A local book club is asking their members to read
A local book club is asking their members to read our book. It might seem strange at first but then you realise the incredible story which unfolds in the book.
Education was not free up to the 1960s. When free education was announced it meant a huge building programme all over Ireland and it meant the end of many boarding schools including Colaiste Iosagáin. Corporal punishment was used as a normal sanction until the 1970s. Changing from a Preparatory School with highly capable student to a Mixed Ability intake was a major problem for teachers. Changing from a single sex all boys school to a coeducational school meant a huge mind shift for teachers. Having a Smoking Room for students seems unbelievable now.The anecdotes in the book build a strange picture of a very fast changing Ireland.
The arrival of television, computers and mobile phones changed schools and the people in them. We tend to forget the massive changes which have taken place in a very short period of time. So maybe the Book Club is doing the right thing. There is certainly a lot to discuss!
