Forum on Access to Higher Education

St Patrick’s College Forum on Access to Higher Education took place in Belvedere House on Thursday 26 May 2011. Over 30 representatives of a wide range of organisations attended including those from local DEIS primary and secondary schools, local area partnerships, Traveller groups, Ethnic minorities, Disability organisations, Gaelscoileanna and Further Education colleges. The Forum is the initial stage in the establishment of an ongoing External Advisory Group on Access to the College and its Access Committee, commencing in the academic year 2011/2012.

The organisation representatives were welcomed to the College by the College Registrar, Olivia Bree, with presentations on the College and its Access Programme given by Denis Twomey, Assistant Registrar and Vivienne Byrne, the College’s Access Officer. Fionnuala Waldron, Head of Education, facilitated a feedback session from the organisations on barriers to and solutions for access to the College. Other members of the College’s access committee who were also in attendance and involved in the planning for the day were Almar Barry, Cora Cregan, Paul Downes, Colm Hefferon, Michael O’Keeffe and Therese Savage.

The Access Programme is central to the College’s ongoing commitment to address systemic inequalities in society. It has succeeded in improving access to third level education and to initial teacher education for a significant number of students to date. College staff have also worked to create a curriculum that is respectful of diverse cultures and social contexts and which promotes ideas such as tolerance, equality of respect for and recognition of non-dominant and minority groups. While the Access Programme in St Patrick’s College has succeeded in improving access nationwide we are aware of work needed to resolve lingering under-representation of students from a range of communities, including those from DEIS communities in Dublin and ethnic minority communities including Travellers and immigrant groups - especially in relation to access to initial teacher education. Moreover, consultation with communities, whose needs the Access Programme is designed to meet, is in itself desirable as part of a wider social imperative focused on inclusive practice and the general principle of community engagement that the College embraces.

 

 

 

 

Last Updated: Friday June 17 2011