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Community Education in Ireland

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Community Education and Neoliberalism

Abstract

As its title suggests, this chapter provides an overview of community education in Ireland.  This begins with a historical account of the emergence of community education which is detailed through public provision, the Women’s Movement, liberation theology and the community development/anti-poverty movement. The role of the academy is also explored.  Chapter 3 then draws from primary research to offer an account of contemporary community education practice. This details where and by whom community education is practiced and provides examples of work on the ground.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    The principal function of these VECs was to provide vocational education as an alternative to secondary school. Some years later, this was expanded to include delivery of secular education at secondary school.

  2. 2.

    Information about the programme is available through the website of National Centre for the study and learning of literacy http://www.ncsall.net/index.html@id=520.html. Accessed 18 December 2016.

  3. 3.

    The Simon Community, a charity that largely works with those who are homeless is also named by NALA.

  4. 4.

    Independent community education organisations emerged from this historical backdrop including the Cork-based Social and Health Education Project (SHEP) established in 1974, the Kilbarrack Local Education for Adult Renewal (KLEAR) established in North Dublin in 1980, the Shanty, established in South Dublin in 1985 and the Community and Family Training Agency which opened its doors in 1987. Information pertaining to when these organisations were established has been taken from each organisation’s respective website. They are examples amongst many other organisations formed at the time.

  5. 5.

    Referring to the philosophies of Paulo Freire which are discussed in Chapter 4.

  6. 6.

    Twenty-three recipient organisations include organisations within the Local and Community Development Programme, network organisations, legal advice centres and other independent Community Sector organisations. Further details are available at https://www.pobal.ie/FundingProgrammes/EqualityForWomenMeasure/Pages/default.Aspx. Accessed 20 February 2015.

  7. 7.

    The influence of liberation theology was not confined to Ireland. The Paris-based Ecumenical Institute for the Development of Peoples (INODEP) which was founded by Paulo Freire and had connections with the Kenyan Delta programme influenced a team of Church groups, community workers and NGOs to bring the ideas to Britain. This was through the establishment of the UK-based Freire Institute and followed this team’s participation in Parisian-based workshops (http://www.freire.org/about/history/, Accessed 27 September 2014).

  8. 8.

    This information was provided through a conversation with a founding member of Partners, TfT who worked alongside Anne Hope and Sally Timmel within the Kenyan-based Delta Project and was involved in organising these Irish visits.

  9. 9.

    Thus named after the government minister responsible for its launch Pat Rabbitte.

  10. 10.

    As well as community development projects, the community development fund also funded a network of support agencies whose contract with the State involved providing support to allocated CDPs in preparing their work plans and working to the vision and ethos of their projects.

  11. 11.

    This included within my own place of work at the time, a women’s community education project for those on methadone maintenance programmes that was within a CDP.

  12. 12.

    For more information see www.menssheds.ie. Accessed 18 December 2016.

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  1. Maynooth University, Maynooth, Kildare, Ireland

    Camilla Fitzsimons

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Fitzsimons, C. (2017). Community Education in Ireland. In: Community Education and Neoliberalism. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-45937-0_3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-45937-0_3

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