Development of Secondary Education in Ireland - Essay Example

Junior Curriculum Introduction: In Ireland the junior curriculum is known as secondary education. It can be completed at community school, comprehensive school, vocational school or a voluntary secondary school. The students in urban areas have more freedom to choose from number of schools, the school they like. This choice is not that much for the rural area students as that of their urban counter parts. Department of education and science had set out minimum standards of education, which are considered as qualifications for this level. This was overseen by state examinations commission. The secondary education known as Junior Cycle starts on the foundation received at primary level and ends with attaining certificate known as Junior Certificate Examination. The qualification for attending this certificate exam is three years of secondary education or 14 years of age.1 The Third year exam is called 9th grade and sixth year exam is called 12th grade. The third year exam is called junior certificate and sixth year exam is called leaving certificate. This leaving certificate can be termed as basis for higher education. If a student fails to qualify, he/she can take the examination next year. This is not as easy as it was said. The literature part changes from year to year.2 This make difficult for the students who fail in the first attempt to pass in the next attempt. The changes in some subjects will nullify their effort in the previous year and this makes the efforts in previous year not useful in the second attempt. This is capable of making some weak minded students to drop out if they fail in first attempt. Ireland introduced free secondary education in 1967. This has opened up secondary and the third level education to the people who till now, could not afford to attend to school.1 Though the secondary education completion rates are very high according to international standards, there is no statistical proof that all the primary school promoted students are enrolling them selves to secondary level education. This tells that the secondary level education or junior certificate curriculum is doing nothing to prevent dropouts from the schools. Subjects and topics in junior certificate curriculum The subjects that are mandatory are as following: Irish, English, Mathematics, Civic Social and political education, social, personal and health education. The social personal and health education subject was not examined. It is not mandatory to pass in this examination. The optional subjects must be chosen from the ancient Greek, art, craft and designing, business studies, classical studies, environmental and social studies, French, Geography, German, Hebrew studies, Home economics, Italian, Latin, materials technology wood, metal work, music, religious education, science Spanish, technical graphics, technology and type writing. The students have to study the five or 8 more optional subjects along with four mandatory subjects. The final exam will be after 3 years. The higher in this certificate is known as honours and ordinary one is considered as pass. The honours level will be taken for optional subjects. Development of Secondary Education in Ireland Before the World War II, the secondary education in Ireland was not up to the mark and even expensive. In the post war period, free education was provided till the age of 14 for every child. The tripartite system was introduced in that period. At the final year of their primary education children used to take the eleven + examination. After that they were sent to secondary modern, secondary technical or grammar schools. After 1950 the tripartite system was not found viable and the comprehensive schools gradually increased across Ireland. The comprehensives schools established in 50s structured themselves on the basis of the grammar school. After 1960 an alternative model was offered by introducing the progressive ideals in the education curriculum. Discipline and character were given due importance. After 1970 a large number of comprehensive schools were established. After 1980 the 11th standard examination was removed and comprehensive system prevailed all over the Ireland. In this manner intermediate education was replaced by secondary education in England and Wales and thus in Ireland.1 The impact of junior certificate curriculum The inequalities in educational outcomes in Ireland caused a lot of debate. The gender, class inequalities did play a major role in the outcomes regarding the inequalities in education. The introduction of different programmes by the government did not reduce the socio economic inequalities regarding the educational outcomes.1 The research at international level revealed that the social back ground, social class have shown effect on educational outcomes. The Junior certificate curriculum did not show any affect on the pattern of association between social class back ground and education was similar even in the countries with different educational systems. This implies that this curriculum did not show any affect on the number of early school dropouts as the reason is not related to school curriculum.2 The junior certificate has no effect on the social back ground of the dropouts. The social back ground is related with parental education. The junior certificate curriculum has done nothing to do with the parental education, which is capable of making them to realise the need of admitting their children to secondary level education after primary school completion. Particularly in Ireland it was found that the working class adults have lower educational levels than the middle class adults. Dropping out of working class students from the schools This is a cause for the children of working class to drop out after the primary school completion. The working class students who go for higher education are different from their counter parts and they do not reflect the majority educational outcomes regarding their class. The differences between social classes that cause the academic differences at their levels are not related with the facilities offered by secondary level education. The academic impact of the social classes on the pupils reflects the cultural resources in the home environment. As the home environment differs from class to class, the school curriculum will offer very little scope to check the early drop outs from the school regarding the working class students. Effect of junior certificate curriculum on early school leaving Even after the above arguments, it was not found, why the students of different classes having same performance are not showing same trends in the continuing the education. The reason is that it is beyond the school curriculum. The cost of schooling varies with the class. The quality of education that is offered also varies with the cost. The continuing of education depends upon the quality of the education offered at qualifying level. In another perspective the educational choice