Abstract
Few amongst us would disagree that there is much inequality in our world and, throughout this publication, I place much blame for this situation with our current neoliberal epoch. If community education is to honour its foundational principles of equality and social justice, the business-led principles that threaten these principles should be understood and acted on. This final chapter concludes Community Education and Neoliberalism by calling on community educators to re-kindle equality-based practice. Firstly it summarises some key research findings so as to present an overview of community education in Ireland to help us defend our practice. This reminds readers of the philosophical orientations of practitioners as well as the dominant models of practice. It summarises tangible suggestions for change offered by practitioners, the need to be more strategic in relationships with the State, the need to network, the need to be more policital and the need to showcase the work of community education. The limitations of humanistic approaches are again presented as practitioners are encouraged to take a more overtly political appraoch to their work.
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Notes
- 1.
There is a direct link to the White Paper on the department of education in skills under the heading adult education and training, http://www.education.ie/en/The-Education-System/Further-Education-Training/ [Accessed 12 June 2016]
- 2.
The Limerick Community Education Network was particularly named as an example.
- 3.
Not all the participants ending up being from the estate as one employee from the housing estate joined us. I also snuck in a man who was seeking asylum in Ireland who I had met on another course and who was keen to quality in healthcare but could not afford to pay.
- 4.
This programme was introduced to support publically employed healthcare workers to work towards a level five healthcare award.
- 5.
Many thanks to Anne Daly from CKLP for providing me with information on this initiative.
- 6.
These include certificates in Community Development and Leadership, one Certificate in Adult and Community Education and one online Certificate in Equality Studies.
- 7.
I first heard this expression used at an address by community activist Dr. John Bissett at a celebration event hosted by the then Lord Mayor of Dublin Críona Ní Dhálaigh who invited the Spectacle of Defiance and Hope to the Mansion House to mark their campaign to save the community sector in May 2016.
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Fitzsimons, C. (2017). Rekindling Community Education in Neoliberal Times. In: Community Education and Neoliberalism. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-45937-0_8
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