History of Education Essay

Introduction The percentage point between 1965 and the latter(prenominal) halt of the eighties witnessed significant victimisations in the provision of positioning pristine procreation in Ireland. This coincided with motleys in Irish and hence worldwide society. What makes the changes that came near so significant was the position that for so big preparation insurance in Ireland had remained practic tout ensembley untouched. From the 1920s to the 1950s, Ireland was still a place where preparation was seen as Ideological and a preserve of the middle classes.The church/ spectral orders were still underpinning the structures in k instantaneouslyledge. The 1920s was the era of the Gaelic League, and an attempt at reviving the ancient life of Ireland as a Gaelic State. During this meter little was done to tackle the low trains of participation in raising, specially amongst some groups of society, fussyly volume from unequaler socio frugal argonas, commonwealth from rural atomic number 18as, and girls in bringing up.It was inherently a period of stagnation from the saddle of view of whatever development by regimen, or any change in location from the man towards pedagogy. Children were necessityed on out-of-the- demeanor(prenominal)ms to make ends meet. From the mid-sixties onwards however, things began to change. over the course of the paper I hope to show how the general semipublic judgement of and attitude towards education changed. I will discuss how the political sympathiess attitude towards education too changed, in a physique of ways, including how it was provided, and in addition what was provided as education.Policy, class, Access and Financing are areas that were all areas of major change. I hope to discuss how these changes in the provision of deport- elementary feather education came about, and how the understanding of aiming evolved and were articulated. Changes in public perception of education One of the big gest changes in discipline during the 60s and early 70s, was the way quite a little viewed and understood pedagogy. Ireland in the 1930s and 1940s was in a truly bad economic federal agency, with an ailing saving and mass emigration.Between 1932 and 1948, Tomas Derek served as minister for education and heartively done nothing of major significance. economical conditions were the basis for the decisions made during this cadence. It was felt in that respect was no need to change the plat regulate, peoples thinking was still very rigid, and the thought of kick education wasnt thought of as any way feasible or realistic, with ideas nearly this described as utopian. Developments were still being affected by post war economic conditions. So what paved the way for the change that was to pick out?The American economist and historian, Walt Rostow, in his book, The Stages of Economic Development, argues that in that location are 5 coifs on the Road to Development. He speaks o f a situation where in that respect is a traditional society, where the ruling elite have all the say and thoughts, and the lower in amaze person has little or no prospect of improving their lot. sociable customs and traditional values are strong. He argues that there is a encourage stage, and this is the one I feel Ireland went by in the latter half of the 50s, early 60s.He calls it The Preconditions for Take-off. In this stage people become more(prenominal) away of the possibilities that exist for them, and more cognisant of the benefits of education and developing clean skills for careers away from the traditional farming. Prior to the enthronement in Education bill, and the dawn of Free Education, Free buses, comprehensive schools, course changes, there had to be a change in the way people thought. So what brought about this change?Around this duration there was a radical change in peoples thinking and also in their expectations for life, brought on by, amongst opposi te things The dawn of television, which brought more information into peoples lives, source their minds to new possibilities and bigger expectations of life, The establishment of verbalise television in the mold of Telefis Eireann in 1962, which broadcast shows from Britain and America had a profound change on attitude. Womens rights, the civil rights proceedment, the space race, were separate events of the time that showed people that there were other possibilities right offadays open to them.The 1960s generation were more vocal, liberal, and more politically witting. There was a ontogeny awareness around this time of social exclusion, especially when it comes to people from poorer economic mounts, rural areas, and women. Together, these factors combined to change the way people were thinking about education, and lastly, helped to change the way the state thought about education. People were promptly beginning to see that the lengthy a person could stay in education, and the more qualified they could become, the purify chance they had in life of getting a more in demand(predicate) job and salary.Changes in Investment in Education In name of Investment in education, at the end of the 1950s, and beginning of the 1960s, Ireland was lagging far fucking other countries in the world. To give an example of where we Ireland was at in 1959 in regards to investment in education, Ireland was put 50p per child, whereas Russia was operating at a level fourteen times higher at ? 7, the USA at ? 5 per child, and perhaps more or less significant for us, GB/NI was investing ? 2. 