Re-kindling community education
Mixed-methods study c219 participants
(in 2013) three phases
1. one-to-one interviewing (7 people)
2. Broad based survey (219 people)
3. 8 Focus-group, and 6 tele-interviews
(35 people)
Anti-neoliberal perspective
Research objectives
1. To build knowledge on community
education practitioners and practice
across Ireland.
2. To explore the impacts of neoliberalism.
3. To investigate ways in which a critical
approach can further inform community
education’s equality based ambition.
Female
80%
70%
Post
graduate
60%
outsider
AONTAS
CEN
Community
Sector
50%
public
provision
40%
insider
Other
Diploma or
lower
30%
Male
no answer
degree
20%
other
Don't
know
10%
0%
0%
Gender
Place of work
Qualification
Relationship with
community
Networks
• Precarious working environments – over 80%
working more hours than they are paid for.
• 52% working part-time, 11% volunteers.
• 11% were volunteers
• 83% of offer accreditation (11% in all their
work).
• 3-6% believe the work is primarily about upskilling for employment.
70%
supporting individual need
60%
Humanistic
50%
40%
Critical
Creating critical classrooms
30%
20%
State no philosophy
10%
Develop local services
0%
Philosophy
Example of practice
“Someone said she could not read a map, that once
she went beyond Newlands Cross [on the
outskirts of Dublin] she did not know whether
she was going north, south, east or west. So we
brought in several large blank maps of Ireland,
divided the class in two, and gave out two sets of
cut-out car registration letters and asked the two
teams to place the car reg. letters on their
appropriate counties. Then we listed the
counties in each province. So we adapt our
sessions to the needs/suggestions of
participants”
“the class did not just involve teaching English many of the students had good English. They
need to learn about the Irish system of education
and health care. They needed to know how the
tax system worked, that their husband could use
their tax credits if they were not working, that
they could claim child benefit and FIS. They asked
about car tax, car insurance, how to get a PPS
number - lots of basic questions that they needed
help with. Those who had good English translated
the questions and the answers for the others”.
“In community education the rise in accredited courses I
believe is to be welcomed. It gives students an accessible
way to climb the educational ladder and become more
successful in their lives. However I strongly believe that it is
the entrance courses i.e. personal development, parenting
that breaks through isolation and builds confidence in
people. There should be a high value put on these courses
as I believe this is where the real personal growth starts to
happen for people”
“There is definitely manipulation going on... we are on a very
short leash and you basically have to get them through the
learning outcomes, all the FETAC courses are very
vocational and focus on, like when they get up to level 3,
level 4 they all have a work experience module, they are all
designed for employability”
“The government pay lip-service to community education and
local communities…the reality is this government is only
interested in getting people on education and training to
show they are doing something about unemployment…the
only figure that matters is output in terms of bums on seats”
“... there was so much going on in that room it was frightening.
And we suggested that they collectively write a letter to the
minister explaining their concerns and what the impact was,
because the impact was emotionally, psychologically on these
people, and the detrimental things that were going on in their
families as a result of them leaving their homes to come on a
course, some of them had third level some of them had basic
literacy, they were all on one course”
Individuals/groups/communities
Community educators
Those outside the room
Participant recommendations
• Showcase our work more and put forward a
stronger sectoral identity.
• Keep working with the State but in a more
considered way.
• Strengthen network relationships (AONTAS
CEN cited frequently).
• Extend accrediting opportunities.
• Make stronger links with oppositional
movements.
Problematise
person-centered practice
Light many fires
Oil and water?
Building authentic relationships
“The levels of exploitation, corruption
and inequality are simply unacceptable
and the levels of suffering that
people are experiencing are also
unacceptable. We need to change this
and community education is one of the
key tools that we have for doing this.
Let’s continue this journey!”