Category: Irish Journal of Education

LOCAL EDUCATION AUTHORITY ADMINISTRATION IN NORTHERN IRELAND AFTER PARTITION: THE EARLY YEARS OF THE COUNTY DOWN EDUCATION COMMITTEE 1925-31 George Beale The new concept of local education authority administration in the devolved state of Northern Ireland is explored, focusing on the establishment and work of the County Down Regional Education Committee. After the passing ofRead more…

SCIENCE FOR ALL Edward M. Walsh The situation of provision for, and achievement in, science in first and second level education in Ireland is reviewed and is considered unsatisfactory in a country in which the economy depends on workers who have skills in science and. technology. Proposals are made for improvement. A vision for IrelandRead more…

CULTURE, IDENTITY AND CHILDREN’S LITERATURE Stuart Marriott Optimistic assertions about the significance of fiction in forming and maintaining children’s personal and social identity are difficult to substantiate. Existing evidence from Northern Ireland that fiction has a meaningful role in this process is credible if,largely anecdotal and circumstantial. The necessary task of providing more substantive researchRead more…

Preface This special issue of The Irish Journal of Education contains a report of the IEA (International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement) reading literacy study, which was carried out in 32 countries, including Ireland. International reports of the study have already been published (Elley, 1992; Postlethwaite and Ross, 1992; Lundberg & Linnakylä, 1993).Read more…

GUIDANCE AND COUNSELLING IN IRISH SECOND-LEVEL SCHOOLS Gerry Shiel and Mary Lewis The paper begins with a description of guidance and counselling in second-level schools in the Republic of Ireland, tracing development of the service from its introduction in the mid-1960s to the early 1990s. The role of the guidance counsellor is considered in theRead more…

Preface This issue of The Irish Journal of Education contains a report of The Second International Assessment of Educational Progress in Mathematics and Science (IAEPII) which was carried out in 20 countries, including Ireland, in 1990-1991. International reports of the study are available (Lapointe, Askew, & Mead, 1992; Lapointe, Mead, & Askew, 1992). In theRead more…

IRELAND’S RESPONSE TO AFRICA’S EDUCATIONAL NEEDS Paud Murphy An examination of educational provision in sub-Saharan Africa reveals many problems: access, low completion and achievement rates at primary level, maintaining quality while increasing access at second level, and the cost, and relevance of tertiary education. The development of Ireland’s official aid programme and current features areRead more…

PUBLIC FUNDING OF THEOLOGY IN THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITY Michael Nolan An account is given of the provision of public funds for the teaching of Theology at third-level institutions in the countries of the European Community. Note is also taken of public grants to young people who have chosen to take a degree in this subject.Read more…

BEGINNING TEACHERS’ PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND ITS IMPLICATIONS FOR TEACHER EDUCATION AND TRAINING JHC Vonk The process of becoming a teacher is considered to be a part of teachers professional development. The first section of the article describes the general nature of this development which is used as the framework for a longitudinal study on beginningRead more…

EDUCATIONAL REFORM AND MENTOR-TEACHER PROGRAMMES IN THE UNITED STATES John R Curley A steady increase in the number of school age children, many of them from disadvantaged backgrounds coupled with a decline in the number of new teacher graduates and considerable loss from the teaching profession will pose major problems through the 1990s for educationRead more…