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Head Teacher at Cork Prison Honoured by ACE at UCC for Dedication to Adult Education
The Head Teacher at the Education Unit at Cork Prison Edel Cunningham has been awarded by University College Cork for her work.
Head Teacher at Cork Prison Honoured by ACE at UCC for Dedication to Adult Education
The Head Teacher at the Education Unit at Cork Prison Edel Cunningham has been awarded by University College Cork for her work.
A champion of prison education and learning, Edel Cunningham last night received the 2024 Bertram Windle Award, which honours outstanding contributions to Adult Education, lifelong learning and advocating access for non-traditional students.
For many years Ms Cunningham has been a leader in education within the prison itself and a driver behind extending educational opportunities for the female relatives of prisoners and ex-prisoners, through the innovative Dillon’s Cross Project. Her approach has been life-changing not only for prisoners and ex-prisoners, but for their families and their communities.
Speaking on the award Ms Cunningham said;
“'I am thrilled to be a recipient of this award. Education plays such a vital role in peoples’ lives and truly has the potential to change them for the better, be it through learning to read and write, studying for a leaving cert, or gaining a better understanding of the nature of addictions.
“It is wonderful to work for an organisation such as Cork ETB which understands the importance of supporting students at every level and epitomises their motto, ‘A Pathway for Every Learner’.
“It is really beneficial to our non-mainstream learners to have the support of UCC and the team in the Adult Continuing Education section. It is also wonderful to be part of the wider Cork Lifelong learning network where our students can study at different levels with ETB’s Further Education section, MTU, UCC, and more,” she said.
She was presented with the award at the annual Alfred O'Rahilly Lecture, which was hosted by UCC’s Adult Continuing Education (ACE) last night.
This year’s event focussed on critical issues within the Irish education system, featuring a keynote lecture titled "Beyond the University: Learning from Life - Exclusion and Discrimination in the Education System" by Anne Burke, a prominent advocate for human rights and inclusive education opportunities for Irish Travellers.
Ms Burke, who works with the Southern Traveller Health Network, has dedicated her career to advocating for human rights and equality of opportunity for Irish Travellers. She is especially committed to breaking down barriers and eliminating the discrimination that is still endemic in many parts of the education system in Ireland. Ms Burke’s lecture highlighted systemic exclusion and discrimination that Irish Travellers still face in the Irish education system.
Ms Burke said;
“I am delighted to deliver this year's Alfred O'Rahilly Lecture. I look forward to sharing some insights on who we Irish Travellers are, and how racism against us manifests itself in the education systems here in Ireland focusing on our experiences of exclusion and discrimination.
“I will also reflect on and celebrate the very positive experiences of a ‘life changing’ educational programme that we designed and delivered in collaboration with UCC to empower Traveller women leaders in our community,” she said.
As a Coordinator and Lecturer for a groundbreaking initiative, Ms Burke played a pivotal role in enabling 21 Irish Traveller women to graduate from UCC with a third-level Diploma in Leadership in the Community in 2022. The Diploma was the product of an innovative co-design process that included UCC academics in the School of Applies Social Studies, representatives of the Southern Traveller Health Network (STHN), ACE (Adult Continuing Education) and Access UCC.
The event is part of Irish Learning Cities Day, a joint initiative to promote learning in cities, across the island of Ireland.