Education and Learning
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CORK CITY PROFILE 2018 03 Education and Learning 109 CORK CITY PROFILE 2018 SECTION 03 EDUCATION AND LEARNING 3.1 Introduction 55 - CORK AS A LEARNING CITY Unlocking the Potential of Urban communities: UNESCO Institute for Cork was recognised by UNESCO as one of the leading Learning Cities in the world when the Lifelong Learning. UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning selected the city in 2015 as one of the first 12 cities 56 - (of just three in Europe) to achieve a Learning City Award. The strength of Cork as a Learning Cork Learning City; Past, Present City was further recognised by UNESCO selecting the city to host its 3rd International and Exploring Our Future: Cork City Council 2017. Conference on Learning Cities, following previous conferences in Beijing and Mexico. These decisions were primarily based on a UNESCO case study55 on Cork undertaken in 2015 that 57 - highlighted the city’s good practice in lifelong learning, and featured the Cork Lifelong Learning Unlocking the Potential of Urban communities: UNESCO Institute for Festival as an example of best practice worldwide. These two decisions by UNESCO represent Lifelong Learning. significant milestones in the city’s development as a globally connected City of Learning, and build on the strong educational history of the city, and its well-developed learning infrastructure. 58 - This Declaration aims to Promote This infrastructure provides significant access and learning opportunities to the population of the Inclusion, Prosperity and Sustainabil- city and surrounding region, as well as direct and secondary employment in educational settings. ity in Cities. The city has two third level colleges: University College Cork (UCC) and Cork Institute of Technology (CIT). Under the Cork Education and Training Board the city has three of the five largest colleges of further education in the country, including the largest (Cork College of Commerce) and Cork Training Centre, formerly a FÁS training centre; the latter provides a wide range of full and part-time training programmes geared at industry. In addition to a well- developed ‘ecosystem’56 providing formal education including at early years, primary and secondary levels, there are many opportunities for second-chance education and both formal and informal programmes, plus initiatives aimed at tackling educational disadvantage.57 CORK LEARNING CITY POLICY Developing Cork as a City of Learning was one of just seven high level goals in the Cork City Development Board Plan ‘Imagine our Future’ 2002-2012. In 2014 Cork City Council adopted the UNESCO Beijing Declaration on Building Learning Cities58 and in 2015 signed an MOU with Cork Education and Training Board, CIT and UCC to commit to working together to implement this declaration. This was the result of Cork being among the first 12 cities worldwide to achieve the UNESCO Learning City Award. UNESCO defines a Learning City as one which demonstrates 110 CORK CITY PROFILE 2018 SECTION 03 EDUCATION AND LEARNING 59 - http://www.corkcity.ie/learningcity/. its commitment to maximising lifelong learning opportunities for its citizens. City Council adopted the UNESCO Mexico Statement on Sustainable Learning Cities and in September 2017 Cork hosted the 3rd UNESCO International Conference on Learning Cities. This event generated the UNESCO Cork Call to Action on Learning Cities which was subsequently adopted by Cork City Council. In addition to the Cork Learning City Strategic Plan, The City Development Plan and the Local Economic and Community Plan are among recent strategic documents which include objectives and actions relating to Learning and Education. CORK LIFELONG LEARNING FESTIVAL In 2018 Cork held the 15th annual Lifelong Learning Festival which offers hundreds of free and accessible learning events over a week each Spring. The festival showcases and celebrates learning for all ages, interests and abilities, in numerous locations across the city. The Cork Lifelong Learning Festival which started in 2004 with 67 organised events has grown steadily and featured 336 separate events (many repeated during festival week) in 2018. The festival is about promoting learning activities for the whole community. The events are all free and hosted by participating organisations and groups, taking place across the city. Figure 26 illustrates how the Festival has grown in scale since 2004. Festival events (Figure 59 In 2016 Cork 27) are across a very broad range, from cultural to creative, scientific to sporting, with events delivered through exhibitions, performances, classes, workshops and lectures hosted by centres, businesses, individuals and organisations of all kinds. Venues range from Hollyhill Figure 26: Library, College of Commerce, CIT Cork School of Music, Knocknaheeny Youth Centre, CIT, UCC TYPES OF LEARNING ACTIVITIES TAKING PLACE IN CORK CITY to workplaces and factories. The following chart illustrates the scale of growth of the Lifelong FOR LIFELONG LEARNING Learning Festival and indicates the type of organisations involved in delivering activities. FESTIVALS SINCE 2004 (SOURCE: CORK CITY COUNCIL) Types of Learning Activities for Lifelong Learning Festivals Cork City since 2004 6 0 50 4 0 3 0 20 10 0 Learning City Disability Organisation Youth Work Community Education Language schools School Sports Clubs Public Service Cork City Partnership CIT Community Health Community Arts UCC Private Sector 20 0 4 20 CETB 16 20 18 Community & Voluntary Libraries 111 CORK CITY PROFILE 2018 SECTION 03 EDUCATION AND LEARNING Figure 27: TYPES OF LIFELONG LEARNING FESTIVAL EVENTS (SOURCE: CORK CITY COUNCIL) Types of Lifelong Learning Festival Events Cork City since 2004 6 0 50 TYPES OF LIFELONG LEARNING FESTIVAL EVENTS 4 0 3 0 20 60 - http://www.corkcity.ie/learningcity/ 10 learningneighbourhoods. 