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Before the establishment of National Schools, religious groups played an important part in education, although the Government restricted the role of the Catholic Church. Secondary schools were all private schiools. Many had attached primary schools, but did not receive state funding. Hedge schools provided informal Cathlic instruction. All of Ireland was part of Britain in the 19th century. And Britain was behind Germany and America in providing free public education. This was the case not only in Ireland, but in England as well. The Kildare Society helped support schools for the poor. The Government established National Schools (1831). National School has the same meaning as in England, a primary school that was financed directly by the British Government, but administered jointly by the Government, a patron body, and local representatives. The purpose of the Nastional Schools was to 'unite in one system children of different creeds'. This meant to promote British not Irish national spirit. Ireland at the time was mostly Catholic, with the exception of the north, Irish, but governed largely by Protestants. In the years before the Potato Famine there was still some possibility of a permant relationship with Britain. The National Board was instructed 'to look with peculiar favour' on applicants for aid for schools jointly managed by Roman Catholics and Protestants. Most of of the early Mational Schools schools were jointly managed. The main Christian churches demanded that Government authorize aid to be given to schools being management by individual churches. [Akenson] As a result in only about two decades, a mere 4 percent of national schools were still under mixed management. Although the Irish Free State would not be established until after world War I, the tragedy of the Potato Famine mean that Irish independence was inevitable and the separation of Catholics and Protestants in the schools was a early step in that direction. The Irish Question and Home Rule became one of the most conteny=tious issue faced by the British Parliament. There were other forms of primary school. At National Schools, important policies, including curriculum and teacher salaries and school conditions were managed by the Government through the Department of Education and Skills. Manu less important policies were left to the individual school headmaster or the local school board. The clergy, was often involved as presentative of the patron, through a local board of management. Most primary schools in Ireland today still fall into this category.
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