Education in Ireland

1. Education in Ireland

2. Some Terminology…

3. Education Sectors / Levels

4. Some background history to Irish education…

5. 1690 – The Battle of the Boyne:the beginning of the end of Gaelic Ireland /Education

6. Protestant Prince William of Orange (Holland) defeated Catholic King James II (England)

7. 1695-1830: Penal Laws(Anti-Catholic Laws introduced by the British) • Catholics were prohibited from entering the Ireland’s commercial, professional, religious and educational life. • No Catholic teacher was allowed to teach in a school.

8. 1695 -1830: Penal Laws… • Catholic teachers were fined £20 and imprisoned for 3 months if they were caught teaching. • Catholics continued to be barred from Trinity College, which had been established in 1592. • Illegal “Hedge” Schools were set up to educate the Catholic population.

9. A Hedge School

10. The main subjects taught in Hedge Schools were the “Three Rs”1. Reading2. Writing3. (a)RithmeticOther subjects: History, Geography, Natural Science, and Christian Doctrine. Some teachers taught Greek and Latin.

11. Religious Orders/Groups also established schools (illegally) to provide education to the Catholic population (80%)

12. A religious order dedicated to teaching poor Catholic school children. Founded a Catholic school in Cork City in 1775, despite the Penal Law ban. Nano Nagle (1718-1784)founder of the Presentation Sisters

13. A religious group dedicated to teaching First school for poor children was in a stable (horse’s “home”) in Waterford, southeast Ireland Currently have 122 schools in Ireland Edmund Rice (1762-1844)Founder of the Christian Brothers in 1808

14. Christian Brothers Schools Around the World

15. 1830 – Catholic Emancipation was achieved by Daniel O’Connell,the “Liberator”

16. 1834 – National Education Act • For the first time since 1695, the State provided primary education for Catholic school-children. • All lessons were taught through English. • The Irish/Gaelic language was forbidden in the classroom.

17. The Great Famine, 1845-50

18. The Irish Famine1845-1850Ireland’s greatest disaster/tragedy (Famine = no food)

19. Most people were dependent on the potato for their daily food

20. For five successive years, the crop was destroyed by a disease called “Blight”

21. Hunger and Starvation spread throughout Ireland (esp. the west)

22. Staying alive was more important than education. School attendance declineddramatically.

23. Immigration was chosen by those who could afford the price of a ticket.Statues of Famine Emigrants, Dublin port

24. 140 years of non-existent or haphazard education had left its mark on the Irish people. Irish immigrants had few work-skills and were quite anarchic.

25. Many Americans were not happy to see the poor and ill-educated Irish arrive in cities such as Boston, Chicago, and New York.

26. “The Gangs of New York” (movie) dramatises the poor reception that the Irish received.

27. Anti-Irish Images:The Irish as portrayed in some British and American magazines in the middle of the 19th century

28. The Irish Frankenstein:An “innocent” landlord is attacked by an Irishman.

29. The Simian Paddy (The Ape-like Irishman)

32. By 1850, many villages in Ireland were practically deserted

33. The effects of the Famine… • One million people died directly from starvation. • One million people emigrated to America Britain, and Australia. • Emigration became a trend  1990s • Late marriages became the norm • The Gaelic speaking population (mostly in the West) declined sharply. • By 1910, Ireland was primarily an Anglophone country.

34. Gaelic-speaking Areas (2000)

35. Demographics… Ireland’s population fell dramatically:1845 – 8.3 million people1930 – 4 million people 2007 – 5.8 million (Figures are for the Republic and Northern Ireland)

36. Education became the key to success.The English education system was used in Ireland:- lots of rote learning or “learning by heart”- subject and exam-oriented - NOT pupil-centred

37. Patrick Pearse, Irish nationalist, described the effect of the English education system in Ireland in his book“The Murder Machine” (1916)

39. 1922: Independence26 of Ireland’s 32 Countiesbecame independent from Britain.

40. The new state was too poor to fund education so religious orders/groups continued to be the main providers of education at primary and secondary level.

41. Most schools were privately controlledby religious ordersbut publicly funded.(This remains the case today.)

42. Attempts to revive the Gaelic/Irish language Gaelic became a compulsory subject for all Primary and Secondary students. Gaelic was needed for all government jobs and entry into the Gardai Siochana (the “protectors of the peace” or the police). The education system remained subject-centred and exam-focused.

43. In 1967, Free Secondary School education was introduced.

44. 1972 Ireland joined the EEC (EU)From 1972 – to present,Ireland has received over €50b.This has been spent primarily on 3rd Level/University education and transport infrastructure.

45. In the 1970s, the State became more involved in the education system.Mixed-sex Comprehensive and Vocational/Technical schools were established under the supervision of secular/lay committees.Around 30% of schools today are Comprehensives or Vocational/ Technical Colleges.

46. New Universities were also built:e.g. Dublin City University and Limerick University

47. Primary and SecondaryTeachers’ Pay-scales (2010) • Year 1 = €33,041 • Year 10 = €43,612 • Year 15 = €49,996 • Years 17 to 20 = €52,472 • Year 25 = €59,359 • Year 35 = €61,683

48. Secondary Sector:Part-Time Hourly Rate1. Qualified casual hourly rate = €46.85 2. Unqualified hourly rate = €40.85

49. Substitute Primary Teachers: Daily rate of pay (2010) €195.33

50. Percentage Change in Irish Student Population Numbers 1993-2003 • 1st Primary Level: - 13% • 2nd Secondary Level: - 8% • 3rd University or College Level: + 50%