Change in Irish Primary Education

President of Ireland, Michael D. Higgins, in an ‘Open Mind’ lecture on radio in 1992 said:

‘ There are few subjects as important as education. For some, it is the route to escape; for others, ascent along a meritocratic ladder; for others, a prerequisite for the acquisition of wealth; for so many, a bad memory; for those fortunate to have encountered inspired teachers, a warm memory.’

He was speaking about the Irish Primary School system, which developed from 1831. For years, the teacher was seen as omniscient, the only source of knowledge, with little emphasis on self-exploration and questioning the one perceived correct answer. This has now all changed. Pupils are now encouraged to question, to think critically, to solve problems and to learn independently, with a big emphasis on the holistic development of each learner.

A new child-centred curriculum, with art and crafts and more scope for teachers, was introduced in 1971. This led to smaller classes and more individual attention. Research in the USA during the 1980s, especially by Harvard educationalist Howard Gardner, suggested that measuring intelligence on IQ was too limited. This led to the development of the theory of multiple intelligences. Rather than the traditional acceptance of one mental capacity, Gardner’s work and that of others identified a number of other intelligences to capture the broad range of human potential. This theory accepts that all roles involve a combination of intelligences and that everyone is good at something. This thinking had huge implications for curriculum development, teaching, and the provision of appropriate learning opportunities to nurture the potential of students. All teachers now like to see students engage with teaching programmes in a spirit of curiosity, exploration, discovery, and self-learning. Parental support and encouragement are also important. Teachers who foster positive attitudes to learning, with curiosity, praise, encouragement and fun, have an enormous influence on the lives of their students.

On the advice of the Irish National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA), a revised curriculum, which encourages discovery-type active learning methodologies of teaching, was introduced from 1999. It comprises of six main areas: languages, mathematics, social, environmental and scientific education, arts education, physical education, social, personal and health education. A new religious education programme was also provided. The White Paper on Education, Charting Our Education Future (1995) enunciated State policy in relation to primary education: