Ministers to debate education system

Ireland’s education system will be discussed by cross-border government ministers and academics at the Parnell Summer School today.

The annual six-day event, held in the ancestral home of Charles Stewart Parnell in Co Wicklow, will be opened by businessman Anthony O’Reilly.

Taking part will be Northern Ireland’s Education Minister Caitriona Ruane and the Republic of Ireland’s Integration Minister Conor Lenihan as well as academics form Trinity College, Boston College, UCC, UCD, NUI Galway, Dublin City University and the University of Ulster.

A Summer School spokesman said: “The theme this year is education – to mark the centenary of the Irish Universities Act in 1908.

“Education in Ireland – its development, the role of religious schooling, the impact of the ’new Irish’ and the politics of education will be some of the main topics.”

Immigrants and their integration through education initiatives will be discussed by a panel of speakers including Integration Minister Mr Lenihan as well as academics and representatives from the National Consultative Committee on Racism and Interculturalism.

Later this week, Stormont’s Education Minister Ms Ruane will speak on the issue of education in the North in the context of the Troubles and the peace process.

Ms Ruane will share the platform with academics and representatives of Northern Ireland Integrated Schools, the National Association of Schoolmasters Union of Women Teachers and Comhairle na Gaelscolaiochta.

The role of teachers and the future of education will be discussed by INTO general secretary John Carr while Church of Ireland Archbishop of Dublin, Dr John Neill will speak on education in religion.

A former leader of the Irish Parliamentary Party and dubbed the ’Uncrowned King of Ireland’, Parnell died in 1891 and is buried in Dublin’s Glasnevin Cemetery.

His supporters began hosting the Summer School in Avondale House in 1991 to mark the centenary of his death.

Avondale is now owned by State forestry body, Coillte, and houses a museum dedicated to Parnell’s memory.