. 
CITY OF LONDONDERRY. 
The school has long been justly esteemed most respectable, and many who have filled 
high stations in life, have been educated at it. In the Report of the Commissioners of Education 
m 1825, this school is stated to be “ one of the best conducted and most useful schools in Ire- 
land. It was removed to its present site in 1814, [see State as to Buildings ], and an act of 
Paili ament was obtained by which the dean and chapter were appointed trustees. 
For the last few years, however, the number had gone on declining, especially in boarders, 
until at length there were none but day scholars, of whom 30 were educated by the Rev. Mr! 
Knox, then the master, as free scholars, being ten above the prescribed number, which had 
been already augmented to 20 by the new trustees. 
A little more than a year ago Mr. Knox retired, worn out by a faithful discharge of his ardu¬ 
ous duties, continued during nearly 40 years, and the trustees having appointed the present master, 
exerted themselves to the utmost to restore the school to its former state of prosperity. In addi¬ 
tion to 24 free day scholars, the school at present consists of 26 boarders, and 6 grown lads who study 
here, but attend examinations at college. The advantage of thus educating the children of the 
gentry within their own county is of equal importance to that of affording the higher means of 
instruction to those of the respectable town’s-people. Appeals have been made to the generosity 
ot those London companies who have withdrawn their subscriptions, and it is hoped that by their 
aid, and the liberality of the more wealthy gentry, something may be effected towards the perma¬ 
nent establishment, in Derry, of regular teachers of drawing, and of modem languages—the want 
of assistants, so essential in perfecting education being seriously felt, not merely in this school but 
in the city at large. 
English.— In these schools the education of pupils of the upper ranks frequently includes 
one or more of the modern languages, together with various accomplishments, such as music 
drawing, dancing, and, in female schools, needle-work, in addition to the ordinary routine of a 
purely English course. In those intended for the humbler ranks the education is confined to 
reading and writing, with the addition of arithmetic for boys, and plain needle-work for o-irls 
who are also taught some of the lower rules of arithmetic: in Gwyn’s alone, the course is more 
comprehensive, and it is rendered still more so, by the use of books containing numerous extracts 
from works in natural history, or on other useful subjects. It is indeed surprising that in all 
schools for the poor, this easy method of rendering the acquisition of a knowledge°of words a 
step towards the real knowledge of things, is not adopted. 
The public English schools are 10, of which 7 are in the city, or suburbs, and 3 in the 
country. . The 7 civic schools consist of Gwyn’s charitable institution, the parish school the 
I resbyteiian meeting-house school, the St. Columb’s school, the London ladies’ society’s school 
the gaol school, and the penitentiary school. The barrack school, from its migratory nature cannot 
be included. 
Gwyn’s Charitable Institution .—This school, the institution of which shall be more 
fully noticed under the head “ Benevolence,” was opened in 1833, pursuant to the will of Mr. 
John Gwyn, the founder. The system of intellectual instruction, as prescribed in the will, includes 
spelling, reading, writing, and arithmetic, with book-keeping, and navigation, under certain circum¬ 
stances. In addition to these English grammar, geography, &c. are taught at the discretion of 
the trustees. The system followed embraces catachetical and mental calculation to a considerable 
extent—many of the children exhibiting great quickness in this most valuable practical application 
or mathematics. ri 
The Parish School .—The parish school is of ancient foundation, having originated in an 
act of the 28th Henry the 8th, by which any person receiving spiritual promotion was bound by 
oath to establish within his district “a school to learn English, if any of the children of the parish 
should come to him to learn the same, taking for the keeping of the same school such convenient 
stipend or salary as in the said land was accustomably used to be taken.” This act was confirmed 
by one passed in the 7th William the 3rd, “ to the intent that no pretence may be made or used, 
that there are not sufficient number of schools in this realm to instruct and inform the v 7 outh 
thereof in the English language and other literature.” 3 
The male children are taught reading, writing, and arithmetic; the female, reading, writing 
and sewing, with arithmetic, as far as proportion, inclusive. The expenses of apprentices, the 
repairs and fuel, are defrayed from an annual subscription of £30 from the Irish Society,’flO 
from the bishop, and £2 from the dean ; if any surplus remain, after defraying these expenses 
it is laid out on clothes for the poorer children. 
The master receives a fixed annual salary of £20, to which £10 are added, provided the 
management and progress of the school be approved. 
The master of this school has further been, a successful candidate for one of the £10 premiums 
for the last four years, offered by the board of Erasmus Smith’s fund in Dublin. 
The sa 'ary of the mistress is arranged on the same principle—namely, £14 fixed—a gratuity 
of £8 granted on the inspector’s report, and the chance of a premium of £5. By the rules of the 
