Education Policy In Ireland Since 1922

This book examines educational policy at primary, secondary and university level in Ireland from the foundation of the State to the present day. Primarily an attempt to set policy within a historical context, the book draws together compelling research on the evolution of key changes in topics as diverse as the use of corporal punishment, the evolution of skills policy in post-primary settings and the development of the universities in the post-1922 period. The book includes detailed analysis of more recent policy initiatives and changes in, initial teacher education, curriculum change, and special and inclusive education and will be of interest to those working in the various fields, students and the general public. It presents detailed discussions of change in the Irish education system, demonstrating how policy initiatives, particularly since the early 1990s, have brought about significant transformation at all levels. In doing so, the book also demonstrates that the origin of change often lay in earlier developments, particularly those of the mid-1960s. Policy development is closely linked to external factors and influences and chapters on academic selection and teachers' recollections of policy, for example, set developments within the wider historical context employing the views and recollections of teachers so that the influence of change on day-to-day practice is revealed. Brendan Walsh is Associate Professor of Education at the School of Policy and Practice, Dublin City University. His primary research interests are the history of education, policy and initial teacher education, and he has published widely on these topics.

This book examines educational policy at primary, secondary and university level in Ireland from the foundation of the State to the present day. Primarily an attempt to set policy within a historical context, the book draws together compelling research on the evolution of key changes in topics as diverse as the use of corporal punishment, the evolution of skills policy in post-primary settings and the development of the universities in the post-1922 period. The book includes detailed analysis of more recent policy initiatives and changes in, initial teacher education, curriculum change, and special and inclusive education and will be of interest to those working in the various fields, students and the general public. It presents detailed discussions of change in the Irish education system, demonstrating how policy initiatives, particularly since the early 1990s, have brought about significant transformation at all levels. In doing so, the book also demonstrates that the origin of change often lay in earlier developments, particularly those of the mid-1960s. Policy development is closely linked to external factors and influences and chapters on academic selection and teachers’ recollections of policy, for example, set developments within the wider historical context employing the views and recollections of teachers so that the influence of change on day-to-day practice is revealed.

This book explores the emergence of the modern higher education sector in the independent Irish state. The author traces its origins from the traditional universities, technical schools and teacher training colleges at the start of the twentieth century, cataloguing its development into the complex, multi-layered and diverse system of the early twenty-first century. Focusing on the socio-political and cultural contexts which shaped the evolution of higher education, the author analyses the interplay between the state, academic institutions and other key institutional actors – notably churches, cultural organizations, employers, trade unions and supranational bodies. This study explores policy, structural and institutional change in Irish higher education, suggesting that the emergence of the modern higher education system in Ireland was influenced by ideologies and trends which owed much to a wider European and international context. The book considers how the exercise of power at local, national and international level impinged on the mission, purpose and values of higher education and on the creation and expansion of a distinctive higher education system. The author also explores a transformation in public and political understandings of the role of higher education, charting the gradual evolution from traditionalist conceptions of the academy as a repository for cultural and religious value formation, to the re-positioning of higher education as a vital factor in the knowledge based economy. This comprehensive volume will appeal to students and scholars of the Irish education system, educators and practitioners in the field, and those interested in higher education in Ireland more generally.

This study of teacher preparation policy and practice in Ireland from Independence in 1921 to the present, highlights, within an international context, the extent to which the focus of preparation moved from nation-building until 1967, when free second-level education was introduced, to one concerned with improving the country’s human capital.

This book examines the radical reform that occurred during the final two decades of British rule in Ireland when William Starkie (1860–1920) presided as Resident Commissioner for the Board. Following the lead of industrialized nations, Irish members of parliament sought to encourage the establishment of a state-funded school system during the early nineteenth century. The year 1831 saw the creation of the Irish National School System. Central to its workings was the National Board of Education which had the responsibility for distributing government funds to aid in the building of schools, the payment of inspectors and teachers, the publication of textbooks, and the cost of teacher training. In the midst of radical political and cultural change within Ireland, visionaries and leaders like Starkie filled an indispensable role in Irish education. They oversaw the introduction of a radical child-centered primary school curriculum, often referred to as the ‘new education’. Filling a gap in Irish history, this book provides a much needed overview of the changes that occurred in primary education during the 22 years leading up to Ireland’s independence.

This book examines the role of history teaching in Irish secondary schools in the period 1922-72. It assesses what objectives were the most important in history teaching and what interests school history was designed to serve. The emphasis is on the political, cultural, social and economic factors that determined the content of the history curriculum and its development. The primary focus is on the politics and policy of history teaching, including the respective contributions of church and state to the formulation of the history programmes. It is argued that a particular view of Ireland’s past as a Gaelic, Catholic-nationalist one informed the ideas of policy makers and thus provided the basis of state education policy, and history teaching specifically. The conclusion drawn is that history teaching was used by elite interest groups, namely the state and the church, in the service of their own interests. It was used to justify the state’s existence and employed as an instrument of religious education. History was exploited in the pursuit of the objectives of the cultural revival movement, being used to legitimise the restoration of Irish as a spoken language.

This book is an introductory guide for students and researchers in the history of Irish education from 1780 -1922. The nineteenth century saw the foundation of the national school system of primary education, the setting up of the Intermediate Board examination system for secondary schools and the foundation of the Queen's Colleges to provide university education. The guide outlines the key issues of education policy and evaluates the wealth of official reports available to the historian of Irish education, both in the British Parliamentary Papers and in archival repositories, such as the National Archives of Ireland and the National Library of Ireland. It offers guidance on the use of these sources, particularly for local education studies.

What does religion mean to modern Ireland and what is its recent social and political history? The Oxford Handbook of Religion in Modern Ireland provides in-depth analysis of the relationships between religion, society, politics, and everyday life on the island of Ireland from 1800 to the twenty-first century. Taking a chronological and all-island approach, it explores the complex and changing role of religion both before and after partition. The handbook's thirty-two chapters address long-standing historical and political debates about religion, identity, and politics, including religion's contributions to division and violence. They also offer perspectives on how religion interacts with education, the media, law, gender and sexuality, science, literature, and memory. Whilst providing insight into how everyday religious practices have intersected with the institutional structures of Catholicism and Protestantism, the book also examines the island's increasing religious diversity, including the rise of those with 'no religion'. Written by leading scholars in the field and emerging researchers with new perspectives, this is an authoritative and up-to-date volume that offers a wide-ranging and comprehensive survey of the enduring significance of religion on the island.