Like any historical source, the Schools’ Collection is a product of its era (the late 1930s), one shaped by contemporary ideologies; it shows the views and the prejudices of those who participated. The schoolteachers, in particular, decided which of the many available stories and themes were appropriate, valuable and interesting, and they directed their pupils as they saw fit - or, sometimes, took over the task themselves. The amount and quality of material collected is largely due to their input and influence. This additional editorial voice - and the consequent distance between informants and archivists - makes the Schools’ Collection different from other collections in the National Folklore Collection.
Ar nós foinse stairiúil ar bith ní mór a chur san áireamh nach léargas barántúil ar a ré féin é Bailiúchán na Scol ach táirge a cruthaíodh agus a múnlaíodh de réir idé-eolaíocht a linne agus a léiríonn dearcadh agus claonadh na ndaoine a raibh páirt acu ann. An cnuasach ollmhór seo a bhailigh páistí scoile sna 1930idí agus a bhfuil digitiú déanta air le gairid, is toradh é ar roghanna a rinneadh ag an am. Ba iad na múinteoirí, go háirithe, a roghnaigh céard a bhí oiriúnach, luachmhar agus fiúntach i measc an iliomad scéalta agus téamaí a bhféadfaí díriú orthu. Ar an dóigh sin tá Bailiúchán na Scol éagsúil ó bhailiúcháin eile Choimisiún Béaloideasa Éireann (CBÉ) sa mhéid is go raibh fórsaí breise ag imirt tionchair ar chuntais na bhfaisnéiseoirí. D’fheidhmigh na múinteoirí seo mar idirghabhálaithe idir foireann an Choimisiúin agus a gcuid faisnéiseoirí agus tá gnéithe sainiúla ag baint le hábhar Bhailiúchán na Scol de thoradh ar an achar seo idir na béaloideasaithe lánaimseartha agus a n-ábhar staidéir. San alt seo, féachtar ar na múinteoirí úd le fáil amach cérbh iad féin agus cén tionchar a bhí acu ar ábhar Bhailiúchán na Scol. Baintear feidhm go háirithe as na nótaí a d’fhág siad féin sna himleabhair agus as sonraí eile atá sna leabhair chéanna le tulleadh tuisceana a fháil orthu. Léiríonn an fhianaise sin an ról lárnach a bhí ag na múinteoirí i roghnú agus i gcur i láthair an ábhair.
In this article we look at those teachers to see who they were and what influence they may have had on the Schools’ Collection. Introductory and explanatory notes left by some teachers in the volumes of folklore they submitted from their schools provide the main source of evidence. Reviving the Irish language was regarded as a task for schools, and there is evidence of this, and of the perceived link between the language and ‘true Irishness’, in the teachers’ writings. There is evidence that some teachers enjoyed working on the Schools’ Collection enormously and were immensely proud of their pupils. Others were dismissive or apologetic about their submissions and wary of the cigire (inspector), citing poverty, misplaced local pride, the urban location or pro-British influence as reasons for inadequate submissions
