My Article that Appears in Irish Times Today (Tues March 20th) Unedited

'Access to Teacher Training Key to Tackling Educational Disadvantage'

Children from disadvantaged communities typically don’t grow up to be teachers; typically don’t return to their old schools as education leaders or beacons of educational advancement. Until we can address this deficit, poorer children will continue to feel disconnected from our education system and will never enjoy the opportunities most young people take for granted.

Any teacher with experience in a disadvantaged school will confess that obstacles to advancement lie in the lack of self-esteem and the absence of an educational tradition in the local community. Children are greatly influenced by the adult experiences around them, but also by the expectation levels that society places on them. My experience is that the greatest challenge lies in the core-belief of many children that they just aren’t good enough. It is this cultural gap in education that is our responsibility to bridge.

My school in Dublin’s North Inner City was typical of those operating under the DEIS (Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools) system. While numerous academic studies have investigated the causes and potential strategies to tackle educational disadvantage, what is immediately apparent to newly-qualified educators is the difference between the demographic of the student body of their training college and those children who now depend on them so much.

From the perspective of these children, often their generational family experience is one of negative interactions with state institutions. The Irish state has struggled since its inception to deal respectfully with difference, including the ‘difference’ of disadvantage. Irish society still treats with suspicion and even fear those who speak with a certain accent or with a given address.

Our society therefore unwittingly undermines the self-image of the poor. We are all to blame for this, and many of our teachers are at the front-line attempting to address it. However, the perpetuation of this reality within education is almost inevitable when observing the cohort of the student body of the average Institute of Education: almost exclusively middle class, studying in an isolated environment under a singular ethos with a particular understanding of the social order.

These students become teachers in our schools and are educational role models for our children. While acknowledging that most Irish primary teachers are remarkable people and DEIS schools are staffed by incredible professionals, there is an undeniable cultural barrier within education. Poorer children observe their teacher as not being ‘of’ their community and they view the system as not understanding or respecting them. Therefore a fresh approach is now necessary to allow disadvantaged students into the teaching profession to break down that cultural obstacle, and also to change the dynamic within school communities.

Access to primary teacher training requires a Leaving Certificate points total in the high 400s and a minimum C3 grade in Higher Level Gaeilge. The Higher Education Access Route (HEAR) already provides for a level of positive discrimination but the Irish language stipulation disproportionately impacts on poorer students, considering the resources many middle-class families have for Gaeltacht summer courses and private tuition. Also DEIS secondary schools often struggle to provide Higher Level options for their students.

The required standard of Gaeilge could readily be obtained over the course of the college years. It is surely of greater importance to concentrate on the competencies of the teacher as they leave college rather than on their abilities on entrance. In addition, the advent of an added fourth year to the Bachelor of Education Degree offers opportunities for colleges to initiate electives focusing on the social, cultural and historical context to educational disadvantage and an academic analysis as to how it can be eradicated.

The term ‘eradicating educational disadvantage’ is often avoided by those charged with empowering our poorer children. We prefer the term ‘tackling’, however to merely ‘tackle’ is to be ambiguous about our chances of success. The educationalist Laurence J. Peter once said: ‘Education is a method whereby one acquires a higher grade of prejudices’. Our children deserve more than prejudice, they deserve an educational experience that respects them. We must eradicate the barriers to those from lesser means to enter that most noble of professions: to let them teach so they can in turn enable, inspire and empower others. Surely they are worth that much?

Ó Ríordáin Welcomes Five-Year School Building Programme

Statement from Aodhán Ó Ríordáin
Vice-Chair of the Jobs, Social Protection & Education Committee
Labour Party TD, Dublin North Central

Labour Party TD Aodhán Ó Ríordáin has today welcomed the announcement of the Government’s new five-year school building programme. The programme will see approximately €1.5 billion invested in primary and post-primary schools up to 2016 in order to provide greater capacity for the rapid rise in student numbers.

Deputy Ó Ríordáin stated: “I greatly welcome the announcement made by the Minister for Education Ruairí Quinn today that €1.5 billion is to be spent on the school building programme over the next five years.

