Saidbh Brannigan discusses how politics are taught at the primary and secondary level, and how these relations contribute to the national standard for education.
Ireland’s youth is living in a world of ever-changing politics and unstable civil affairs. A 2016 survey ranked Ireland as the 15th best country for young people – 15th in civic participation but placed lower in political participation at 47th out of 183 countries. Today, these results may be contested with recent events such as the Dublin riots in November, the rising rate of anti-immigrant protests across the country, and the unwavering protests in support of Palestine. It’s time to take a closer look at how Ireland’s young people are learning about politics.
A 2016 survey ranked Ireland as the 15th best country for young people – 15th in civic participation but placed lower in political participation at 47th out of 183 countries.
Currently, Irish primary schools lack a dedicated civil or political subject for students. When questioning a current UCD student about their political education in Ireland, they shared, "I don't remember a specific political education… I'd say my primary education came through history and religious classes, from our own - Vikings, the famine, 1916 - to others like Anne Frank, Gandhi, and World Wars."
Comparing this to an international UCD student on exchange, who shared her experience with political education in Australia, sheds light on childhood education differences. She recalls, "There was some political education at school below the age of 12. In year 6 (age 11-12), we had a class about the Australian political system and what the House of Representatives and what the Senate do. We even learned a poem so we could recite every single Australian Prime Minister, in order, off by heart. Most schools on the East Coast, including mine, will do a trip to Canberra to visit Parliament and learn firsthand about politics."
In contrast to the lack of official political education at primary level, Ireland introduced Civic, Social, and Political Education (CSPE) in 1997, with the curriculum receiving updates over the decades, most recently in 2021. Positioned as a compulsory subject at the Junior Cycle level, CSPE, described by the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA), focuses on three key strands: rights and responsibilities, global citizenship, and exploring democracy.
According to the 2016 Junior Cycle (JC) CSPE specification, schools have the flexibility to tailor the NCCA short course to their specific needs, allowing teachers like experienced CSPE teacher, Elaine Linehan, to adapt teaching based on current events, keeping CSPE relevant to the volatile political landscape. Linehan believes the strands and learning outcomes remain relevant and can be aligned with ongoing developments.
In contrast to other compulsory JC subjects, CSPE is a subject for which a teacher typically requires little to no specialized training. Ms. Linehan, registered as a German and Irish teacher with the teacher’s council does not require CSPE to be registered. She recalls inquiring about training opportunities when she began teaching CSPE to the Association of CSPE Teachers in 2016, only to find there were no necessary courses in order for her to teach the subject. Addressing the management of CSPE, Linehan emphasizes the influence of teacher knowledge and interest on the classroom experience, noting that if a teacher is unwillingly assigned CSPE, it can lead to stagnant lessons, effectively creating a different experience of CSPE education cross-country. However, as Ms. Linehan points out, not all post-primary students share the same foundations or understanding of Irish current affairs and are “…kind of starting from scratch with them.” She further notes, "You’ll find in the classroom names such as Leo Varadkar, Micheál Martin, and Mary Lou McDonald – say names like that and kind of get blank faces, which is a little worrying. Even if they know the names, they may not be sure about who has the power..."
In Gearoid O'Brien's recent academic exploration of the challenges with CSPE, he underscores the unfulfilled vision outlined by former Minister for Education Breathnach in 1996 in the first development of the CSPE syllabus. The vision aimed at students being capable of taking action, critically evaluating information, justifying opinions, and accepting different perspectives. However, this vision has not fully materialized in the reality of the CSPE course, and the same concerns may persist with the new Politics and Society leaving certificate course introduced in 2016. Despite continuous efforts to evolve political education and empower students with agency, comments from various sources echo similar sentiments. A UCD student expresses concern about the trajectory toward divisive and angry discourse, emphasizing the need for political education to prioritize teaching critical thinking and engagement with issues. According to the student, media literacy and the ability to question everything are essential, as “…people must be taught to think for themselves.”
Linehan highlights challenges in second-year students' critical thinking, citing their struggle to engage with debates effectively to form informed opinions. She notes students often "go with the crowd and not question things— if they're seeing it on their TikTok feed, then it's the truth." Linehan points to an experience of non-factual discussions in the classroom by students, referencing the November 2023 riots in Dublin, emphasizing the lack of skills to question and fact-check information, leading to group thinking. Despite these challenges, Linehan acknowledges positive strides in third-year CSPE, where skills like media literacy, including fake news identification, are integrated, addressing the need for enhanced critical thinking in political education.
Amidst the global challenge of rampant disinformation hindering accurate and informed debates, the positive impact of Irish political education on past post-primary students is evident. A UCD student reflects on the influence, stating, "My political education not only gave me a basis to understand many aspects of politics and the world, but also, awareness motivates action. I am probably more motivated than I would be otherwise to participate in protests, challenge authority, and to participate in political processes such as elections."
‘My political education not only gave me a basis to understand many aspects of politics and the world, but also, awareness motivates action. I am probably more motivated than I would be otherwise to participate in protests, challenge authority, and to participate in political processes such as elections.’
The influence on Irish youth to critically engage with global events and the motivation to participate in protests is notable. A UCD international student, comparing experiences with their home country, observes the UCD Student Union's more vocal stance on political issues, stating, "There were protests and demonstrations on campus, and the student body as a whole seemed very politically active. I haven’t seen the same kind of action in Australian Universities."