Background

Background

Ireland’s modern educational system can trace its roots back to 1831 when the national primary education system was introduced by the visionary Lord Stanley to promote harmony through multi-denominational education [1]. Following the succession of Archbishop Murray, the first commissioner of national education, by Cardinal Paul Cullen in 1849 Catholic Church became at the forefront in deciding policies in Irish education system [2]. However the the power of the Catholic church and the state was reversed because of the introduction of the Education Act of 1998 which has given more power to teachers in deciding Ireland’s school curriculum at present. The introduction of free education scheme in 1966 made a huge impact on Irish education and led to dramatic increase in the number of students at all levels of education[3].

 

The aim of this project is explore the history of Holy Faith secondary school of Clontarf. The investigation was carried out  with reference to the foundress of the school, school architect, school crest, school ethos and mottos, events that happened during the early times of the school, and its changes and development over time. In this investigation information were obtained from primary sources through interview and supported by secondary sources.

 

References

1. Ó Buachalla, Séamas. Education Policy in Twentieth Century Ireland. Dublin: Wolfhound Press, 1988.
2. Titley, E. Church, State and the Control of Education in Ireland 1900-1944. McGill-Queen’s Press – MQUP,  1983
3. Hyland Aine & Milne Kenneth, Irish educational document volume II, Dublin: Church of Ireland College of Education, 1992, p.42-43.

 

Advertisement

Architect of The school

Figure1. Front view of the Holy Faith secondary school building [1]

The present Secondary School building opened in 1950 on Belgrove road across the older building on Clontarf Road due to increasing numbers of students. The older building was set as  Junior school and catered the secondary school until it was closed because of health and safety concern in 2004. St John`s church had provided a plot of land for a school building adjacent to the church. The school building architecture was designed by Edward Smith and paid for by Holy Faith order. An extension was added to the building in the 1970`s to include science laboratory and geography room. Additional rooms were added in the 1980`s by way of prefabricated buildings [2].

Figure2. view of the Belgrove road, location of the Holy Faith Secondary School, Clontarf [3].

Figure2a. Scanned image of design of first floor architect of the Holy Faith secondary school [4].

Figure2b. Scanned image of design of ground floor architect of the Holy faith secondary school [4].

References

1. http://www.holyfaithclontarf.com/, retrieved on 25^th of September 2015.
2. Interview with the principal of Holy faith secondary school Clontarf, Deirdre Gogarty on 2nd of October 2015 at Holy faith secondary school Clontarf.
3. Image of the view of the Belgrove road, location of the Holy Faith Secondary School, Clontarf taken by Muzeyen Woliye on 13th of November 2015.
4. Scanned images of the architectural design of the Holy Faith secondary school of Clontarf taken on 24th of October 2015 by Muzeyen Woliye.

Changes and Development

There had been changes in curriculum, in the number of students and organisational structure of the Holy Faith Secondary school  of Clontarf  since its inception in 1890. From 1920s to 1930s the school began providing more formal type of education including Irish, French, Science, Art and Geography as teaching subjects. From 1970s the school had involved in providing sporting activities such as athletics, badminton, hockey, comogie, Gaelic football; and Drama [1, 2].

The introduction of free education for all Irish citizens during the 1960s was the biggest turning point in the history of the Irish education. As the result of this crucial policy change the number of girls coming to the school increased. Particularly, the number of girls seating the leaving certificate exam had significantly increased as the result. However, The most important step forward in the growth of girls’ secondary education was the introduction of the Intermediate Education Act in 1878 which provided an opportunity to girls to study academic courses and to take the same state examination as boys. This act was the result of compromise measures between the church and state and provided an opportunity for girls to prove their equal intelectual ability[3].

The growing demand for post primary education has been accelerated by the introduction in 1967 of free education and transport for post primary pupils. The number of pupils in post- primary schools increased from about 149,000 in 1966 to 184, 500 in 1968[4].

 

Up until1960s about 100 students started school in the first year, and only about 15 of them completed secondary school.  Currently nearly 98 to 99% of the girls complete education in the school, while about 1 to 2% of them may change school with a total of almost 100% completion of students who started their first year in the school. After 1960s the class room size was increased to about 40 to 50, while it was only about 20 to 25 during the early times [1, 2].

Figure 1. Number of pupil enrolled in Holy Faith secondary school in the years between 1962/63 and 2013/2014 [5].

