The practical visionary who showed how to each maths and science

CONCERN has been expressed again regarding the Leaving Cert results for maths and science. Perhaps the education minister and all those concerned should consider revisiting the methods of a 19th century pioneer of Irish education, Bro James Dominic Burke.

Limerick-born Bro Burke, who was based most of his life at the North Monastery in Cork, was a firm believer in practical work. He preferred to let pupils discover things practically than just study books. He used playing fields to demonstrate mathematical problems and developed science labs when nothing like that was even contemplated before then.

For his pupils it was very much watching and discovering, with very few books, and apparently it was a great success. The Intermediate Act of 1878/9 stalled such work, however, with written exams now coming to the fore (the middle classes demanded less emphasis on practical work). Maybe now, over a century later, the Government should study Bro Burke’s visionary methods, which were lauded internationally at the time, and apply at least some of these to rectify the flaws in the current method of maths and science teaching.