is regarded in terms of the costs and benefits that are associated with continuing education. The variation in outcomes is due to the lack of economic resources that can ignore the financial losses due to the continuing education. These financial matters do not find any solution in the junior certificate curriculum. If there is any system of offering scholarship for the students of low financial class, the students from the working class can get encouragement from their parents to join in the secondary level of education. The secondary level education did not present any such system, which is substantial to make the working class students and the people below poverty line to continue their education. The middle class people feel that they lose more due to stopping education and the working class people calculate the present loss if they continue education. The perspective of the middle class is long term, and that of the working class is short term. This is due to the difference in the financial levels. Increase of enrolling of working class students It can be stated that the increase in enrolling of the working class students into secondary and higher levels of education is not due to junior certificate curriculum. The reasons can be stated as follows There is substantial increase in educational participation in many countries including Ireland in the 2nd half of the twentieth century. Even there is reduction in gender inequalities. The working class parents were able to send their wards to schools as females also started working to earn. This made them enable to invest in education of their children. This reduced gender inequalities regarding education and resulted in reducing the dropouts. The school curriculum has no role in the increase of enrolment and reduction in the dropouts after the primary education. The enrolment of the young females can also be imparted to the fact that the chance of employment and marriage decreased for less educated. This prompted parents and students to continue education. So it can be termed that the social and economical changes prompted the reduction in the dropouts and increased the number of students who continue education. The Secondary level curriculum has no part in this process and change. Review of the conditions The review of economic and social conditions will provide substantial evidence for the above argument. In some contexts the achievements of the females in continuing education even dominated the males. This can be attributed to the process of change that resulted in reduction in social class differences, which reduced the differences in income and life chances. This has lead to a change in relative costs enabling the working class also to bear the educational costs. The change in social and economical situation of different classes made them to afford the costs of education. This reduced the gap between the working class and middle class and increased the educational participation of all the classes. The increase in education participation is due to increase in quality of life, income and living conditions. The Junior certificate curriculum has no role in increase of educational participation. In some contexts the persistent inequalities between social class groups in financial and cultural resources continued the differences up to some extent. This resulted in slow increase of participation in continuing education. By analysing the people who exit the second level education in Ireland it was found that there are educational inequalities in the students who leave school. This study was based on the findings of the survey conducted on school leavers since 1980. Approximately 2000 respondents were selected from all over the Ireland. The survey collected the data on parental employment and education also. Here in this case the mother's social class and status dominated the effect that has been shown on continuing education. The female participation in earning income resulted in their wards continuing their education. The understanding of importance of higher education by females or mothers in the working class resulted in reduction of school dropouts. This is not due to the educational system in the secondary level or the curriculum has no effect on the reduction of school dropouts in Ireland. Junior certificate curriculum After leaving certificate the Junior Cycle builds on the education received at primary level and culminates with the Junior Certificate Examination.1 The junior certificate is a second level course and examination. State examinations commission gives accreditation to this examination. The junior certificate course is known as junior cycle and it ends with exam known as junior certificate examination. The candidate appearing for junior cycle must of 12 years age by January 1st of the year of joining. This exam is taken by the candidates after 3 years of successful study in a secondary school. Every student have to take 9 to 12 subjects including English, Irish and mathematics as part of Junior cycle. After two or three years after the completion of junior certificate the school leaver should taken the leaving certificate examination to reach the standards of college or university education. 2 Weakness of the curriculum and its role on socially disadvantaged classes The Irish education system developed due to the increasing diversity in Ireland's social structure. The development of Irish education system was limited to increase of the participation of the percentage of students more than the past. The indirect discrimination continued in education system regarding the quality of education offered to different social and economic classes. The financial inabilities and discrimination due to social status continued to plague the education system in Ireland. This nullified the effects of increase of student participation at secondary level of education. The inequalities are supposed due to the flaws in legislation and policies, incomplete data sources, lack of analysis of discrimination and strategies regarding good practice in combating terrorism.3 If the secondary level education and junior certificate curriculum were successful in imparting holistic all round education in students, there should not be diversities regarding the economic status and the cases regarding the racism and discrimination should be minimised. This is not happened and the government is still contemplating to make laws to ensure that there will be no discrimination and racism can be contained. If the education system of a country is offering holistic approach the evils like discrimination, racism, ill effects of diversity will be nullified or minimised. This has not happened in case of Ireland. The social structure of Ireland is not free of class based system till date. Even after having goals of holistic promotion of all round education in its education system the government was compelled to develop strong anti discrimination legislative frame work. The employment equality acts of 1998, the