The establishment of the National University of Ireland (NUI) in 1908 brought an end to a protracted dispute over the "Irish university question" which had dominated the Irish political agenda at least since the 1850s. The central issue throughout this entire period was the provision of acceptable university education for lay Catholics,…

Beginning with the Commissioner of Education introduction, Chapter I of Volume 1 covers British and Irish education, including a detailed view of English and Welsh elementary education. French education is addressed in Chapter II, with historic context, contemporary issues, and data. Chapter III details the Prussian 1906 school law requiring…

The Commissioner's introduction to Volume 1 includes state school system statistics. Chapter I addresses vacation schools, playgrounds, and settlements, with discussion of poor children in major cities, playground conditions, playground social conditions, play psychology, and settlement-movement history. Subsequent chapters cover laws concerning…