What has education to do with the ecconomic miricle in Ireland?

Question

I have heard that education reform is responsible for Ireland's great economy. Yet look at James Joyce that guy was really educated. I easily trade my grandfathers Irish high school education form my American university education. And these two examples came way before any education reform.

Answer 1

Getting a load of money from the EU has also helped Ireland's economy greatly too.

Answer 2

I think it refers to the on going education of all and not just the school aged people..

Answer 3

A lot of secondary schools are still run by religious orders such as the Sisters of Mercy, the Christian Brothers, etc., and when I was a secondary school student (that's high school to you yanks out there) many of the teachers were nuns. Boys and girls schools tended to be segregated, but that has changed a lot.

Why many companies chose Ireland is obvious. It's an English-speaking country with a well-educated population, and during the 1980s and early 1990s, this labour force was quite cheap in comparison to the US and the UK.

You're right, of course. The standards of a European university-level education are quite high. And subsidised. Education is valued over here. We understand it to be a commodity and a contributing force to the quality of life in general.

Answer 4

The Irish "economic miracle" is nothing to do with education and everything to do with massive E.U. subsidies

Answer 5

NICE QUESTION...Ummm

Answer 6

Hmm, I suppose educated people concern themselves with making money and preparing for the future.

Answer 7

During the 60's and 70's, the Irish government was worried about unemployment levels, they began to realize the benefits of an educated workforce on the Irish economy and so they began to make many reforms in the education system e.g 3rd level education is free, free buses to schools so poorer people could obtain an education etc. These changes meant that Irish people had more educational opportunities and were becoming more skilled and entrepreneurial. New businesses were being set up and many transnationals were attracted to set up in Ireland. As a result lots of new jobs have been created. This means that we Irish people have more money to spend on goods and services and therefore new businesses had to be set up to satisfy our wants. It's like a cycle where the Irish economy kept growing as we earned more money and it's all down to a good education!!!!

Answer 8

Oh sure the old education system was great and those generations had an excellent education, Ireland always had ..Heck it was known as the land of saints and scholars

But they had very little or nothing to apply it towards in Ireland in those times instead they generally emigrated and contributed to some other nations economy. But Ireland was ready when the new technology came along this time thanks in no small way to a former Irish leader Charles Haughey he had Ireland primed and waiting and when things started coming together it was in a very big way

Answer 9

they say we have one of the highest success rates of exam passes in europe, and with more and more taking higher level exams and  going onto college and university.. the only problem is that there aren't enough job placements for successful college or university graduates ( unless you study medicine or nursing) ..it's no coincidence that we have more famous writers and poets and artists per capita than anywhere else in the world..this country was always known as 'the land of saints and scholars' and it was the place to come and be educated even beforew there was a British empire..

and it continues today.. Ireland is seen around the world as THE best place to learn English ( our SECOND language!!!!)

there are literally thousand upon thousand ,Chinese, Italian, Spanish, French, Greek, and many  more nationalities who come here specifically to learn english.. and that is another reason for the booming economy

when you think of  some of the famous Irish writers and poets..like

James Joyce, Dean Jonathan Swift, Mary Shelley, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle,  Brendan Behan,Patrick Kavanagh, Oscar Wilde, Bram Stoker, W.B Yeats, Samuel Beckett,G.B Shaw, Seamus Heaney.. it shows, that even if they aren't household names around the world ..their works are..

who hasn't heard of Dracula? Sherlock Holmes? Frankenstein? Gullivers travels?or Ulysses?