The introduction of free education by the state also led to significant increase in the number of teachers recruited in the school during 1970s. There was over 50 % increase in the number of teachers in 5 years [1].

The number of teachers in secondary and vocational schools has been increasing by about 400 per year. The increase in 1968/69 is about 800[4].

The introduction of the board of management in 1985 by the ex principal of the school, Dr. Una Collins was the biggest change in school organizational structure. The board of management consisted of 8 member: 2 teacher elects, 2 parent elects, 4 appointed by trustees.  The principal of the school is the secretary of the board of management [1, 2].  The school was proactive, and looked ahead for the need to make changes in school organizational structure based on the underlining socio-cultural changes of the school community. Hence, the school became the first Holy Faith School to have a board of management of 8 members.  This was followed by the introduction of first lay principal in 1987 due to the decline in the number of religious vocations [1, 2].  As the result, Bertha Mccullagh became the first lay principal of the school. The introduction of lay principal also led to the increase in the number of lay teachers working in the school [1].

According to the statistics provided by the department of education in December 1965,the number of lay women teachers in 11 Holy Faith secondary schools paid by the department as full-time teachers was 51 constituting 47.2 % of the total number of teachers [6].  It has been indicated that in addition to curriculum and facilities corresponding with higher fees, lay teacher employment expanded in catholic secondary schools which cater to upper socio-economic class [7].

 

The other significant change resulted in the school system was the introduction of the 1998 Education Act. As the result of this act the role of church, parents, and students in the school was changed. The department of education funded the school while the trustees owned the school land and building.  The fact that funding is obtained from the department of education the role of trustees is significantly minimised. However, the Congregation still owns the school land and building, and therefore four members of the board of managementof the school are appointed by trustees and managed to sustain the core ethos of catholic principles in the school management [1]. The Education Act of 1998 sets out the functions and responsibilities of all key partners in the schooling system. It seeks the establishment of Boards of Management for all schools; requires schools to engage in the preparation of school plans and promotion of parent associations. Accountability procedures are laid down and attention is paid to the rights of parents and pupils in the act. The Act sets out statutory provision for the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) and roles of regional Education Centres [8].

 

References

1. Interview with the principal of Holy faith secondary school Clontarf, Deirdre Gogarty on2nd of October 2015 at Holy faith secondary school Clontarf.
2. Interview with the member of Holy Haith sister Eunan Gallegher on 6th of October 2015 at Holy faith secondary school Clontarf.
3. Deirdre Raftery , Judith Harford & Susan M. Parkes (2010) Mapping the terrain of female education in Ireland, 1830–1910, Gender and Education, 22:5, 565-578, DOI: 10.1080/09540250903446895
4. Hyland Aine & Milne Kenneth, Irish educational document volume II, Dublin: Church of Ireland College of Education, 1992, p.42-43
5. http://www.education.ie/en/Publications/Statistics/Data-on-Individual-Schools/, Retrieved on 3rd of October 2015.
6. Duffy S Patrick, The Lay Teacher, Dublin: cJFallon Limited, 1967, p. 63
7. Ibid, p.70-71
8. https://www.education.ie/en/Publications/Education-Reports/A-Brief-Description-of-the-Irish-Education-System.pdf, Retrieved on 9^th of October 2015.

School Crest

Figure1. School Crest of Holy Faith Secondary school, Clontarf [1]

U N U S  D O M I N U S – Means one God in Latin and U N A  F I D E S – Means one Faith in Latin. This describes that the school ethos based on the catholic principle and faith of Christianity. The Cross represents the Catholic Heritage of Christianity. The star represents the Star of the sea; Stella Maris (our Lady star of the sea). The symbol of the star of the sea represents that the school and its community are protected by Stella Maris (our Lady star of the sea). The wave of the sea and the fish represents geographical location of the school [1, 2].

References

1. http://www.holyfaithclontarf.com/, retrieved on 25^th of September 2015.
2. Interview with the principal of Holy faith secondary school Clontarf, Deirdre Gogarty on2nd of October 2015 at Holy faith secondary school Clontarf.

School Ethos and Motto

The phrase school ethos has been used to describe the particular character of many Irish schools to articulate their values and goals in education. School ethos emerges from the interactions of school life including teaching and learning, management, the use of images and symbols, rituals and practices, and goals and expectations .School gaols can be described as instrumental (school`s curriculum), organizational (administration and structures), and expressive (tangible aspects of school`s outcome).The school`s mission statement can provide a good indication of school`s expressive goals [1]. Below is the mission nstatement of the Holly Faith secondary school Clontarf:

``Holy Faith Secondary School Clontarf aims to provide an excellent, all-round education in a Roman Catholic environment. Through a learning community of faith and justice, based on respect, we seek to form integrated and self-reliant people, who will be moved to work for a better world“ [2].