“This programme is another example of the Minister and the Labour Party delivering on their Programme for Government commitment in terms of education. This ambitious plan will see 275 major projects completed over the lifetime of the Government with over 100 new school buildings at primary level and 43 new schools at second level.

“Moreover, this building programme will also ensure that an estimated 15,000 direct and 3,000 indirect jobs will be created over the next five years. This is another very welcome aspect of the announcement today and it represents the kind of multi-faceted approach that is needed in order to expand resources and spur employment.

“As our students numbers continue to rise, it is absolutely essential that we continue to provide the best facilities and surroundings for the pupils and educators in our schools nationwide. Like every other department, education will have to do more with less over the coming years as we bring our budget deficit under control and get our economy back on track. However, Ruairí Quinn’s ambitious programme of investment and reform will do a lot to protect the most vulnerable areas of the system.

“At a time of national crisis, I am proud that the Labour Party in Government have ensured that the problems in our education system, such as capacity, will be addressed now and not put on the long finger when brighter days come around. I very much look forward to working closely with the Minister as he tackles the various challenges facing education over the lifetime of this administration.”

Ó Ríordáin & Horgan-Jones host first Senior Citizens Forum

Labour Party TD for Dublin North Central Aodhán Ó Ríordáin and Cllr. Jane Horgan-Jones hosted the first Senior Citizens Forum in Carleton Hall, Marino to address the many national and local issues affecting older persons in the community.

The Forum’s attendance was close to seventy as participants debated an array of issues ranging from community policing to the household charge.

Deputy Ó Ríordáin stated: “Cllr. Horgan-Jones and I were both extremely pleased to see such a great attendance at the first Senior Citizens Forum in Marino on Friday. A lively debate took place with excellent contributions from residents in the local area.

“It was quite clear from the meeting that many residents are concerned with issues such as the household charge, waste collection, public transport and community policing, and it is up to us now as public representatives to address these issues.

“Both Jane and I are very conscious of the fact that in many instances people only really contact us when they have a specific problem and otherwise would never dream of picking up the phone and calling their local representative to discuss issues.

“These Forums will seek to change that. We are determined to keep up a continuous dialogue with local residents and to ensure that if constituents are concerned about any particular national or local matter that we are there and ready to act on their behalf.

“Jane and I are really looking forward to hosting more Senior Citizens Forums in the near future.”

Ó Ríordáin hosts second Jobs Roadshow to address local unemployment

Statement from Aodhán Ó Ríordáin
Labour Party TD for Dublin North Central
Monday, 5th March 2012

Labour Party TD for Dublin North Central Aodhán Ó Ríordáin will this afternoon facilitate a second Jobs Roadshow* in order to address the problem of unemployment in his constituency.

This follows on from the Roadshow Deputy Ó Ríordáin hosted in Donnycarney last week where a broad coalition of organisations were on hand to supply information regarding unemployment assistance, educational guidance, enterprise supports, CV and interview advice and internship and placement opportunities.

Deputy Ó Ríordáin stated: “Excellent local services are available for the unemployed and it is essential that local representatives show leadership in connecting people with the agencies that can assist in getting people back into the workforce ."

“These Roadshows are a proactive measure to try and address the problem of unemployment which has blighted the constituency of Dublin North Central. Last week, approximately one hundred people attended our first Jobs Roadshow in Donnycarney and availed of the abundance of information on display."

"Today's Roadshow will be attended by representatives from Northside Partnership, Citizens Information, JobBridge
National Adult Literacy Agency (NALA), Money & Budgeting Advice Service (MABS), Irish National Organisation for the Unemployed (INOU) and Volunteer Ireland."

“It was extremely reassuring to see so many people avail of the information provided and I look forward to facilitating the second Roadshow this afternoon in Kilmore West."

Further information:

Date: Monday, 5th March 2012
Venue: Kilmore Community Centre, Kilmore West
Time: 3pm-5pm

Attendees:
Northside Partnership
Citizens Information
JobBridge
National Adult Literacy Agency (NALA)
Money & Budgeting Advice Service (MABS)
Irish National Organisation for the Unemployed (INOU)
Volunteer Ireland

Ó Ríordáin wants schools to fly yellow flag for diversity & inclusion

Statement from Aodhán Ó Ríordáin
Labour Party TD, Dublin North Central
Friday, 2nd March 2012

Dublin North Central T.D. Aodhán Ó Ríordáin has stated today that he wants to see more schools promoting diversity and social inclusion through initiatives such as the Irish Traveller Movement's Yellow Flag Programme.

