High Court Judge, Ms. Justice Siobhán Phelan launches DCU Educational Disadvantage Centre Report on Community Outreach Hubs
The launch on DCU’s St. Patrick’s Campus was attended by 140 people, including representatives from local schools and community organisations, the Higher Education Authority, Academic staff,, hubs students from local DEIS secondary schools and DCU Institute of Education students who have gained entry to primary teaching with the support of the hubs.
Since their establishment in 2017, the Higher Education Authority funded community outreach hubs in Darndale, Coolock, Kilbarrack and Finglas have enabled 47 students from the areas supported to gain entry to primary school teaching at DCU’s Institute of Education, from a baseline of close to zero. In the academic year 2023-2024 426 students attended 572 sessions at the Darndale-Coolock, Kilbarrack and Finglas hubs, up from 276 students attending 472 sessions in 2022-2023.
Motivations and experiences
The DCU Educational Disadvantage Centre report, authored by Dr. Lucia Vazquez Mendoza and Professor Paul Downes, explores the motivations and experiences of 17 of these students on their ongoing journey through DCU towards becoming professional teachers. Key findings include that 16 out of 17 student primary teachers want to teach in DEIS schools.
In addition, At least 8 out of 17 students mentioned that positive interactions with teachers, engaging classroom environments, and meaningful learning experiences influenced them to consider teaching as a career path. Notably, at least 11 of the 17 interviewees first considered the idea of becoming educators between the ages of 5 and 11, echoing international research on early age of formation of career identity in general.
Sustained success
DCU Educational Disadvantage Centre’s local community outreach hubs, established, in conjunction with Northside Area Partnership, were originally launched in December 2017 in Darndale by the then Minister for Education and Skills, Richard Bruton. Due to the success of the initial two hubs in Darndale/Coolock and Kilbarrack a third hub was opened in Finglas in 2021, once again in conjunction with Dublin North West Partnership. It was launched by DCU President Professor Daire Keogh and Dean of DCU Institute of Education, Professor Anne Looney in June 2022.
The hub coordinators engage with over 12 local DEIS secondary schools in the supported areas. While the initial focus of the hubs was on 5 th and 6 th year students to support them with the Leaving Certificate, support is now also available for early secondary students. Mature students have also been a target group for support from the very start of the hubs.
Professor Paul Downes said
"The success of DCU's local community outreach hubs in promoting access to primary teaching in local working class areas is evident from the 47 students gaining entry to primary teaching in DCU Institute of Education since 2017. The hubs have generated strong interest and motivation to become a teacher in the Darndale, Coolock, Kilbarrack and Finglas areas. This challenges the stereotype prior to their establishment that working class students from Dublin did not want to become teachers, there clearly is a strong demand from such students to enter the teaching profession.
(On the report’s finding of high level of students wanting to teach in DEIS schools) This offers a strategic basis for these hubs and future expanded hubs to be a notable element in a wider national strategy for DEIS schools, one focusing both on access to diversify the teaching profession and one on teacher supply and retention for DEIS schools that recognises that increasing student teachers from DEIS schools can help foster a cohort with demonstrable commitment to working in DEIS schools.
(On the report’s finding of high level of students first considering teaching between ages of 5-11) There is a need for a more explicit, systemic and structured focus on consideration of future careers by teachers in classroom discussions at primary school level in DEIS school contexts."
Paul Rogers, CEO Northside Area Partnership said
"This work [of the Hubs] has proved pivotal in many young people across areas such as Darndale, Coolock and Kilbarrack progressing into college and completing a third level qualification; areas that for generations have shown the lowest levels of third level participation in the state. For many, many families, these young people are the first cohort of children to progress to third level.
The outreach education hubs have played a pivotal role in raising expectations that third level is something attainable for the young people from our areas...We in Northside Partnership...are mindful that a just and more equitable society will forever remain on the horizon, until such time as the voices of those who have experienced poverty, social exclusion and disadvantage are heard and reflected in the institutions of our state and in our policies and commitment to addressing poverty and inequality.
We call upon the Higher Education Authority to continue to fund the development of community-based initiatives, such as the outreach education hubs, that play such a critical role in elevating the voices of young people from more disadvantaged backgrounds and in breaking the cycle of low education attainment."
Speaking to the Irish Times, DCU Bachelor of Education student Alex Grogan said:
“We have the experience. We knew what it’s like to be in those kids’ shoes. You know there are kids that are going to have problems at home [and] not to give out to them if they are tired. We don’t know what might have been going on in their house the night before. At the back of your mind, you’ll know there are many challenges these kids have but we can show them they can strive and we can support them.”
Prof Paul Downes appeared on Morning Ireland, speaking about the new report from the DCU Educational Disadvantage Centre on the progress of students and graduates of primary school teaching from working class backgrounds.
He also spoke to Eithne Dodd at RT? News and the reports findings were written about by Kitty Holland at The Irish Times and covered by Raidió na Gaeltachta’s Tús ?ite.
Prof Downes also appeared on Near FM discussing the report.