Mission statements represent the foundational belief and the core principle of school ethos. The Holy Faith secondary school of Clontarf aims to pursue excellence in academic, creative and practical areas of the school; to nurture a friendly and environment for students; to recognise responsibility of the school towards the wider community and develop sprit of service; to create opportunities for the spiritual development of members of the school community [2].

According to a questionnaire filled on the Parent information evening of the Holy faith secondary school, Clontarf on 24^th of September 2015, the top three reasons of parent choice of the school for their children was academic reputation, subject choice and code of discipline [3].

 

References

1. Norman James, Ethos and Education in Ireland, Newyork: Irish Studies, 2003, p. 2-3.
2. http://www.holyfaithclontarf.com/about-us/, Retrieved on 25^th of September 2015.
3. Interview with the principal of Holy faith secondary school Clontarf, Deirdre Gogarty on2nd of October 2015 at Holy faith secondary school Clontarf.

The Early Years

Figure1. Scanned image of Photograph of the first leaving certificate students of the Holy Faith secondary school in 1950 [1].

During the early times of its foundation, the Holy Faith secondary school had no formal organisational structure . Holy Faith sisters were predominantly in charge of the school in cooperation with the Catholic Church. There was no differences in rank between the Holy Faith sisters unlike other religious congregations such as presentation convent of Galway, Galway Mercy and Loreto convent of Rathfarnham, where the role of nuns in the congregation was determined based on whether they paid a dowry or not. Lay sisters who did not brought a dowry were assigned to domestic work of the convent, cooking, scrubbing, serving, gardening, and washing [2, 3]. In the new community of Holy Faith sisters, religious life was brought within the reach of some women who wished to enter into the religious congregation and teach [2, 3].

Although the school was a fee paying school during the early times, the amount of income generated was insignificant. The sisters were looked after by the mother house, the head quarters of the charity in Glasnevin. Some other sources of income for the Holy Faith sisters were from the sale of communion bread, sewing and family income. Nevertheless, the Holy Faith sisters had entirely dedicated their services free for religious purposes [2, 3]. Margaret`s decision to form her group into religious congregation, the Holy Faith sisters, was bound to extension of catholic poor school network and her determination to maintain the unpaid character of all her charitable work to ensure stability of the congregation [4].

Apart from, reading, writing and arithmetic, religious education and Irish history were the main curricular subjects of the catholic school during the early times. The school began teaching geography and history from around 1900.The co-curricular activities include sewing, craft,painting, and sporting activities such as hockey and comogie during the early times of the school. At around 1930, Feis Ceol, the Irish singing competition was also popular in the school [2, 3]. Up until the 1940s the girls were educated until the age of 11. Then girls inter the work force in services including house maids [5].

References

1. Scanned image of the photograph of the first leaving certificate students of the Holy Faith secondary school  in 1950 taken on 24th of October 2015.
2. Interview with the principal of Holy faith secondary school Clontarf, Deirdre Gogarty on 2nd of October 2015 at Holy faith secondary school Clontarf.
3.  Interview with the member of Holy Faith sister Eunan Gallegher on 6th of October 2015 at Holy faith secondary school Clontarf.
4. Jacinta Prunty, Lady of charity, sister of faith: Margaret Aylward 1810-1889, Dublin, 1999.
5. Catriona Clear, Nuns in the Nineteenth Century Ireland, Dublin: Gill and Macmillan, 1987,p.87

The Foundress

Figure1. Front view of the Holy Faith secondary school compound [1]

 

Four Holy Faith sisters founded a school on Clontarf road on 22nd of September 1890. The present Holy faith Secondary School building opened in 1950 on Belgrove road just cross the road from the older building.The school is a voluntary Catholic Secondary School for Girls under the Trusteeship of Le Chéile, a Catholic Schools Trust [1].

