INCA Education around the world
Ireland : Context and principles of education
1.1 National Characteristics
Demographic, geographic, economic, political and religious context, to help explain expectations and social goals.
Demographic
The history of Ireland, which includes many instances of invasion and settlement from abroad, has resulted in a wide mixture of ancestry and traditions among Irish people today. The island has been inhabited for about 9,000 years.10
Ireland has a population of 3.6 million. In the late 1970s, the country experienced net immigration of around 10,500 persons per annum. In the 1980s this was reversed and reached a peak in 1987 when 37,000 persons migrated each year. Once again, in the latter half of the 1990s the country began to experience net immigration. The effect of these movements in population is reflected in the age structure of Ireland. The proportion of people aged 0 to 14 is 21 per cent; 67 per cent are aged 15 to 64; and 12 per cent are aged 65 or over. The proportion of young people aged up to 14 is predicted to decline beyond 2000 whilst the proportion of those aged 15 to 64 will increase.11
In 1998, 48 per cent of Ireland's population was aged under 30, and there were 602 000 young people aged 6-15 (the ages of compulsory education).9
Ireland has the lowest population density, at an average of 50 inhabitants per square kilometre, of all the countries in the European Union. There has been considerable drift from rural to urban centres.11
"Gaeilge" (the Irish language) is the national language and the first official language. Gaeilge is spoken in the "Gaeltacht" areas which are predominantly in the west of the country. English is the mother tongue of the majority of the population and is recognised as the second official language.11 The majority of schools conduct lessons through the medium of English as this is the mother tongue of the majority of the population. However, in those areas of the country where Gaeilge is the mother-tongue, the teaching medium is usually Gaeilge. There are also some schools where teaching takes place through the medium of Gaeilge, but where Gaeilge is not normally the mother-tongue of the children, nor is the school in an Irish-speaking area (Gaeltacht).37
Geographic
The total area of the island of Ireland is 32,595 square miles, of which the Republic of Ireland comprises 27,136 square miles and Northern Ireland (part of the United Kingdom, UK) comprises 5,459 square miles.31
Economic
National social partnership agreements
Since 1987, the Irish economy has been managed by means of national partnership agreements between the social partners. In addition to the Government, there were three main parties to the first agreement - business and industry; the trade unions; and the farming sector. These have since been joined by the community and voluntary sector, which now constitutes the fourth pillar of the social partnership strategy. Five partnership agreements have been negotiated to date, all of them following a broadly similar form, involving the setting out of agreed pay increases for the period in question, commitments to social equity and tax reform, as well as introducing certain policy initiatives such as local pay bargaining. The results have been dramatic insofar as Irish gross domestic product (GDP) grew by an average of 4.9 per cent a year, compared to an OECD average of 2.4 per cent during the period 1986-1996, while employment grew by 1.8 per cent per year compared to an OECD average of one per cent and an EU average of 0.3 per cent.12
Each of the five partnership programmes negotiated to date has included a commitment to focusing resources on the disadvantaged, and to providing a range of education and training programmes suited to their abilities and aptitudes, with the focus clearly on initial and pre-vocational education and training in school and non-formal education settings.12
The latest partnership agreement - the Programme for Prosperity and Fairness - is structured around the five frameworks of:
- living standards and workplace environment
- prosperity and economic inclusion
- social inclusion and equality
- successful adaptation to continuing change, and
- renewing partnership.
In the labour market area, the programme proposes to establish measures to address skills shortages, including improvements in the skills of the workforce generally, with particular impact on those on low incomes and those returning to the workforce; appropriate training of childcare workers; progression pathways and accreditation; delivery requirements for apprenticeship training; and equality and lifelong learning. A package of measures in the lifelong learning area will aim to improve early and adult literacy, as well as information technology, science and language skills, and support maximum participation in education and training programmes which respond to economic and social needs.12
National plans
The strategy of consensus through partnership agreements, based on extensive consultation, has also been used in the development of recent national development plans.
