My notes from UCC : History of Education lectures

Out of all the lectures I attended within UCC this lectures by Dr. Tracey Connolly, I enjoyed and understood and find insightful. Seeing the schooling system within Ireland and how it evolved through out time. I was highly engaged with these lectures as it was simply interesting to see how schooling, the subjects and facilities that were taught back in my grandmothers and my mothers day.

I could make certain connections with these lectures from stories i was told by my grandmother and even mother of how they learnt English Irish and Mathematics along side with stitching,cooking, laundry. Asking my mother she also did art up till her Inter-Cert further interested i questioned her subject of art and it consisting of drawing a poster 'to advertise a circus coming to town' and some life drawing.

Within the lectures I was informed of the evolution of schooling and the different types of school set up across the country and how Catholics and Protestants was dealt with. Here are some of the facts and statistics I took down from these lectures with Dr. Connolly, again I found it hard to take notes as it was mostly facts rather than content.

Primary Education statistics for 2009/2010 :

Student enrolment approx. 505,998 pupils
Number of schools approx. 3,295
Number of teachers approx. 31,709

Second Level Education 2009/10

Student enrolment approx. 350,687
Number of schools 730

384 Secondary schools – privately owned and managed

254 Vocational Schools – administered by Vocational Education Committees (locally elected)

92 Comprehensive/Community Schools fully funded by the State

I also learned about Hedge Schools and the different religious schools that were and still are running within Cork city today including :

Protestant: - Association for Discountenancing Vice, the London Hibernian Society, the Baptist Society for Promoting the Gospel in Ireland proselytising and of concern to Catholics

Catholic: - Ursuline Sisters, Presentation Sisters, the Christian Brothers, the Sisters of Mercy and the Loreto Sister