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Education Key to Nation’s Recovery
Teaching Graduates Told
Education is one of the key drivers to getting
Ireland back on its feet, the president of the
INTO, Noreen Flynn, has stated. Speaking at the
graduation ceremony for the B.Ed class of 2011
at the Church of Ireland College of Education,
Ms Flynn told the newly qualified teachers: “We
have dealt with recession before and we will
deal with it today. We will fight to preserve the
standard of education”.
Ms Flynn was presenting the Vere Foster
Medal for excellence to graduate Amanda
Sullivan. Outlining the life of Vere Foster, who
was the first president of the Irish National
Teachers Organisation, she said he made a
remarkable contribution to several areas in
Irish Society, particularly mass education. He
supported over 2,000 schools from his own
personal resources; his copybooks became the
standard method of practicing handwriting in
schools; and he was convinced that improving
the lot of teachers was the only way of
improving education.
She said that had she been speaking at a
graduation ceremony four years ago at a time
of plenty, she would have contrasted the day of
Vere Foster with the present day. “But as we’re
all aware over the last four years all of these
certainties have come tumbling down. Poverty
is on the rise. Emigration is on the rise
particularly among young people… One of the
key drivers to get this country out of the
situation in which we find ourselves will be
education,” she stated. Ms Flynn said Amanda
Sullivan was a very worthy recipient of the Vere
Foster medal having achieved the highest
overall marks with 13 first class honours out of
18 subject areas.
The Governors’ Prize for contribution to the
life of the college was awarded to Jean Louise
McCarthy. Presenting the award, chair of the
board of governors, Archbishop Michael
Jackson, talked about what it meant to be a
teacher. He said it sounded simple – teachers
were in charge of the welfare and the
flourishing of the children in their trust. “The
children are with you for a major part of their
day and that is a responsibility… You have a
tremendous opportunity to shape the lives of
children,” he said adding that “the welfare of the
child lies at the heart of your commitment”.
The Carlisle and Blake Award was presented
to Stacey McNutt by Dr Harold Hislop, the
chief inspector at the Department of Education
and Skills. In his key note speech, he addressed
the theme ‘Discovery consists of looking at the
same thing as everyone else and seeing
something different’. In the Dublin of 200 years
ago mass education was non-existent..
“Education for all seemed like an impossible
dream,” he stated. A group of Dublin
businessmen gathered together in the Liberties
to look at these challenges and they looked at
them in a different way, Dr Hislop said. The
Kildare Place Society, as the men were known,
pioneered all the key features of a national
education system.
INTO president, Noreen Flynn, addresses
the B.Ed. graduates of 2011 at the
Church of Ireland College of Education.
“The gentleman of the society would never
have spoken of a child’s right to education –
that language was not in their discourse – but
that right was what they established,” Dr
Hislop stated. “Excellence of teaching and
learning were at the heart of what they did.
This excellence of teaching has been
maintained and fostered for 200 years this
year. You, the graduates of 2011, can be proud.
The creativity of the Kildare Place Founders
has served this country well. Their ability to
look at something differently was the key to
their ability to change the world. Irish
education is facing challenges and we need
people to looking differently at the challenges
and challenge the assumptions,” he said.
Archbishop Michael Jackson presents
Jean Louise McCarthy with the
Governors' Prize for contribution to the
life of the College at the Church of
Ireland College of Education B.Ed
graduation 2011.
Hats off the the B.Ed class of 2011 at the Church of Ireland College of Education.
Dr Hislop issued a challenge to the graduates
of 2011. He urged them to maintain a sense of
discovery and imagination in the young people
they taught. “Make sure you look at them and
say ‘why not’… When you are asking ‘why not’
you will really being doing your job to enrich
the lives of your students,” he concluded.
College of Education principal, Dr Anne
Lodge, congratulated all 29 graduates and told
them she, the staff and the governors were all
proud of them. She acknowledged that the B.Ed
was a demanding programme but said it had to
be because “teaching isn’t just a job, it’s a
vocation”. She observed that the nation was
entering very difficult times which would make
teachers’ jobs harder. But she said the graduates
gave hope for the future of the country.
10 CHUrCH revIew