The central objective of "The National Development Plan: 1994-1999" was 'to ensure the best long-term return for the economy, by increasing output, economic potential and long-term jobs'. It was also designed to 'reintegrate the long-term unemployed and those at risk of becoming so into the economic mainstream'.
Four objectives are stated in "Ireland: National Development Plan (2000-2006)". These are:
- continuing sustainable national economic and employment growth
- consolidating and improving Ireland's international competitiveness
- fostering balanced regional development, and
- promoting social inclusion.
Five key strategies are proposed, including the promotion of education and employment training policies attuned to the needs of the labour market, and a special focus on those most at risk of unemployment. The Plan contains a long chapter devoted to the 'Employment and Human Resources Development Operational Programme', where addressing skills shortages in the economy and the promotion of lifelong learning are listed as key objectives.
General
Ireland is one of the 11 European Union Member States which, on 1 January 1999, formed an Economic and Monetary Union (EMU) and permanently locked the exchange rates of their currencies against the Euro. Consequently, Ireland belongs to the 11-Member State 'Euro Zone'.8
In its 2000 review of the Irish economy, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) commented that, over the period 1994-2000,
Ireland's economic performance has been spectacular. Real GNP has expanded at an average rate of eight per cent, raising per capita GNP to about 90 per cent of the EU average. This strong growth has been accompanied by rapid increases in employment, with the unemployment rate falling to historic lows. ..Public finances strengthened markedly, as the general government balance moved from deficit into sizeable surplus, and the public debt ratio was cut in half. The external current account balance also remained in surplus. More recently, however, strains associated with this rapid growth have become more pronounced. Inflation has accelerated sharply, labour shortages are widespread, and property prices have been rising rapidly for four consecutive years.29
Inflation remained subdued until mid-1999 but has since risen to over five per cent, by far the highest rate in the Euro area... Wage pressures have also intensified as the unemployment rate dropped to 4.7 per cent in the first quarter of 2000.29
The unemployment rate has fallen considerably since 1976 when it stood at over 18 per cent of the workforce. The International Labour Organisation (ILO) unemployment rate (persons aged 15 years and over) for Ireland in 1999 was 5.7 per cent (5.9 per cent for men and 5.5 per cent for women). This data has been sourced from the ILO Laborsta database, available online: http://www.ilo.org/
In the period 1994-98, output growth averaged over nine per cent per year on a gross domestic product (GDP) basis, bringing GDP per capita in purchasing power parity terms to a higher level than the European Union average. Half of that growth has been reflected in considerable employment gains and the rest in labour productivity growth.45
The Department of Finance in Ireland estimates that GDP grew by 8.4 per cent in 1999 with gross national product (GNP) growing by 7.4 per cent. For 2000, the Department of Finance forecast GDP growth of 7.4 per cent and GNP growth of 6.3 per cent.32
Political
During the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, the whole country of Ireland was brought under British control. Much of the old Gaelic system was overthrown and this process was intensified after the wars of 1689-91, when land, especially in Ulster, was confiscated and colonised by Protestant English and Scottish settlers who, largely because of religious differences, did not integrate well with the Catholic native population.10
The organisation and structure of the modern state of the Republic of Ireland has its origins in these centuries of occupation. In 1801, the Act of Union of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland came into operation. A single parliament based in London then served all of Great Britain (England, Wales and Scotland) and Ireland, in which 100 members represented Ireland in the House of Commons and 32 additional members became part of the House of Lords. A representative of the ruling monarch was appointed as resident Lord Lieutenant and head of the executive government in Ireland. A Chief Secretary acted as his assistant and dealt with the executive functions of government. The United Kingdom (UK) Government dealt with Irish legislative matters in Westminster. However, separate legislation continued to be enacted for Ireland as for other parts of the UK. Consequently, there were distinct policies in Ireland with regard to local government, agriculture and land reform, law and order, health and education.10
