The aspect chosen for this assignment is the Free Post Primary Education Scheme of 1967 “The introduction of the post-primary education scheme in 1967-1968 was an attempt to ensure equal access to all those seeking education beyond first level” (Curry 2003 page 88). Before this program people attending second level in Ireland often had to pay fees. Schools run by religious orders, however, often had their own free programs to enable low-income families to attend second-level education. In this assignment we will look at why the free curriculum came into being, how it developed and influenced the Irish education system. Finally, we will look at the impact it has had on our education. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay As mentioned above, in 1967 Irish education for the majority was not free. In 1967, Education Minister Donogh O'Malley decided that Irish education needed a change. Why did our system need to change? O'Malley decided that no boy or girl should be left without an education just because their parents can't afford to pay for it. “One of the most significant findings of the Investment in Education Report (1965) was that there were serious inequalities in the numbers of different socioeconomic groups in secondary schools. In particular, the report indicated that less than a third were the children of semi-skilled and unskilled workers, while almost three-quarters were the children of professionals, employers, managers and senior employees” (Curry 2003 p. 87). O'Malley understood that the situation had to change. In 1967 he took the idea forward. The reason he carried it forward at the time was that the Irish economy was growing steadily and therefore the government could afford to support their schools. In addition to these reasons, O'Malley also believed that providing education to people would slow emigration because the country's workforce would become more educated. “Education and society go hand in hand; education should focus on producing students who have knowledge” (Zajda 2001 p. 22). When the scheme was proposed, it was available in comprehensive and vocational schools and, generally, in secondary schools which choose to make use of the free scheme (Randles, 1975 pp. 216-217). The idea was carried out in all schools. They may join the program or refuse to do so. The schools that decided not to do so became private schools and the fees were high and only people who could afford these tuitions would be able to attend them. Most Catholic secondary schools joined the free education scheme in 1967 while “most Protestant secondary schools are not on the free scheme and the Department of Education pays a grant to the Secondary Education Committee, which distributes it, in accordance with a means test, to Protestant parents in order to subsidize their children's attendance at Protestant days or boarding schools” (Curry 2003 p. 87). How was the project put into practice and how has it developed over the years? Before 1967 schools could do whatever they wanted. This O'Malley wanted to change. The project was designed so that the Department of Education would take control of the schools. This meant that the school's fortunes now depended on the department rather than on school leaders or county vocational education boards. This new rule has remained somewhatunchallenged and helped pave the way for free education much more quickly. Meetings were organized between the Catholic and Protestant churches to reach an agreement that both sides would be satisfied with. Many meetings took place with both Churches not satisfied with what was being proposed to them. O'Malley wanted to ensure that all parties involved in Irish education were happy to sign up to the new scheme. Many meetings did not go as planned. During meetings, O'Malley assured that the project would “provide grants for free school books and needed day school supplies. Under the program, free transportation was also provided to pupils who lived more than three miles from a school where free education was now available” (Curry 2003 p. 88). The aim was to increase attendance at secondary and tertiary institutions and involve all interested parties with its proposal. To do this, they had to conduct surveys. The options had to become clearer, the survival of the school depended largely on the number of pupils and the number of those applying for a free education, which is why the outcome would be accepted (Randles 1975 p. 242). How has the program impacted Irish education? Initially, the new scheme slowly began to change the power that schools had and transfer it to the state. When schools announced that free education was available, enrollment increased significantly. In September 1967, there were 18,000 students enrolled in secondary schools, with the same unprecedented number enrolled in vocational schools (Randles 1975 p. 276). Another effect of the program was to increase the number of qualified teachers employed. The project gained much more control over Irish schools. This meant that the church's influence on the education system significantly decreased. “Many more lay teachers took over the number of secondary school teachers, which doubled between 1967 and 1974” (Tussing 1978). Furthermore, even secular teachers now became principals instead of a religious figure in charge of the school. Education in Ireland changed dramatically over the next ten years. Another drastic change that occurred in Ireland due to the introduction of the program was that over the next 20 years employment changed. People left school educated and with different mindsets. Before the regime, most people were self-employed, while around half of the population worked in the agricultural sector. After the program was implemented, it was said that when people left the education system they would find jobs in places where some type of degree was required. Parents of young adults and teenagers could now plan for their children's future instead of dropping out of school as quickly as possible so the children could help at home. The program made Irish education better and more available to the Irish people. Although the project had to develop over the years, it changed the lives of Irish people. How did the Free Education Act 1967 affect the Irish education system? Firstly, the main purpose of its introduction was to ensure that everyone had equal educational opportunities. And so it was. After the introduction of this project, everyone could go to school and even university. This is still evident today. Unemployed people can still get a degree in whatever they want. Another effect it had on Irish education was that it took away a lot of power from the Church in our education system. They were hired.