Leinster House is the seat of Ireland's Parliament and with politics in action around every corner, what better place to teach about the work of TDs and Senators?
Education Officer Conor Reale
Starting the day
The education team is a small but tightly knit team with a big objective - to increase people's awareness and understanding of what happens in our Parliament, the work of TDs and Senators and how our democracy works.
Parliamentary Education Officer Conor Reale describes a typical day for him and his team.
8:30 a.m.
My background is in education and like teachers in the many schools around the country, my day begins well before the start of any classes. Our education resources are a popular option for teachers across primary and secondary levels and most mornings I will have to sort through a number of emails and queries.
Today I will be working with four different groups in a few different settings, and the first of these will be online. Having the option to give lessons online is a real benefit because it means our small team can reach so many more prospective students and teachers.
Education in the Houses of the Oireachtas takes in many forms, including online and in-person workshops, interactions with public representatives and tours of the parliamentary campus
9:00 a.m.
Other groups today will be visiting the Leinster House campus for in-person workshops and tours of Parliament and before starting the online workshop I make a mental note that an international youth group from the United States will be one of those. From experience I know that group will get more from the visit if I tailor the workshop to the students' knowledge and needs. One size never fits all when we deal with inquisitive young minds!
At 9 a.m. I log into my first scheduled class, which will last approximately one hour and involve a group of 5th year students from a school in County Limerick.
A timeline of a typical day of the Education Officer in the Houses of the Oireachtas.
10:00 a.m.
The first of the in-person school groups arrives to Leinster House and it's a primary school group from County Kildare. They will be greeted by Johanna, one of several team members working with me who keep things running very smoothly. She will take them down to our education room in the basement of Leinster House.
Another member of the team, Eva, has asked some of the public representatives from Kildare if they'd like to meet the students. We really want to bring learning to life for the students coming through our doors, and engagement with their local representatives can often be the spark to a really good learning session.
Education is about more than lesson plans. The education team seeks to bring learning to life by bringing public representatives into the learning process
11:15 a.m.
Time for a quick coffee as the group goes on a tour of Parliament given by our expert ushers, who have an encyclopaedic knowledge of these buildings.
While the students get a good look at historic Leinster House, I can try to keep on top of emails and take a look at the state of play with some of our ongoing educational projects.
Noon
My group is back in the education room after their tour. We'll have a short wrap-up discussion and talk again about the topics we covered. Today these included the Constitution, the work of Dáil Éireann and Seanad Éireann and how laws are created.
I want to start a debate on a new law that the class would like to see introduced and I'm hoping for a lively discussion because learning, at its best, is very much a two-way street. Getting students really involved and thinking about the work of Parliament can be hard but really rewarding.
The education room is in historic Leinster House, which was built in the 18th century. The surroundings of Parliament can be the catalyst for some really rewarding learning.
12:30 p.m.
The visiting group from Virginia in the United States arrives. Eva and Johanna meet the group at the gates of Leinster House and take the students to one of the Parliament's committee rooms, which I sometimes use for conducting workshops and where I'll give an overview of the Irish Parliament and our electoral system.
It's a great advantage to be able to use the buildings in the Leinster House campus in practical learning this way. Leinster House is a stunning piece of 18th-century architecture and the rooms of Parliament can really have a positive effect on students' learning.
2:00 p.m.
The last of my school groups scheduled for today has arrived, and these students are a secondary school group from County Meath. They are doing their leaving certificate exams this year and studying Politics and Society. What I plan to cover should tie in nicely with the curriculum, as it's a little more tailored for this group and the exams they will take this summer.
Nevertheless, I'm mindful that after they sit their exams, these students and their teachers will still be citizens. We want them to always be enthusiastic about politics, governance and our Parliament. We aim to encourage lifelong learning in everyone.
Students take a break from a learning session and chat with some local public representatives. Many of the groups that the education team meet are primary or secondary school students but, all going well, this learning is for life
4:15 p.m.
It's been a really good session with a really bright group of students. In the past couple of hours we've touched on the Constitution, the separation of powers and checks and balances in the Irish system of government, and that was only the beginning. We also discussed the work of Dáil Éireann and Seanad Éireann and had some really interesting debate on how laws are created and the work of committees in our parliamentary system.
Our session finished with a debate on the motion that: "The voting age should be reduced to 16". I encourage debate and discussion and the best sessions are often those in which I speak the least and hear many young voices putting their opinions forward in a strong and confident way.
Most students need encouragement to speak and many groups need moderation in a debate but everybody should feel free to contribute to a debate on how their Parliament works. It is a Parliament for everybody after all, and not just those who speak the loudest.
4:50 p.m.
It's been a busy day but it's not quite done. I have an online meeting with an international parliamentary education group to discuss some ongoing projects.
Our core work has us working with students and teachers from primary and secondary schools in Ireland but we often engage with international groups, including parliamentarians. One of our current projects is about promoting youth engagement with parliament, which goes hand-in-glove with one of core aims of increasing public awareness and understanding of the work of parliaments and how democracy works.
When the meeting finishes I make a final sweep of emails before heading home.
Further information
- If you'd like to find out more about the work of the education team, contact us:
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Education team
Leinster House
D02 XR20
+353 (1) 6183000
education.outreach@oireachtas.ie