equal status act 2000 are examples for it. These acts were made for implementing the equality in employment. If the education system was imparting holistic values that are proposed in the above acts there will be no need for the government to enact laws like that. It can spend its time on framing the laws regarding the development of economy and financial structures. The fact that the administration was trying to implement holistic values through legislations reveal the loop holes in education system. The education at secondary level will be mostly responsible for the behaviour of individuals in society in their work life and career. The lack of monitoring the progression of the minority and travelling community children by the legislations resulted in reluctance in the education system that did not bother about the practical problems of downtrodden. The provisions in the system for the minority ethnic groups included additional teachers, curriculum development and training initiatives for the teachers. The actions that are taken to correct the problems regarding the above mentioned three issues were not adequate. The reports show that the actions taken for achieving the above targets were not enough to meet the needs of increasingly intercultural society. The main cause for the reluctance in controlling the discrimination and inequality is the direct evidence for these actions was limited. The evidence is not sufficient to proceed legally according to legislation of Ireland. The education system was not made responsible for not achieving its aims and targets and this resulted in education system playing a nominal role that makes only statistical evidences as basis for its performance. According to report of national consultative committee on racism the racism exists in different forms in Ireland. The privileged groups are targeting the traveller community thus making them vulnerable to racism.1 The significant fact is that the junior certificate curriculum lacks the value based education system. It is career oriented education system. It did not concentrate on the behavioural attitudes of the students and that was not a part of the curriculum. This results in failure of the system in imparting moral values in the students, which are important and crucial for their behaviour in the society after the education. One can point out that the leadership which are making laws regarding the equality and discrimination was also a product of the educational system. Yes, it may be true. The fact is that the education system is not completely with out values. The imparting of values in the students differ according to the quality of education they get. That quality is different for different classes and different regions. This inequality in imparting quality education for all the students results in lack of individuals who behave according to their educated minds. The values that must be achieved as part of the education were imparted in the people by enacting laws. This is clear failure of education system in imparting benevolent behaviour in the students by the time they leave school. One important development regarding the change in education system is that the department of education and science is involved in developing a number of tools to combat racism, and to promote inter cultural nature in education.1 Conclusion: When we observe the system from the policy perspective, the initiatives of the department of education and science did not result in increase in enrolling of working class or socially disadvantaged students. They were limited to a certain extent and this resulted in racism, inequality and discrimination to exist without direct evidence. Though the expert bodies and other non governmental organisations played a crucial role in development of strategies for holistic education, they were not sufficient. The resources in and for the education system did not permit the initiatives to interfere in the curriculum of junior certificate. As long as this does not happen the opportunity to achieve holistic outcome in secondary education cannot be achieved. This requires the incorporation of the above mentioned initiatives in the curriculum of the junior certificate. One of the major defect and the lapse that was observed in the curriculum of junior certificate is that it did not have any provision to support socially disadvantaged students. The increase of their enrolment is due to the other strategies of the administration, which resulted in the earning of women that gave extra income to the family to support educational participation of their wards. This states that the social changes in Ireland resulted in increase of enrolment in education system but not the curriculum of junior certificate. References: The references are of two types 1. Book References 2. Internet references The format of book references is Author, year, title, series title if exists, edition information, publisher, place of publication if available, page number. The format of internet references is Author, year, title, publisher, edition information, type of media, date retrieved, website address. Book References: 1. Richard M Lerner, 2005, Teen life in Europe, Archaeology /Anthropology, Greenwood Publishing Group, Westport CT06881, page number 115 2. Dennis O Sullivan, 2005, Cultural Politics and Irish Education Since the 1950's: Policy paradigms and power, First Edition, Institute of Public Administration, Dublin, page number 278 3. Kevin Marjoribanks, 2002, Family and School Capital: towards a context theory of students' school outcomes, I Edition, Springer, page 184 4. Setfan Wolff, Jorg Newheiser, 2002, Peace at last, Berghahn books, ,page number 240 Internet references: 1. Media Wiki, 2006, Education in Republic of Ireland, WikiPedia, , electronic, 14-12-06, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Education_in_the_Republic_of_Ireland 2. The Circa Group, 2002, Identifying factors Of success and failure In European IST- related National/Regional developments, The Circa Group, ,electronic, 15-12-06, http://fiste.jrc.es/download/TIGERS%20Ireland%20may%202%202003.doc 3. Emer Smyth, 1999, Educational Inequalities among School Leavers in Ireland 1979-1994, The Economic and social research institute, ,electronic, 15-12-06, http://www.esr.ie/vol30_3/4_Smyth.pdf 4. National Consultative Committee on Racism and Interculturalism (NCCRI), 2004, National Focal point for Ireland, Equality Authority, ,electronic, 15-12-06, http://eumc.europa.eu/eumc/material/pub/RAXEN/4/edu/R4-EDU-IE.pdf 5. Media wiki, 2007, comprehensive school, wikipedia, ,electronic, 31-01-07, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comprehensive_school 6. Media wiki, 2007, junior cycle, wikipedia, ,electronic, 31-01-07, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Junior_Certificate#Mandatory_subjects 7. media wiki, 2007, education in Ireland, wikipedia, ,elecrronic, 31-01-07, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Education_in_the_Republic_of_Ireland Read More