Stanley letter
Encyclopedia
The Stanley letter is a letter written in 1831 which helped the British Government to establish legal basis for national schools in Ireland
. The letter was written two years after Daniel O'Connell
had brought Catholic Emancipation
to Ireland and was penned by the Chief Secretary for Ireland, Edward Stanley (later Prime Minister
of the United Kingdom
as Edward Smith-Stanley, 14th Earl of Derby
) and was addressed to the Duke of Leinster
.
In line with the Letter's suggestions, a Board of Commission of National Education was established which disbursed funds for school building, the hiring of teachers and inspectors and provided grants for schools. The Board tried to mix Catholic and Protestant students by favouring applications for 'mixed' schools. However, in the years after the 1830s, different religious denominations begin to apply separately for control of schools to the extent that in 2010, approximately 1% of schools (34 out of 3279) are not under the control of a religious organization, with the remaining 99% under religious control.
The Stanley letter remains today the legal basis for all national schools in the Republic of Ireland
, the predominant form of primary education
in the country.
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 letter was written two years after Daniel O'Connell
Daniel O'Connell
Daniel O'Connell Daniel O'Connell Daniel O'Connell (6 August 1775 – 15 May 1847; often referred to as The Liberator, or The Emancipator, was an Irish political leader in the first half of the 19th century...
had brought Catholic Emancipation
Catholic Emancipation
Catholic emancipation or Catholic relief was a process in Great Britain and Ireland in the late 18th century and early 19th century which involved reducing and removing many of the restrictions on Roman Catholics which had been introduced by the Act of Uniformity, the Test Acts and the penal laws...
to Ireland and was penned by the Chief Secretary for Ireland, Edward Stanley (later Prime Minister
Prime minister
A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...
of the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
as Edward Smith-Stanley, 14th Earl of Derby
Edward Smith-Stanley, 14th Earl of Derby
Edward George Geoffrey Smith-Stanley, 14th Earl of Derby, KG, PC was an English statesman, three times Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, and to date the longest serving leader of the Conservative Party. He was known before 1834 as Edward Stanley, and from 1834 to 1851 as Lord Stanley...
) and was addressed to the Duke of Leinster
Augustus FitzGerald, 3rd Duke of Leinster
Augustus Frederick FitzGerald, 3rd Duke of Leinster, etc., PC, PC was an Irish peer and freemason, styled Marquess of Kildare from birth until 1804. He was born and died in Carton....
.
In line with the Letter's suggestions, a Board of Commission of National Education was established which disbursed funds for school building, the hiring of teachers and inspectors and provided grants for schools. The Board tried to mix Catholic and Protestant students by favouring applications for 'mixed' schools. However, in the years after the 1830s, different religious denominations begin to apply separately for control of schools to the extent that in 2010, approximately 1% of schools (34 out of 3279) are not under the control of a religious organization, with the remaining 99% under religious control.
The Stanley letter remains today the legal basis for all national schools in the Republic of Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
, the predominant form of primary education
Primary education
A primary school is an institution in which children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as primary or elementary education. Primary school is the preferred term in the United Kingdom and many Commonwealth Nations, and in most publications of the United Nations Educational,...
in the country.