The Professionalization of “Literary Teachers,” 1788–1800

As schooling proliferated, “literary teachers” were developing a professional identity independent of social structures that had traditionally defined the role of educators. The Literary Teachers Society (LTS), also known as the Abecedarian Society, was formed to address the needs of independent schoolmasters and their employees. The defining characteristic of “literary teaching” as a profession was the centrality of the printed word, and the goal of schooling was to use printed texts effectively. The LTS helped establish a professional identity for educators several decades before the establishment of the Irish national school system in 1831.