Figure2. Scanned image of Photograph taken during the mass ceremony on the first school day in the new building of Holy Faith secondary school in 1950 [2]

The Sisters of the Holy Faith is a Roman catholic religious congregation, originally established for the care of Catholic orphans by Margaret Aylward at Dublin, in 1857 under the direction of Father John Gowan CM. The congregation is particularly active in the Archdiocesses of Dublin, the head quarter being at Glasnevin, where the sisters conducted a boarding-school for young ladies. The original foundation was St. Brigid’s Orphanage of Dublin, where nearly three thousand orphans were trained and placed in trades and situations. The congregation of Holy Faith sisters also conducted primary schools, private day schools, infants’ schools, and junior boys’ schools [3].

Margaret Aylward, the founder of Holy Faith sisters, was born in Waterford to a wealthy merchant family. She was educated at the Ursuline Convent, Thurles. Margaret Aylward, moved to Dublin in late 1840s from her hometown Waterford because of the confused mixture of ill health and an anxiety for a break from her Waterford circles following her second failure in religious life. On her arrival in Dublin she found an immediate refuge in Manor House, Clontarf, with her brother John. Soon after short stay in Clontarf, Margaret took lodgings in the Gardiner street district where she began her lifelong involvement in Dublin slums [4].

Margaret arrived in Dublin directly following on the great famine of 1845-7 when the city acted as a refuge for destitute women and children who were left behind as men sought work in England. She worked for the relief of the poor in Dublin directing the Ladies of Charity of St Vincent de Paul [5]. In her work for orphans she became involved in a controversial custody case of a child who was the offspring of a mixed marriage (a catholic father and protestant mother) and served a six month prison sentence [6]. Margaret Aylward established a fosterage system of care for destitute children, schools for the poor, and founded the Sisters of the Holy Faith as a congregation [4].

Apart from the absence of any catholic secondary school for girls in the wider area of Clontarf at the time, Aylward`s family connection with the area (St Joseph`s square) had an influence for the Holy Faith sisters` decision to open a catholic school in the middle class area of Clontarf [6,7]. The decision was aimed at extending the ambition of Margaret Aylward, who was committed to establish networks of schools of Faith in the community, where “children will be made strong in Faith – a Faith that is living and operative“ [4].  Although the goal of the congregation of the Holy Faith sisters was to defend the Holy Faith in persons of poor catholic orphans and destitute children, Margaret Aylward clearly mentioned fee-paying schools in her request for congregational status to Dr Cullen, the Roman catholic Archbishop of Dublin in 1866:

If it please God we shall not confine our efforts to the teaching of the poor, but found schools for higher classes, the profit of which shall be applied to the maintenance of schools for the poor – our chief care being the poor, and our principal object the defence of the Faith [8].

Figure3. view of the clontarf road at the junction of Belgrove road leading to the Holy Faith Secondary school, Clontarf [9].

 

 

References

1. http://www.holyfaithclontarf.com/about-us/, retrieved on 25^th of September 2015.
2. Scanned image of photograph of the mass ceremony in the new building of the Holy Faith secondary school on the first day of the school in 1950 taken on 24th of October 2015 by Muzeyen Woliye.
3. http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/07407a.htm, retrieved on 26^th September 2015.
4. Jacinta Prunty, Lady of charity, sister of faith: Margaret Aylward 1810-1889,Dublin, 1999.
5. Cẚit Mullingan, Margaret Aylward and the Priceless Treasure, 2010.
6. Interview with the member of Holy Faith, sister Eunan Gallagher on 6th of October 2015 at Holy faith secondary school Clontarf.
7. Interview with the principal of Holy faith secondary school Clontarf, Deirdre Gogarty on 2nd of October 2015 at Holy faith secondary school Clontarf.
8. Margaret Aylward to Dr. Cullen, 31 May 1866, DDA: Cullen papers, file VI nuns, 327/6 no.16
9. Image of the view of Clontarf Road at the junction of Belgrove Road leading to the Holy Faith Secondary School, Clontarf taken by Muzeyen Woliye on 13th of November 2015.

Poject work plan

Work plan for educating Ireland PME project
Name: Muzeyen Woliye
School of choice: Holy Faith Secondary school (my teaching placements school)
1. Provisional sections
a. Background
b. The founders
c. The early times
d. Changes and development
e. School crest and school motto
2.  Interviews with,
a. The principal of the school – already done on 2nd of October 2015
b. Retired member of Holy Faith sisters – on 6th of October 2015

3. Source of information
• From the school (interviews)
• The school website
• Other relevant websites (e.g., cso)
• UCD Library
• UCD online resources
d. Frequency of adding contents to word press
• On weekly basis
4. Problems
• How to use information from interviews