IRISH HISTORY IN IRISH SCHOOLS.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume I, Issue 24, 11 October 1873, Page 13

IRISH HISTORY IN IRISH SCHOOLS.

• New York Tribune.' Weak are the ways of " statesmauship," aud especially of English " statesmanship," so far as all Irish affairs are concerned. We are glad to seize the opportunity to direct attention more to phases of English effoit to deal with the problem of Irish education. The Irish youth, it seems, are not to know Irish history ! What would bo thought of an American school system which took care that the pupils should know nothing of American history ? Of course, the cases from oue point of view are not alike ; but the question is, whether an Irishman has not; a right to be acquainted with the history of his country? Irish history cannot be legally tauffht in Irish schools! Now, the shame of this is that it is keeping up, in a small way, the numerous and outrageous provisions of the old Irish Code, with all its hari'assing detuils, aud with oil its sanguinary penalties. Why shouldn't Irish history be taught ii\ Irish schools? Why should English statesmen be so shamefaced about the sins of their ancestors ? To us this seems the greater folly because we believe that an Irishman well read in Irish history would be iafinitely more likely to be a good citizen. An Irish school which does not teach Irish history is an anomaly and an anachronism.