The University, Society and Democracy - Dr Fred Powell (UCC)

Excerpt from Article 2 of the AHEAD Journal Issue 13. Visit Issue 13?for the full article from Dr Fred Powell (UCC)

A recent study of widening participation in Ireland jointly funded by the Irish Research Council and the Department of Education and Skills.?This research is being carried out by the School of Applied Social Studies and UCC Plus+ programme and involves DEIS schools in Dublin, Cork and Kerry.?It has revealed an intergenerational change in disadvantaged young people’s attitudes towards going to college.?There is now a very widespread commitment amongst young people to participate in higher education by all socio-economic groups. Two-thirds of DEIS school students aspire to go to college. Less than 15% succeed in realising their aspirations. There are major barriers including:

• Poverty and social deprivation;
• Competitive advantage of middle-class students to access private education;
• A lack of cultural capital amongst lower socio-economic groups;
• Ethnicity – notably membership of the traveller community;
• Social anxiety, fear of displacement and cultural disrespect.

(see: M.Scanlon, F.Powell, P.Leahy, H.Jenkinson and O.Byrne?‘No one in our Family Ever Went to College’?International Journal of Educational Research?93 2019)

What can be done about educational disadvantage? Visit the complete article to find out.