The Labour Party Deputy was speaking after visiting teachers and students in Margaret Aylward College, Whitehall, who are currently participating in the Yellow Flag Programme.

"It was an absolute privilege to be able to speak with the teachers and students in Margaret Aylwards this afternoon and to see firsthand the excellent work they are doing to promote diversity and inclusion.

"The Yellow Flag Programme is a fantastic initiative which seeks to bring the issues of interculturalism, equality and diversity into the whole-school programme and allows schools to apply them to the day to day running of the school. Moreover, Yellow Flag also promotes the idea of parents and the community working in conjunction with students and educators in order to ensure that the benefits of the programme are not just confined to the classroom.


"The Ireland we live in today is very different to the Ireland of twenty or thirty years ago. Our citizenry is far more diverse and multicultural and it is incumbent on all of us to take this into account and to promote inclusion in this society.


"The next step in this programme now is investigating the possibility of rolling out the Yellow Flag programme nationally and I intend speaking with all relevant stakeholders in order to make this possibility a reality."

Speaking on the Legal Services Regulation Bill 2011

Pathways to Work addresses social and economic damage of unemployment

Statement by Aodhán Ó Ríordáin
Vice-Chair of Jobs, Social Protection & Education Committee
Labour Party TD, Dublin North Central
Thursday, 24th February 2012

Vice-Chair of the Jobs, Social Protection and Education Committee Aodhán Ó Ríordáin has today welcomed the Government's plan to tackle the unemployment crisis.

The Labour Party TD was speaking after the Minister for Social Protection Joan Burton launched her department's "Pathways to Work" which aims to get 75,000 people currently long-term unemployed back into the workforce.
Deputy Ó Ríordáin stated: "I welcome Minister Joan Burton's initiative and I believe it is further evidence of the Labour Party's commitment to address the employment crisis which has engulfed this country."

"This is an ambitious plan which will seek to reduce the average time jobseekers spend on the live register from 21 months to less than 12 months by 2015. Under the Minister's plan, assessments will be carried out to ascertain what supports are needed to ensure a person making a claim gets every resource available to return to work. This plan is a clear acknowledgement that the damage of unemployment is not just an economic one, but a social one also.

"Some of the language used in terms of the unemployment crisis has been quite unfortunate as it has been estimated purely in terms of a loss of €20,000 to the exchequer in terms of VAT loss and social welfare payments. But it is the attack on the dignity of the human person which has the potential to cause greater damage to that individual, their family and society in general. Empowering those unfortunate enough to be jobless and addressing their needs with sympathy, respect and understanding is key to tackling this issue which has the effective status of a national emergency.

"Not only will this address issues affecting us today, but it will also give us a head start when this country enters a period of economic recovery. Even during the boom years of the Celtic Tiger, 150,000 people were still out of work when demand for labour had never been greater. This was the legacy of the last period of economic turmoil in the 1980s and early-1990s when successive administrations failed to tackle the issue of long-term unemployment.

"What Joan Burton has outlined today is a new departure in tackling our unemployment situation. This programme will empower people by giving them the supports and the direction to get themselves back to work. For many, the social welfare system can act as a barrier to employment and social mobility. However, this plan will radically change that.
"Coupled with Pathways to Work, the Minister for Education Ruairí Quinn has ensured provision of new education supports for the long-term unemployed. Minister Quinn has already stated that this will provide opportunities for the unemployed to upskill and reskill in areas of identified skills needs where sustainable employment opportunities are expected to arise.

"Minister Burton's announcement today is further evidence of the Labour Party delivering on our commitment to address the employment crisis and getting our people back to work. It is challenging, but we are determined not to repeat the mistakes of the past and by targeting our resources in this way we can ensure that we are best placed to capitalise on the recovery when it does come around."