25 per child in education. Ireland was coming from a very poor time in its economic history, post-World War II.However, around 1960, there was an upturn in the thrift. With this came the thinking that there was a need for more skilful skills, in the lead to the building of 35 Vocational schools, where more technical subjects would be taught. The paradox with these schools was that they were poorly resourced, and it was expensive to fund this. The public was becoming increasingly aware of the correlation between spending on education and the attach in the standard of living. There was a growing demand for access code to education for all.The OECD circulate which was outfit in 1962 was produced in 1965. The tale by the OECD was commissioned to analyse the education dodging in Ireland, identify areas of weakness, and recommend changes for the future. It was also supposed to identify the manpower needs of Ireland over the following 15-20 years. What the name did do was highlight the inequalities that existed in terms of opportunity when it came to access to post primary and 3rd level education and a host of other issues. This was to prove a catalyst for change throughout the following 25 years.The OECD report was the most thorough investigation of the Irish education trunk conducted in decades, if not ever. The 1991 OECD review of Irish National Poli cy has referred to the report of 1965 as a landmark twain in the national and outside(a) memory, and remarkable for its comprehensiveness, its studied detachment, its theoretical underpinning, its systematic accumulation of a mass of baseline data, its critical estimates of quantitative trends and not least the originality of the methods that it use to penetrate unexplored territory.It highlighted the high instances of school holdrs at primary level, (around 17,000 per year (Randles 1975216)), a low rate of pupils of vocational students going on to third level, (lack of Institute of technologys at this time), and inequalities in education for children because of geographical location and/or social group, that is, they came from a disadvantaged background financially or from an a rural area with poor access to a school.The report recommended that there was a need for wider participation of students in schooling and for students to be in the education system for longer periods. Th e report also brought up the economic benefits to Ireland of having educated people. This was a change from the precedent way of thinking whereby children were seen to be wasting their time continuing in education when they could be working and earning a wage. Its recommendations allowd the following change magnitude investment to get more children participating in education, and for longer, i. e.the use of scholarship schemes to increase participation a need for form _or_ system of government homework to make better education across the board in Ireland, at all levels A need for a programme of building which included amalgamating smaller schools to form bigger more efficient schools Up skilling and fostering, (or in service) for teachers. The OECD report wasnt alone in highlighting these issues. The Labour Party indemnity papers Challenge and Change in Education 1963, highlighted a lot of the homogeneous issues as the report, and highlighted the need for a less discr iminatory educational system not only ..on social or moral grounds, only when (as) a basic economic investment In the next some years, this country is going to face enormous economic problems, problems which may indeed put our survival as an independent nation in question. It is, therefore, essential that planning in education should be an inherent part of our economic planning. Already shortages of certain types of skill are becoming felt in our economy, and at the same time there is a surplus of other skills resulting in under employment and emigration (Randles 1975).The Federation of Irish second-string Schools (1962) report, Investment in Education in the Republic of Ireland argued that Selfishness is almost unceasingly short-sightedmaintenance of such restrictions (restricting educational expansion) on educational facilities cannot fail to ultimately adversely affect our Irish economy, and thus indirectly injure both themselves and their families(OSullivan 2005269). In 19 66, Donogh OMalley announced loose education was to be introduced. This was a significant development in Irish society.O Malleys thunderbolt, so called collectible to his lack of consultation with people over his announcement, detailed informal education to leaving certificate at the age of 18, and free buses providing transport for students. This was an attempt to keep children in Education for longer and to an cured age. At the time, around 17,000 children left school after finishing primary education. (Randles, 1975216) He also announced that he was raising the age that children could leave school to 15 years of age from 14 years of age.This was due to be in place by 1970, but this was later deferred until 1972. (The ground behind this deferral was due to the success of the voluntary participation in second level education after the free education announcement, and also to give time to train teachers to know how to deal with the extra backward school goers who have less ab ility and/or educational motivation. ) The effect on shapes attending post-primary school was almost immediate, with a intensify in unessential school enrolment of 15,000 between kinsfolk 1966 and September 1967.An example of the popularity of the free bus scheme can be seen in the figures where out of 79,000 pupils in day school, 92% of the day school pupils opted for the free buses scheme-(Randles p. 276) The government estimated that the number of pupils in post-primary schools increase from 149,000 in 1966 to 184,500 in 1968, and that the raising of the school leaving age to 15 years of age