In the latter half of the nineteenth century the executive structure of the government of Ireland developed and various boards and commissions were established under the Chief Secretary. These employed growing numbers of officials or public servants to deal with such matters as education, health and local government in Ireland. There were also officials working in Ireland who were part of various British structures such as the Post Office. In 1898, the system of local government in Ireland was changed by legislation and rural district councils were introduced. By 1922, therefore, there was a large civil service already in existence as part of an administrative structure that had developed over the years.10
After the Anglo-Irish War of Independence in 1921, a treaty was signed which made provision for the partitioning of Ireland. As a result, the Irish Free State (26 counties) gained independence and Northern Ireland (six counties) was allowed to remain in the UK.10
In 1969, serious unrest in Northern Ireland became an issue of concern for the governments of the Republic of Ireland and the UK. A new era in political and educational developments was also beginning. The first and second Programmes for Economic Expansion (1958 and 1963), the Anglo-Irish Free Trade Agreement (1965), the Investment in Education report prepared for the Organisation of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) (1966) and entry into the (then) European Economic Community (EEC) (1973) all contributed to development and economic growth. From the early 1960s, the need for structural reforms in the Department of Education was acknowledged. Important developments in the provision of free education (1966) ensued and made a significant contribution to economic growth.10
The Republic of Ireland ("Eire") is a parliamentary democracy with a written Constitution ("Bunreacht na h-Eireann") adopted by referendum in 1937. The form of government and the powers of the President and Parliament ("Oireachtas") are defined in the Constitution. The executive power of the state is exercised by the Government's authority.10
The four major political parties in the Republic of Ireland are Fine Gael, Labour, Fianna Fail, and Sinn Féin. Fine Gael is currently the largest party and is a member of the European People's Party in the European Parliament. Fianna Fail is a republican party and a member of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE) in the European Parliament. In March 2011, it became the third-largest party in the chamber - the first time since the 1927 election that it was not the largest party. Other parties represented on the Irish political scene include the Socialist Party, the Workers Party, the Green Party and Independents.
Most recent governments have comprised some form of coalition. In 1994, a coalition of Fine Gael and Labour and the Democratic Left held power. This coalition lasted until June 1997 when a coalition of Fianna Fail and the Progressive Democrats formed the Government. In March 2011, a coalition formed between Fine Gael and Labour. The present Minister for Education and Skills is a member of the Labour Party.
The Parliament ("Oireachtas") consists of the President ("Uachtaran"), two Houses of Parliament, a House of Representatives ("Dail [Eireann]") and a Senate ("Seanad"). Only Parliament has the power to enact law. However, the Supreme Court has the power to annul any law that does not represent the spirit of the Constitution.10 The President does not have an executive function, but can refuse to sign any act of the Dail and ask the Supreme Court to adjudicate on its constitutionality.35
Ireland joined the European Union in 1973 and is developing growing links with Europe. It retains many cultural and social links with England, the United States, Canada and Australia. Links with Europe are growing rapidly.10
Religious
While the Irish Free State, as established in 1922, was formally non-sectarian in character, the reality was that 93 per cent of the people were Catholics. Under the Irish Constitution ("Bunreacht na h-Eireann") freedom of conscience and freedom to profess and practise religion is guaranteed, subject to public order and morality.10
The majority of Irish people belong to Christian denominations. According to the 1991 census, 91.5 per cent of the population was Roman Catholic, 2.86 per cent was Protestant (2.3 per cent Church of Ireland, 0.40 per cent Presbyterian, 0.16 per cent Methodist) and 0.06 per cent was Jewish. The membership of other stated religions was 0.62 per cent while those who had no religion constituted 0.73 per cent. The most recent census of 1996 did not seek information on religious application.10
Fianna Fail as a political party (see above) was in power from 1932 until 1948. They amended the 1922 Constitution and a new Constitution was enacted in 1937. The 1937 Constitution could only be amended by a majority vote at a referendum. Three articles of the 1937 Constitution (which remains the Constitution of Ireland today) reflect the Catholic social teaching:
- Article 41 dealing with the family and marriage.
- Article 42 dealing with education and acknowledging parents as the "primary and natural educator" of the child: the State is confined to the narrower role of requiring that children receive "a certain minimum education, moral, intellectual and social" though a certain minimum has never been defined.
- Article 44 regarding religious equality and non-discrimination.10
