Description
Book SynopsisThis book, commissioned to mark the fiftieth anniversary of the introduction of free post-primary education in Ireland, examines its origins, legacy and impact. The contributions are written by a range of scholars internationally recognized for their expertise in the fields of history of education, sociology of education, education policy and curriculum. Collectively, they theorize both the historical context for the introduction of free education as well as the impact of the initiative on the promotion of equality of opportunity. The book takes a long view, bringing new knowledge to the field by analysing previously unexamined primary sources, drawing on up-to-date research on educational disadvantage and assessing the changing emphases of Irish educational policy over time.
Trade Review«Our youth are our most valuable resource and the state’s commitment to providing them with the best possible education is the barometer by which its success should be judged. This considered and comprehensive analysis provides a rare and incisive insight into the success and failures of the past fifty years.» (Louise Richardson, Vice-Chancellor, University of Oxford)
«Education for All? is a superbly planned book with eleven essays that together constitute a most valuable critique of Irish ‹free education› in secondary schools after fifty years. The approach is richly historical but also interrogates the success of the possible aims of the enterprise. It will be of interest to a wide readership.» (James H. Murphy, Director of Irish Studies, Boston College)
Table of ContentsCONTENTS: Judith Harford: Introduction: Origins, Legacy and Impact: Reflections on the Free Education Scheme in Ireland - Tom O’Donoghue: Patterns of Attendance at Irish Secondary Schools from the Establishment of the Independent Irish State to the Introduction of the Free Education Scheme in 1967 - Áine Hyland: The Birth of the Free Education Scheme - Judith Harford/Brian Fleming: Agency and Advocacy: The Key Actors behind the Free Education Initiative - John Coolahan: The Impact and Aftermath of the Free Education Policy Initiative - D. G. Mulcahy: Responding to the Neglect of Aims in Irish Post-Primary Education - Emer Smyth: Educational Inequality: Is «Free Education» Enough? - Kathleen Lynch/Margaret Crean: Economic Inequality and Class Privilege in Education: Why Equality of Economic Condition Is Essential for Equality of Opportunity - Tom Boland: The Development of the Institutes of Technology as a Key Part of the Higher Education Sector since Free Second-Level Education - Jim Gleeson: The Curriculum Response to «Free Education» and the Raising of the School-Leaving Age - Ciaran Sugrue: Changing the Educational Landscape: Transforming Teacher Professionalism?
