Industrial school
Encyclopedia
In Ireland
the Industrial Schools Act of 1868 established industrial schools to care for "neglected, orphaned and abandoned children". By 1884 there were 5,049 children in such institutions.
In England
the 1857 Industrial Schools Act was intended to solve problems of juvenile delinquency
, by removing poor and neglected children from their home environment to a boarding school
. The Act allowed magistrate
s to send disorderly children to a residential industrial school. An 1876 Act led to non-residential day schools of a similar kind.
There were similar arrangements in Scotland
, where the Industrial Schools Act came into force in 1866. The schools cared for neglected children and taught them a trade, with an emphasis on preventing crime. Some of these schools were known as reformatories or, later, as approved school
s. In recent times these schools have become notorious for the rampant sexual
, physical
and mental
abuse that took place within their walls, often at the hands of members of the religious order
s running them.
was established in 2000 with functions including the investigation of abuse of children in institutions in the State. It was dependent on people giving evidence which they did in large numbers.
The conclusions of the report issued in May 2009 (Report of the Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse, 2009)are copied below. 42 of the 43 conclusions refer to the Industrial Schools. They are in themselves a useful summary of what an industrial school in Ireland was, as well as a damning indictment of Ireland, Church, State and society.
the Act."
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
the Industrial Schools Act of 1868 established industrial schools to care for "neglected, orphaned and abandoned children". By 1884 there were 5,049 children in such institutions.
In England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
the 1857 Industrial Schools Act was intended to solve problems of juvenile delinquency
Juvenile delinquency
Juvenile delinquency is participation in illegal behavior by minors who fall under a statutory age limit. Most legal systems prescribe specific procedures for dealing with juveniles, such as juvenile detention centers. There are a multitude of different theories on the causes of crime, most if not...
, by removing poor and neglected children from their home environment to a boarding school
Boarding school
A boarding school is a school where some or all pupils study and live during the school year with their fellow students and possibly teachers and/or administrators. The word 'boarding' is used in the sense of "bed and board," i.e., lodging and meals...
. The Act allowed magistrate
Magistrate
A magistrate is an officer of the state; in modern usage the term usually refers to a judge or prosecutor. This was not always the case; in ancient Rome, a magistratus was one of the highest government officers and possessed both judicial and executive powers. Today, in common law systems, a...
s to send disorderly children to a residential industrial school. An 1876 Act led to non-residential day schools of a similar kind.
There were similar arrangements in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, where the Industrial Schools Act came into force in 1866. The schools cared for neglected children and taught them a trade, with an emphasis on preventing crime. Some of these schools were known as reformatories or, later, as approved school
Approved School
Approved School is a term formerly used in the United Kingdom to mean a particular kind of residential institution to which young people could be sent by a court, usually for committing offences but sometimes because they were deemed to be beyond parental control...
s. In recent times these schools have become notorious for the rampant sexual
Sexual abuse
Sexual abuse, also referred to as molestation, is the forcing of undesired sexual behavior by one person upon another. When that force is immediate, of short duration, or infrequent, it is called sexual assault. The offender is referred to as a sexual abuser or molester...
, physical
Physical abuse
Physical abuse is abuse involving contact intended to cause feelings of intimidation, injury, or other physical suffering or bodily harm.-Forms of physical abuse:*Striking*Punching*Belting*Pushing, pulling*Slapping*Whipping*Striking with an object...
and mental
Psychological abuse
Psychological abuse, also referred to as emotional abuse or mental abuse, is a form of abuse characterized by a person subjecting or exposing another to behavior that may result in psychological trauma, including anxiety, chronic depression, or post-traumatic stress disorder...
abuse that took place within their walls, often at the hands of members of the religious order
Religious order
A religious order is a lineage of communities and organizations of people who live in some way set apart from society in accordance with their specific religious devotion, usually characterized by the principles of its founder's religious practice. The order is composed of initiates and, in some...
s running them.
The Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse in Ireland
The Commission to Inquire into Child AbuseCommission to Inquire into Child Abuse
The Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse is one of a range of measures introduced by the Irish Government to investigate the extent and effects of abuse on children from 1936 onwards. It is commonly known in Ireland as the Ryan Commission , after its chair, Justice Seán Ryan...
was established in 2000 with functions including the investigation of abuse of children in institutions in the State. It was dependent on people giving evidence which they did in large numbers.
The conclusions of the report issued in May 2009 (Report of the Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse, 2009)are copied below. 42 of the 43 conclusions refer to the Industrial Schools. They are in themselves a useful summary of what an industrial school in Ireland was, as well as a damning indictment of Ireland, Church, State and society.
Vaccine Trials
Vaccine trials in some Industrial Schools were to be investigated by the Commission, but were discontinued by the Commission in 2003 following Court judgement. In a statement on their website the Commission said " The Vaccine Trials Inquiry was a Division of the Investigation Committee. Judicial Review proceedings seeking, inter alia , a declaration that the Order which established the Vaccine Trials Inquiry was ultra vires the Act of 2000, were initiated in November 2003. On 25 November 2003, an undertaking was given to the High Court, by the Commission, that it would not conduct any hearings in relation to the matters within the ambit of the Order, until the matter was settled. The practical effect of this undertaking was that the work of the Division was suspended at that point and never re-commenced, given the subsequent decision of the Court, that the Order was ultra viresUltra vires
Ultra vires is a Latin phrase meaning literally "beyond the powers", although its standard legal translation and substitute is "beyond power". If an act requires legal authority and it is done with such authority, it is...
the Act."
See also
- Magdalen AsylumMagdalen AsylumMagdalene asylums were institutions from the 18th to the mid-20th centuries ostensibly for "fallen women", a term used to imply sexual promiscuity....
- Haut de la GarenneHaut de la GarenneThe Jersey Accommodation and Activity Centre is a building in Saint Martin, Jersey, in the Channel Islands. It was formerly known as the Industrial School, the Jersey Home for Boys, and Haut de la Garenne. Its previous uses have included being an industrial school, a children's home, a military...
- For a comprehensive list of Irish Industrial schools see Industrial Schools in IrelandIndustrial Schools in IrelandIndustrial Schools, were established in Ireland under the Industrial Schools Act of 1868 to care for "neglected, orphaned and abandoned children". By 1884, there were 5,049 children in such institutions throughout the country....
.
External links
- Reformatory and Industrial School legislation for Ireland
- Industrial Schools in Scotland
- Industrial Schools in England
- History of child abuse in Ireland: Industrial schools
- Ultimate Disposal
- http://www.butterfliesandwheels.org/2006/the-goldenbridge-secret-rosary-bead-factory/
- St Michael's Industrial School, Wexford, 1901 & 1911 census
- Report of the Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse, 2009}} Click VIEW/OPEN to download.