would eventually lead to over 200,000 before the end of the third programme for education. (Hyland, Milne et al 1995). The success of the bill can be measured in the figures of how umteen pupils and schools opted into the scheme for free education.OMalley had hoped for a figure of 75% of pupils opting for free education, but the figures showed that in September 1967, the figure was in f act sit at 92%. (Randles 1975276) An extract from the three Programme for Economic and cordial Development 1969-1972 which was laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas in March 1969, shows that the government acknowledging the pertain between education and economic and social development, The vital role of education in economic and social development and the need for fundamental changes in this sector has been repeatedly stressed in recent years.This increased fury has been reflected in the expansion in state outgo. During the first programme, Exchequer expenditure on education (excluding agricultural education) increased from less than ? 16 meg in 1958/59 to over ? 25 million in 1963/64 at current prices. The rate of increase has been even great during the second programme Exchequer expenditure in 1968/69 is estimated at ? 56 million. (Hyland, Milne et al 199541) Changes in Government understanding of education.By the end of the 1960s, it was for the first time that economi c need was shaping education policy rather than pedagogy of the past. This is reflected when Brian Lenihan, who took over as minister for education when Donogh O Malley passed away suddenly in 1968, ordered a review of the education system with a view to job requirements, shape up emphasising the point that it was now an economy driven vision of education that we were adopting. However, this review was cancelled when Fianna hold up returned to power in 1969 and Padraig Faulkner was minister for education.The third Programme for Economic and Social Development also highlighted the need for more qualified teachers. The report states that The number of teachers in secondary and vocational schools has been increasing by about cd per year. The increase in 1968/69 is about 800. (Hyland, Milne et al 199543) To facilitate the demand, there was a greater number of places in the relevant faculties in University, courses confidential information to the high Diploma in education was introd uced in Maynooth, and there was an increase in departmental courses for the procreation of vocational teachers.The growth in the economy and in the technical sector led to the need for more people qualified in the technical areas. This combined with the OECD report highlighting the need for a building programme in Ireland led to the opening of RTCs, regional Technology Institutes. The building of the technical institutes regionally was to serve the dual nominate of tackling the problem of people being geographically disadvantaged, and the need for more technical courses.The relative success in this can be measured in rise of numbers attending, 5. 9% of people took up places in RTCs in 1965, compared to 36. 7% in 1981-1982. The shift in emphasis or the uptake of higher education courses was towards technical courses, going from a level of 80% of students being in higher education in Universities, to 50% of people winning higher education courses taking up places in technical cours es in 1980.Changes in Government understanding of schooling and programme While the period from 1965 to the early seventies was primarily noted for developments such as the macrocosm of free education and bus travel, the raising of the school leavers age, and the introduction of comprehensive and community schools, it is worth also focusing on the curricular and educational policies that took places in this period.The main changes in regards to the curriculum include introducing common courses and examinations in secondary schools, thus enabling students attending vocational schools, comprehensive and community schools to study for the same exams as they would have been doing had they at rest(p) down the traditional route and attended some of the traditional secondary schools. Other changes to the curriculum included the introduction of new subjects, the removal of others, and the changing of content in others.One of the reasons why the second level curriculum was subjected to c ontinuous adaptation around this time(early 1970s) was to cater for the varied needs and abilities of the greater student population, which was a broader spectrum of student that there had been previously. In 1969, Minister for Education Brian Lenihan produced a booklet called, wholly our Children. The idea behind this booklet was to rationalise the changes that were happening in education in Ireland, such as the new Primary School Curriculum, the opening of all-around(prenominal) schools, the new subjects and revision of others, as well as the building of technical colleges.Education in the 1970s may not have strictly followed the guidelines set out in the booklet, but it is an example of the way the government was changing in the way they were thinking about education, and their efforts to keep the public informed. Its publication also highlights the growing demand for information about education from the general population that was occurring at the time. Contrast this to the a ttitude towards education in previous decades and it highlights how far Ireland had come in such a short period of time.A further example of the change in how the government were approaching education and policy was evident when in 1970, then minister for education Padraig Falkner, said that there was now a change in the emphasis in educational, and that it was now a case of passing from that of quantity to quality, i. e. from concentration on an expansion in the number of students attending at educational institutions to particular concern with the diversity of opportunity provided, the suitability of curricula, and long term planning for the future.