History of Development Education in Tertiary Education Melíosa Bracken 11thSeptember 2014

Historical Influences Penny for the ‘Black Baby’ Missionaries returning from developing countries Media coverage of famine and conflict in Biafra

Higher Education forDev Cooperation Higher Education for Development Cooperation (HEDCO) was founded in 1975 by Irish universities and institutes of further education. While predominantly concerned with promoting links with developing countries, it played a significant role in enriching teaching and research on development issues in Irish colleges (O’Neill, 1995, p192). These new developments led to a sustained advocacy for development education initiatives (O’Brien, 1980, p37), building on earlier attempts by church-based organisations to advocate for development-related education programmes.

1980s “Therewere very few people who had heard of development education in the early eighties, and it was very unknown, particularly to the education sector, it would have been unknown. It wasn’t acknowledged as a valid or relevant educational approach I think in those days. I think it was just considered as an interest of those who’d worked with missionaries and overseas people. Certainly, the education side of it had not been developed or established inIreland”

1979 – Statutory Involvement Minister for Foreign Affairs set up the Advisory Council on Development Cooperation. [ACDC] Major study carried out in 1982 to ascertain knowledge and attitudes towards development cooperation in Ireland Recommendations that the Irish public needed educational interventions to arise awareness and deepen understanding of development issues.

1985 – Development Education Support Centres Department of Foreign Affairs allocated funding to promote Dev Ed in schools and universities. Two centres set up in St. Patrick’s College, Dublin and in Mary Immaculate Limerick – two teacher education colleges. Start of ‘institutionalising’ Dev Ed Very influential n mainstreaming Dev Ed in the formal education sector, particularly in initial teacher education

Broader Political Influences OECD Human Rights Law United Nations membership (0.7% commitment)

Development Education and Higher Education 1960s – small number of development studies courses 1987 – voluntary extracurricular global education course offered to student teachers enrolled in H Dip programme

Role ofKimmageDSC Early driver of DE – “Very influential in putting DE on the agenda of postgraduate courses” Some tensions between ‘Development Studies’ and ‘Development Education’