Department of Education and Science (Ireland)
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The Department of Education and Science (Irish: An Roinn Oideachais agus Eolaíochta) is a department of the Government of Ireland. It is led by the Minister for Education and Science who is assisted by five Ministers of State.
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[edit] Departmental Team
The official headquarters and Ministerial offices of the Department of Education and Science are at Marlborough Street, Dublin 1. The Departmental team consists of the following:
- Minister for Education and Science: Batt O'Keeffe, TD
- Minister of State for Children and Youth Affairs: Barry Andrews, TD
- Minister of State for Lifelong Learning and School Transport: Seán Haughey, TD
- Minister of State for Science, Technology, Innovation and Natural Resources: Conor Lenihan, TD
- Minister of State for Integration and Community: John Curran, TD
- Minister of State for Equality, Disability Issues and Mental Health: John Moloney, TD
- Secretary General of the Department: Brigid McManus
[edit] Departmental Overview
The mission of the Department of Education and Science is to provide high-quality education which will enable individuals to achieve their full potential and to participate fully as members of society, and contribute to Ireland's social, cultural and economic development. Chief among the Department's priorities are:
- the promotion of equity and inclusion, quality outcomes and lifelong learning
- planning for education that is relevant to personal, social, cultural and economic needs
- enhancement of the capacity of the Department for service delivery, policy formulation, research and evaluation
While education at primary and secondary levels is free in Ireland, due to costs for books and other levies it is estimated that it can cost as much as €70,000 to put a child through the state school system (from age 5 to 17) at 2009 costs.
[edit] History
The Department of Education was created in 1921. Over the years its name has changed; however, the role of the Department has remained the same. The Department was previously known as the following:
- Department of Education (1921–1997)
- Department of Education and Science (1997–present)
During this period the main focus was on running the National School primary system, with free secondary education provided from 1968.
As Irish Catholics are obliged to be educated by persons influenced by the Catholic Church, the Department has had to liaise with and accommodate the Church.
The Department also had the task of overseeing reformatory and industrial schools from 1922. The 2009 "Ryan Report" found that this was rarely achieved (see Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse).
