DCU Educational Disadvantage Centre Forum

The Educational Disadvantage Centre, Institute of Education Forum will take place on April 27th on DCU's St. Patrick's Campus.

The keynote presentation will be delivered by Professor Michael Ungar, Canada Research Chair in Child, Family and Community Resilience, Dalhousie University.

This will be followed by a panel discussion featuring Prof Sheila Green, TCD; Tanya Ward, Children's Rights Alliance; Joy McGlynn, Tusla Education Support Service; Áine Lynch, National Parents Council Primary.

A new strategic framework is being developed to replace the current Irish National Children’s Policy Framework, Better Outcomes Brighter Futures. It needs to address key limitations in the current strategy. A stronger antipoverty focus is required, one that goes beyond the ‘generic’ child viewed in the abstract to one that identifies real needs of concrete vulnerable groups such as those experiencing trauma or poverty, migrants or refugees or children in care; those experiencing homelessness, mental health difficulties, early school leaving, domestic violence, young offenders or those children who have a parent in prison. The current Children’s policy framework divides areas into health or education or welfare or social protection or community, based on 5 distinct national outcomes. Similarly a human rights approach divides these interconnected areas along distinct lines such as education, health, welfare etc. A stronger focus on multidisciplinary teams and systems is needed in the new policy framework to avoid such silos. This Forum seeks to contribute to a wider discussion on systems and vulnerable groups to inform this new Children’s Policy Framework.

The event will also mark the launch of a new book by Dr Paul Downes, Director of the Educational Disadvantage Centre, entitled 'Reconstructing Agency in Developmental and Educational Psychology: Inclusive Systems as Concentric Space'  which has been published by Routledge.