|
|
|
|
|
Education
in Ireland, like in every country of the world, is very complex. So rather
than being a comprehensive guide, this site will serve mostly to highlight
the major points involved and to describe some important differences between
the American System and the Irish System.
- Similar to the
US, education is free in Ireland. It is paid for by taxes.
- Education in Ireland
consists of primary (ages 4-12) and secondary (ages 12-18) schooling.
All primary work and secondary work is done in preparation for two major
tests at the end of the third year and sixth year of secondary school.
The scores on these tests are very important because they will determine
whether or not a student can go into their chosen field of study. For
example, a high score would be needed to become a doctor because there
are few doctor positions open, and thus competition is high and scores
determine which people get the jobs. To become a mathematician or scientist
however, low scores might be fine because there are several jobs available
in those fields. After
the junior cycle (the first three years of secondary school), schooling
is designed to allow students preparation for their chosen fields of
study. Many students do not go on to university, instead choosing to
work after secondary school.
- Ireland is a religious
state. Nearly 90% of Irish people self-identify as Catholic, while the
majority of other people are Protestant. There are several other religions
as well, but they are not well represented. Schools therefore, are mostly
Catholic in nature and are many times connected physically to a cathedral.
For the most part,
the curriculum in Ireland is very similar to the United States. Students
are taught basic subjects like math, English, and Irish (Ireland's native
language - Gaelic),
science, and physical education. In addition, students are taught religion.
This consists mostly of Catholicism.
- Teaching is a very
stable job in Ireland, but one that pays very little. When the economy
was bad, teaching was a very good job to have because it meant a stable
paycheck. However, now that economic forces have turned for the better,
teaching does little to pay for everyday needs and makes getting a mortgage
and raising a family difficult.
- Teachers' Unions
play a major part in the Irish education system. There are several unions
in existence, but the main ones consist of the primary teachers union,
the secondary teachers union, the vocational teachers union, and the
principals union. There is constant conflict between the unions and
the government over pay, benefits, and other issues. There have been
several strikes throughout the past few years resulting in lost days.
- With an increase
in Irelands
economy in recent years, education will become more important in
creating a higher quality of life for its people.
- The number of students
enrolled in schools is increasing as the number of young
people in Ireland increases.
- For many, education
is hard to obtain. This is true for several reasons. Perhaps the child
comes from a family with little concern for educating their children
or perhaps the child lives in an area that has little outreach towards
educating children. Many parents are the product of several years of
unemployment, so they have no concept of getting an education to
get a well paying job. Teachers have much to think about when considering
the educational needs of their students, especially in inner city schools
where social and economic problems are more likely to exist.
- Teachers in Ireland,
like in the United States, vary in abilities and philosophy. It takes
most primary teachers in Ireland three years to obtain teaching ability.
For secondary certification, a student would first obtain two different
degrees from the university (i.e. Irish and maths) and then spend a
year obtaining his or her teaching certification. Teachers at the secondary
level are expected to teach as many as three different subjects. It
is common for the physical education teacher to also be the geography
teacher and perhaps the maths teacher.
- Like the United
States, each teacher in Ireland's schools has a different way of controlling
discipline within their classroom. Because there are no formal grades
given in most schools, teachers in Ireland must be very creative in
developing a classroom management plan that helps students to learn
effectively while maintaining a positive atmosphere. .For the most part,
as in the United States, teachers in Ireland believe in the innate ability
of the students to learn. Ireland's teachers, however, tend to have
a slightly different style of helping students to achieve their learning
potential.
|