The Culture of Governance in Irish Education

Abstract

As new managerialism was instituted globally from the 1990s onwards, it was introduced into national educational systems that had histories, philosophies and modes of governance that were culturally specific. This chapter examines the governance structures of Irish education and how these mediated new managerialism. It focuses in particular on the key role played by the Catholic Church prior to and during the managerial era, especially in the primary- and second-level sectors of education where it was and is the single largest provider of education. In mapping the specificity of new managerialism in Ireland, we argue that specific postcolonial and cultural contexts generated different local logics of control across educational settings that framed the Irish experience of new managerialism. New managerial modes of governance were not adopted without dissent and mediation, a dissent and mediation that is ongoing (see Chapter 1). The implementation of new managerialism in Irish education presents an interesting case study, given Ireland’s European status and its history of political and cultural colonization. The Catholic Church was and is a major cultural force in Irish life (Garvin, 2004; Inglis, 1987, 2008). It was a major player in how new managerialism was mediated and managed in Irish education, particularly at primary and secondary levels.