The Road to Democracy in Irish Primary School Education
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Á. Ryan The Road to Democracy in Irish Primary School Education Doctorate of Education 2014 The Road to Democracy in Irish Primary School Education Áine Ryan Doctorate of Education (EdD) School of Education, University of Sheffield August 2014 Abstract This thesis explores the extent to which democratic values and ideals have informed Irish primary school education since independence in 1922. The examination reveals how undemocratic structures, principles and practices have been maintained in primary education by denying equality and freedom of conscience to those not of the majority Catholic faith. It describes how the unique predicament of religious hegemony has persisted because of legislative machinery which, by guaranteeing protection of religious ethos, allows discrimination in enrolment policies, employment practices of primary school teachers, indoctrination across the curriculum and religious control of all teacher training colleges. The social, cultural and political factors which have produced this anomaly of a democratic State having an undemocratic education system are examined, as well as why this situation persists. The possibility for evolution of the democratic discourse within education as well as the forces currently obstructing change is also considered. The arguments presented emerge from a critical policy analysis which draws on democratic theories. In particular, a historical account of Irish primary education is outlined which is informed by Dewey’s philosophy of education, theories referencing participatory democracy and those contemporary sociological concepts which emphasise the role of education in the process of social reproduction and transformation. Gramsci’s ideas on hegemony are applied to analyse the power structures controlling education and theories of selective knowledge, as propounded by Williams and Apple, are applied to the Irish context to highlight the political nature of the curriculum and how it is manipulated to exercise power. Contemporary schooling as a site of conflict and contest is analysed in the light of the potential of counter-hegemonic groups to challenge existing patterns and tradition. The main findings are that the grip which hegemonic forces have had on Irish society has produced a conservative culture contributing to a democratic deficit in terms of social reform and civic participation. Although the Irish social order has changed significantly there is still a mismatch between society’s expectations and the ideology and practice which defines primary schooling today. Education is not keeping pace with the requirements of contemporary Irish culture. Acknowledgments Sincere gratitude is extended to my thesis supervisor, Professor Wilfred Carr, for his support and his belief. In particular I am grateful for the advice on letting ones’ voice be audible in the academic writing process. This has been a source of sustenance. This work is dedicated to my beautiful girls in the hope that religious inequality in education may, in their life time, be consigned to the realms of history. And to David: for singing from the same hymn- sheet! Abbreviations and explanations CRS Certificate in Religious Studies CSO Central Statistics Office DES Department of Education and Skills EEC European Economic Community ERB Education about Religious Beliefs ET Educate Together schools EU European Union IES Intercultural Education Strategy IIE Investment in Education INTO Irish National Teachers’ Organisation NCCA National Council for Curriculum and Assessment OECD Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development OSCE Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe RSE Relationship and Sexual Education SESE Social, Environmental and Scientific Education SPHE Social, Personal and Health Education UN United Nations UNESCO United Nations Organisation for Education, Science and Culture The Dáil Irish Parliament TD Member of Parliament An Taoiseach Irish Prime Minister Bunreacht na hÉireann The Irish Constitution Fianna Fáil Centre-right political party Fine Gael Centre-right political party “Ireland” the entire island in the historical context of pre-1922; refers to the Republic of Ireland if the context is post-1922. Primary schooling is structured as follows: Junior Infants 4-6 year olds Senior Infants 6-7 year olds 1st Class 7-8 year olds 2nd Class 8-9 year olds 3rd Class 9-10 year olds 4th Class 10-11 year olds 5th Class 11-12 year olds 6th Class 12-13 year olds Contents Chapter 1: Introduction .................................................................................................... 3 Setting the scene ................................................................................................................................. 3 Research questions, aims and underlying philosophy ........................................................................ 5 Structure of thesis ............................................................................................................................... 6 Methodology and methods ................................................................................................................ 9 Positionality ...................................................................................................................................... 12 Chapter 2: Theories of Democracy and Democracy in Ireland .......................................... 14 Introduction ...................................................................................................................................... 14 The classical model ........................................................................................................................... 14 Rousseau’s ideas on democracy ....................................................................................................... 16 Contemporary democracy ................................................................................................................ 17 Dewey’s thinking on democracy ....................................................................................................... 18 Twenty-first century democracy ....................................................................................................... 22 Democracy in independent Ireland .................................................................................................. 26 Democracy in Ireland in the new millennium ................................................................................... 30 Conclusion ......................................................................................................................................... 34 Chapter 3: Social and Cultural Analysis of Irish Primary School Education ........................ 36 Introduction ...................................................................................................................................... 36 Social reproduction ........................................................................................................................... 37 Social transformation ........................................................................................................................ 39 Ideology and the Irish primary school curriculum ............................................................................ 41 Ethos ................................................................................................................................................. 44 The formal curriculum ...................................................................................................................... 48 Identity .............................................................................................................................................. 52 Conclusion ......................................................................................................................................... 53 Chapter 4: The History of Educational Policy in Ireland 1800-1919 ................................... 54 Introduction ...................................................................................................................................... 54 Pre-1831 ............................................................................................................................................ 54 Establishing the National School system, 1831 ................................................................................ 56 Opposition to the National School system ....................................................................................... 58 Primary school education transformed ............................................................................................ 61 Catholic Church control of education ............................................................................................... 62 Education in Ireland: 1900-1922 ....................................................................................................... 64 The new Church and State partnership ............................................................................................ 66 Conclusion ......................................................................................................................................... 67 Chapter 5: Irish Educational Policy 1920-1961 ................................................................. 69 Introduction .....................................................................................................................................