(Mulchahy, OSullivan 198981) This change in thinking and understanding led to developments such as the social and environmental studies project (SESP) based at St Patricks Comprehensive School in Shannon being set up, as well as projects aimed at developing the curriculum in other schools. The Higher Education Authority was set up by an act of the Oireachtas to advise the government on developing higher educational facilities. In 1971 there was the introduction of the New Curriculum for primary schools.Throughout the 1970s Ireland saw changes at third level, with the setting up of the nine Regional Technical Colleges, two National Institutes of technologies, and the opening of Thomand College. During this period, spending on education soared, from ? 78million in 1970 to ? 443 in 1979. (Hyland, Milne et al 199550) Faulkner also set up a committee in September 1970 to evaluate the present form and function of the Intermediate authentication examination and to advise on new types of public examinations. (Randles 1975315) The rationale behind this came from the drop in the pass rate for the Intermediate Certificate, from 87% in 1968, to 74.6% in 1969 and then 73. 5% in 1970. This can be attributed to students with a larger span of abilities entering post primary and taking the examinations than had been the case befo re, and all of these students targeting the Intermediate exam regardless of its suitability to them. It was now being recognised that the Intermediate exam wasnt suitable to all. The developments at third level are also important to note. Aside from the developmental works/building works done in providing the new RTCs, assist by the setting up of the Higher Education Authority, teacher training was now looked at as being increasingly important.Teacher training courses was extended from two to three years the National Institute for Higher Education was set up in Limerick, and Thomand College acting as a facility where teachers of specialist subjects could be educated. There is also a move to lower the pupil-student ratio, and to have greater accessibility to third level education for all. These changes at government level throughout the 1970s and early 1980s highlight the changes in the thinking behind education. No longer was it a quantity issue, it was now about quality of educati on.Greater facilities, better learn teachers, and increased availability of opportunities at third level are now real issues. If you contrast this to the early 1960s, where it was a case of getting as many people into education, and then keeping them there as long as possible. Conclusion The way schooling in Ireland was understood changed dramatically over the period between 1965 and the end of the 1980s. It is a period of time where there is so much to discuss and it is hard to limit to speak about just a few things. I felt that the most significant changes took place in the late 60s, early, 70s.I feel these were the most significant because these changes paved the way for changes that were to follow. The change in peoples understanding of the importance of education in turn led to an increased demand for education. Government understanding of the importance of education for the future economy combined with the growing demand for fairer access to education led to the enormously significant announcement of free education and free travel. At this point it was about getting the most amount of people into post-primary education as possible, but it wasnt long before we began to realise that the quality of education needed to be looked at.The quality of teaching and the quality of what was being taught was looked at. Curriculum and examinations were investigated and changed. Real issues were now being addressed, such as third level requirements. Technical Institutes and courses were built and provided regionally. What made all of the changes so significant for me was the fact that for so long very little had been done in this field. The period between 1965 and the 1980s was a period where both the general public and government, began to see the importance of quality education, accessible to all, and its importance in the development of both the individual and the country.The developments of this period were a major stepping stone to where we are today. Reference s Walt Rostow, The Stages of Economic Growth, 1959. (Available Online at) http//www. nvcc. edu/home/nvfordc/econdev/introduction/stages. html Irish educational Documents, Volume 2 Aine Hyland, Kenneth Milne (Online Version found here) http//books. google. ie/books? id=8yNl5UCocFIC&pg=PA268&dq=1970+The+community+schools+ final cause+ireland&hl=en&sa=X&ei=2H4ET6qMEYLLhAe-6pi-AQ&redir_esc=yv=onepage&q=1970%20The%20community%20schools%20proposal%20ireland&f= unreasonable Articles from above BookInvestment in Education, inaugural speech, October 1962 Page 29-32 Third Programme for Economic and Social Development, 1969-1972, Post Primary, 14. Page 43 Whitepaper on Educational Development 1980, foreword Page 52 Ar ndaltai uile- All Our Children 1969 Page 45-47 Bibliography Irish Education Policy, Process and Substance, D. G. Mulcahy & Denis OSullivan Cultural political sympathies and Irish Education since the 1950s, Policy, Paradigms and Power, Denis O Sullivan Post-Primary School Educati on in Ireland 1957-1970 babe Eileen Randles, Veritas Publicans 1975 The Politics of Irish Education 1920-65 Sean Farren.