About Us

 

 

St. Vincent's BNS at Sports 4 Success December 2011

In September 2000 St. Patrick's College received funding under the special targeted initiatives from the Higher Educational Authority to establish an Educational Disadvantage Centre. Dr Ann Louise Gilligan was appointed to establish and direct the Centre and an administrator was appointed shortly thereafter. Located within the College's Faculty of Education, the Centre's purpose is to highlight the implications of social and economic disadvantage on education within the Primary Education sector in Ireland. In 2001 the College, with the Minister for Education and Science, formally opened the Educational Disadvantage Centre. In January 2004 Dr. Paul Downes was appointed as the new Director of the centre; the Centre is administered by Valerie McLoughlin.

The Centre's mission is to promote equality in education and to contribute to the shaping of primary teacher education, so that the cycle of educational disadvantage is broken. The Centre also aims to contribute to best practice in national and international policy regarding educational disadvantage and equality in education.

The following section outlines the aims of the Educational Disadvantage Centre in the five areas of:

• Pre-service Formation

• Continuing Professional Development

• Community Outreach and Projects

• National and International Policy

• National and International Research

 

Last Updated: Thursday February 02 2012