0 Current affairs/Politics Photography Culture Theatre / Drama Food & Nutrition Uncategorised LEARNING NEIGHBOURHOODS Learning Neighbourhoods Literature & Literacy to the neighbourhood level. It facilitates local learning organisations and networksLan ofgu aallge kinds to develop and showcase learning opportunities. In Cork the definition of Ba uLearningsiness & F inance Neighbourhood is an area that has an ongoing commitment to learning, providing inclusive Landifelo ng Learning diverse learning opportunities for whole communities through partnership and collaboration. Enviroment In 2017 there were four Learning Neighbourhoods in Cork: Ballyphehane, Knocknaheeny, Science & Technology Mayfield and Togher, and other areas plan to join in the60 future. Although each of these Music 20 is an initiative which aims to take the learning city concept 0 neighbourhoods faces educational and social disadvantage, they also have active community 4 Exercise 20 16 20 and education organisations and networks which are open to furthering learning opportunities Health & Wellbeing 18 for all citizens. Through consultation with residents a range of learning activities are organised History & Geneaology throughout the year and during the Lifelong Learning Festival in these neighbourhoods. In the Creative past these activities have included exhibitions, workshops, creative projects, and free lectures from third level lecturers on topics such as how to reliably access health information on the internet, information about local history, healthy eating and healthy ageing. 112 CORK CITY PROFILE 2018 SECTION 03 EDUCATION AND LEARNING 61 - FORMAL EDUCATION A multi-denominational school does not teach a particular faith or creed but facilitates any group of parents to organise religious instruction Primary Education for their children outside the main school programme. In 2018 there are 49 Department of Education and Skills (DES) recognised and funded primary 62 - schools in Cork City. Of these, three are Church of Ireland, two are Multi-Denominational61 and Figures for the 2017/2018 academic 44 are Catholic. Enrolment numbers in Cork City primary schools have been decreasing since year are ‘Provisional’. https://www. education.ie/en/Publications/Statis- 2010. From 2010 to 2018 enrolment has fallen by 281 and currently stands at 12,802 students.62 tics/Data-on-Individual-Schools/. 63 - Interdenominational religious Post Primary Education education gives equal status to both Catholic and Protestant faiths and In 2018 there are 27 Post Primary schools, recognised and funded by the Department of traditions. The programme is based on the Religious Education Pro- Education and Skills, in Cork City. Of these, one is Church of Ireland (mixed), seven are Inter- grammes laid down by the Catholic denominational (mixed),63 one is multi-denominational (mixed) and 17 are Catholic (one mixed). Archbishop of Dublin and the Church of Ireland Archbishop of Dublin and Of the 27 schools, 12 are designated as DEIS (Delivering Equality of Opportunity In Schools)64 Glendalough. by the Department of Education and Skills and are mainly located in RAPID areas and/or on the north side of Cork City. 64 - Launched in 2005 by the Department of Education and Skills, DEIS (De- Enrolment in Cork City secondary schools is following a similar trend to the primary schools, livering Equality of Opportunity in numbers are falling. Between 2010 and 2016, Post Primary Student numbers in the city Schools) is the most recent national programme aimed at addressing the decreased by 537 (15,450 students in 2010 and 14,913 in 2016).65 educational needs of children and young people from disadvantaged Demographic changes in the school-going age group in Cork City from 2006 to 2016 may communities. https://www.educa- tion.ie/.../Schools.../DEIS. explain falling numbers. In 2006 there were 12,457 5-14 year olds, in 2011 there were 11,455 and in 2016 there were 11,635; an overall decrease in this 10 year period of 822. Although there 65 - was an 8% decrease in this age group between 2006 and 2011, there was, albeit marginal Until 2016 ‘Post Leaving Certificate Course’ (PLC) numbers were included (1.6%), an increase in numbers between 2011 and 2016. in total ‘Secondary school’ numbers. In 2017, numbers of students partic- The age category of 0-4 year olds shows consistent increases from 5,707 in 2006 to 6,042 ipating in PLC’s were not included in ‘Secondary school’ numbers.