Poltergeist, problem or possibility? Curriculum drama in the Republic of Ireland

ABSTRACT

Drama in Irish education is an enigmatic proposition, more observable in its absence than in its presence. This is at odds with the prominent status drama and theatre occupy in Irish society and cultural life. This article positions drama within the curriculums of the formal education system, contextualises the historical place and contemporary development of drama as a curricular subject and offers a critical analysis of the current primary drama curriculum. It also discusses the reasons behind the ongoing absence of drama from the secondary curriculum. It concludes by arguing that a para-aesthetic understanding of drama can help avoid a continued negative space in Irish drama education.

KEYWORDS:

• Drama
• curriculum
• Ireland
• aesthetic tradition
• identity

Notes on contributor

Michael Finneran is Senior Lecturer in Drama at Mary Immaculate College, University of Limerick, where he leads the BA programme in Contemporary and Applied Theatre. He has co-edited a recent volume on Drama and Social Justice published by Routledge and was guest editor of RiDE 19.1 on the theme of Borders and Translations.

Notes

1. Junior Cycle is years one to three of secondary education, generally representing ages 12/13 to 15/16

2. The curriculum is differentiated into six sections: (i) Language (Gaeilge, English); (ii) Mathematics; (iii) Social, Environmental and Scientific Education (History, Geography, Science); (iv) Arts Education (Visual Arts, Music, Drama); (v) Physical Education; (vi) Social, Personal and Health Education.

3. The drama curriculum contains only one strand – ‘Drama to explore feelings, knowledge and ideas leading to understanding’. Each of the other 10 curricula contains a minimum of three strands.

4. Kevin Myers, a highly regarded columnist, for many years wrote ‘An Irishman's Diary’ in The Irish Times, one of the biggest-selling Irish broadsheets, and regarded by many as the paper of record. The daily and more mundane conundrums of Irishness were regularly played out in the column, which regularly questioned perceived traditions and ‘sacred cows’ of Irish identity, and was frequently virulently anti-nationalist and revisionist in tone. The column habitually set the tone for national debate on the topic.

5. See O'Toole (2012), Eagleton (1999).

6. See Kirby, Gibbons, and Cronin (2002), Ferriter (2005), Kenny (2005).