Sir, - This letter touches on a point raised by other correspondents concerning the issue of free admission and the educational role of publicly funded institutions. When Pat Cooke of the Irish Museums Association (February 28th) wrote about "museums being burdened with educational obligations" he meant it positively, because he is fully aware of the substantial cost of providing the specialist and dedicated staff that a fully fledged education service requires, and because he is aware that local museums are struggling to employ education officers.
The more national and local museums are able to employ people trained in museum education, the more they will be able to make their collections accessible to the general public. He is correct to direct attention to this point, because the role of education in museums is rarely explained.
It was for the purpose of "educating public taste" that major institutions such as the National Museum and Natural History Museum, the National Archive the Chester Beatty Library and Gallery of Oriental Art, the National Library and the National Gallery of Ireland were founded, many over a century ago, in addition to their essential role of acquiring, conserving, displaying, researching and interpreting their national and international collections.
When the notion of a public museum was first developed in the last century, it was based on the principle that society wished to commit public funds to these institutions in the belief that the link between free access and education was paramount. In 1854, when the National Gallery of Ireland was established by an Act of Parliament, one of the first members of the Board of Governors explained that "the chief objective of such an institution, as an educational one, demanded that - it should be open free of charge."
Over 140 years later, it is important to understand that a portion of government funding to these institutions is specifically devoted to employing education staff and providing an education service. Educating for present and future generations is, therefore, implicit in the function of our cultural institutions. - Yours, etc.,
Head of Education National Gallery,
Dublin.