes continue to fall to the Colleges. Clongowes, the Royal Academical Institution, Belfast, Blackrock, St. Colman’s, St. Andrew’s, and Mountjoy School have done particularly well in this respect.
Among the girls’ schools there has been a very keen struggle for pride of place between St. Louis’s Convent, Monaghan, and Victoria High School, Londonderry. The Alexandra College comes third with a total of eight exhibitions, two of which have been won in the Senior Grade [. . . ]
It is said by a good many critics that the publication of these annual lists is bad for the best interests of education. Mr. T. P. Gill [head of the Department of Agriculture] suggested that, amid the fuss which schoolmasters, proud parents, and even newspapers, make about these youthful victories, the question of the future of the victors is too often overlooked.
We are disposed to agree with some of these criticisms, yet they must not blind us to other aspects of the case. No one can doubt the Intermediate Schools have done good work for education in the past quarter of a century.
Boys who have done really well in the Intermediate seldom fail to answer the more searching tests of the Universities. Many of them have been conspicuously successful in obtaining entrance to the Indian Civil Service and to other fine careers.
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