Cork District Model School

Repository: Cork City and County Archives

Identity Statement

TitleCork District Model School
Archive ReferenceIE CCCA/NS/MS
Web Link to this Entryhttps://iar.ie/archive/cork-district-model-school
Creation Dates1865-1990
Level of DescriptionFonds
Extent Medium298 volumes + 3 boxes

Context

Creator(s): Cork District Model National School

  • Administrative History ↴

    Cork District Model National School / Cork Model School/Modh Scoil Chorcaí, opened on 11 September 1865. The school was housed in a purpose built building at Angelsea Street, designed by Board of Public Works architects James H. Owen (b1822 – d1891) and Enoch Trevor Owen (b c.1833– d.1881). The building was separated into male, female and infants divisions, as well as housing a maritime school. The School closed in 1990 and the building is now in use as the District Court. Model Schools were teacher-training schools under the auspices of the Commissioners of the Board of National Education, the administrative body of the national system, which was established in 1831. A central model school in Dublin was established in 1833/4. From 1845 onwards, 25 district model schools were established, including Cork Model School. Each year a number of male and female ‘pupil teachers’ were trained and housed at the school. The model schools were managed by the local district inspector and their teachers were directly appointed by the Board of National Education. The Royal Commission on Education (1868-1870) deemed that the model schools were an overly expensive method of teacher training and their use for this purpose ceased from about 1883 onwards, the model schools thereafter continuing to function as ordinary national schools. Following national independence in 1922, National Education Board functions were taken over by the Department of Education. Model schools admitted children of all denominations and social classes. However, in 1863, Catholic Church leaders banned Catholic pupils from attending, because of dissatisfaction with the religious instruction provided. Thus many model schools became Protestant in ethos, while in later years a number of others, including Cork, became Irish language schools (scoileanna lán ghaelige/gael scoileanna), teaching predominantly Catholic pupils. Notably, the registers and roll books record the attendance of a small number of pupils of the Jewish faith, whose families arrived in Cork, mainly in the 1890-1910 period. Past pupils at the school include former Lord Mayors Gerald Goldberg and Peter Barry.
  • Archival History ↴

    Deposited in the Archives in 1990
  • Immediate Source Acquisition ↴

    Donation

Content & Structure

  • Scope & Content: Cork District Model National School ↴

    The collection contains an extensive number of records in many cases dating back to the first years of the school.

    The majority of the collection comprises records relating to pupils at the school including; registers of pupils 1865 – 1973, attendance roll books 1865 – 1990, religious instruction roll and certificate books
    1867 – 1906, French class roll book 1878 – 1881, female cookery and laundry class roll books, 1909 –
    1949, daily marks books 1911 – 1921. (See also – financial records, cash books)

    Teacher and teacher training records including; registers of teachers and monitors 1865, 1903 – 1924, extern, monitor and pupil teacher attendance books 1865 – 1998, daily report books 1865 – 1975, weekly, monthly and quarterly report books, 1866 – 1905, monitors training results 1867 – 1888, monthly progress reports, 1952 – 1967.

    Inspectors records including report and observation books and advice books, 1867 – 1960.

    Financial records, 1865 – 1939, mainly including cash books recording payment of fees; a payment and receipt book, and a requisition book.

    (See list of items and descriptions for detailed descriptions of contents.)

  • Appraisal Destruction ↴

    Permanent Retention
  • Arrangement ↴

    A: Pupil Records (1865 – 1990) (212 items)
    1. Registration of Pupils (1865 – 1973)
    2. Attendance Roll Books (1865 – 1990)
    3. Religious Instruction (1867 – 1906)
    4. French Class (1878 – 1881)
    5. Female Cookery and Laundry (1909 – 1949)
    6. Daily Marks Books (1911 – 1921)
    B: Teacher and Teacher Training Records (1865 – 1975) (67 items)
    1. Registers (1865, 1903 – 1924)
    2. Attendance Books (1865 – 1898)
    3. Daily Report Books (1865 – 1975)
    4. Weekly Report Books (1866 – 1878)
    5. Monthly Report Books (1878 – 1883)
    6. Quarterly Report Books (1884 – 1905)
    7. Monthly Progress Report (1952 – 1967)
    8. Monitors Training Results (1867 – 1888)
    C: Inspectors’ Records (1867 – 1960) (4 items) D: Financial Records (1865 – 1939) (29 items)

Conditions of Access & Use

Access Conditions Records containing mainly personal information such as pupil registers and roll books, that are less than 100 years old, are subject to access restrictions. All other records more than 30 years old are open by appointment to those holding a current readers ticket.
Conditions Governing ReproductionSubject to rules governing reproduction of records of CCCA
Creation Dates1865-1990
Level of DescriptionFonds
Extent Medium298 volumes + 3 boxes
Material Language ScriptEnglish, Irish
Finding Aids Descriptive list Archive Web Link →

Allied Materials

Related MaterialCCCA: Other National School records Elsewhere: Commissioners for National Education records (National Archives of Ireland) Office of Public Works, architectural drawings of Cork Model School, Ref. OPW5HC/4/869 (National Archives of Ireland)
Publication NoteNational Archives web site (www.nationalarchives.ie ) Evening Echo and Cork Examiner, newspaper articles, 1984, 1990, 1993. Dictionary of Irish Architects, Irish Architectural Archive (www.dia.ie)

Descriptive Control Area

Archivist NoteBrian McGee; Michael Higgins
Rules/ConventionsISAD(G): General International Standard Archival Description. 2nd ed. Ottawa: International Council on Archives, 2000.
Date of DescriptionsJun-11