Education

More Information

Whilst education initiatives run through almost all of the work of The Heritage Council such as its grants programmes and funding to local authorities, there are a number of key initiatives, such as The Heritage in Schools Scheme, that particularly reflect The Heritage Council’s outlook and priorities.

Role

Under the Heritage Act 1997 The Heritage Council is asked "to promote interest, education, knowledge and pride in and facilitate the appreciation and enjoyment of the national heritage". To this end, The Heritage Councils educational role involves working with a variety of stakeholders such as public authorities, educational bodies, organisations and individuals to generate, coordinate, support and promote initiatives that will educate about our national heritage.  Whilst education initiatives run through almost all of the work of The Heritage Council such as its grants programmes and funding to local authorities, there are a number of key initiatives, such as The Heritage in Schools Scheme, that particularly reflect The Heritage Council’s outlook and priorities.

Objectives

1. To encourage community and outreach heritage education, specifically through supporting and promoting:

• A range of programmes by and for community groups that encourage a creative hands on approach to learning. 
• Outdoor interactive education for the primary school sector.
• Training and internships for a number of sectors such as museums and in-house internships during the summer months.
• Lectures, conferences, radio programmes and workshops through its grants programmes.
• The development of online educational resources and tools.

2. To build on its community education and continuing education for adults across all heritage sectors as defined under the Heritage Act 1997.

3. Liaise with stakeholders in the formal education sector to identify heritage education and resource gaps that currently exist

Policy

The Heritage Councils education policy can be outlined as the following guiding principle:

A commitment to support education initiatives within and between schools, local museums and other education facilities and/or which meet the interests and needs of the community through making heritage accessible and relevant, including initiatives undertaken during Heritage Week.

Committee

The education committee is a voluntary group which meets on average five times annually and is comprised of a variety of individuals from a cross section of heritage and education backgrounds and expertise. Members of the committee include Catherine Gralton, Ronwyn Hayes, Dr. Brendan Dunford, Deirdre Ellis King, Noel Keyes, Jerome Morrisey and Isabell Smyth.

The committee is in place to:

• Ensure key stakeholder groups are represented within the Heritage in Education remit
• Act as advisors to The Heritage Council on strategy and actions relating to education and awareness.

 

Best Practice

Whilst there are many examples of best practice to choose from, two of the most recent examples can be found by looking no further than the 2008 winners of The Marian Rollins Heritage & Education Award, Siobhan Clancy & Martin Ward.

Siobhán Clancy from the Digital Hub was nominated by Francis Street CBS School, Dublin 8. Siobhan worked with the 4th class pupils in Francis Street CBS on a heritage project entitled ‘To the Past and Back’. Francis Street CBS is surrounded by an area steeped in culture and heritage including many landmark buildings. Siobhan’s project enabled the pupils to understand, gain respect for, appreciate and value their local heritage and culture. She instilled in them a sense of wonder for their local community and a sense of responsibility for its preservation. The project culminated in the pupils producing a DVD on the area.

Martin Ward, principal teacher in Glinsk N.S., Castlerea, Co. Galway was nominated by his school for this award. Martin has taught in Glinsk N.S. since 1983 and has made a wonderful contribution to the pupils’ sense of appreciation of and value for their locality. Under Michael’s guidance pupils have made three films taken on local heritage and have designed a nature area in the school grounds. Martin leads the pupils’ sense of belonging in their local community by example. Some of his contributions include establishing a Heritage Park in the area, introducing The Glinsk Song Contest, helping develop the Suck Valley Way and publishing a book ‘History in Glinsk’