Deconstructing the policy narratives at the root of arts-in-education practice in Ireland: a potential othering of teachers at play?

ABSTRACT‘Arts-in-education’ and teacher-artist partnership have been a key focus of recent policy in Irish arts education. However, recent research studies have highlighted how at times these partnerships can be problematic and teachers can become sidelined when such interventions occur. This article offers a new perspective on such research by exploring how the language of policy texts and the broader neoliberal discourse in which they are framed may impact the positioning of teachers and thus their possibilities for practice within partnerships. Using a critical policy lens, this article deconstructs the policy texts that have embedded ‘arts-in-education’ practice in Ireland and highlights some of the hidden narratives which have positioned the teacher as ‘other’ within Irish arts education policy. In doing so, it aims to illuminate the process of ‘othering’ within policy for researchers, policy-makers and teachers, and outline the potential implications of such positioning for the provision of arts education in primary schools.KEYWORDS: Positioningpartnershipneoliberalismarts-in-educationdiscourse analysis Disclosure statementNo potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).Notes1 Music Generation is a national partnership programme which aims to create access to performance music education for children and young people in Ireland, from age 0 to 18. It is co-funded by U2, The Ireland Funds, the Department of Education and Local Music Education Partnerships.Additional informationFundingThis research was supported with funding from Mary Immaculate College (University of Limerick) and the Teaching Council of Ireland.Notes on contributorsAilbhe CurranAilbhe Curran is a PhD scholar in the Department of Arts Education and Physical Education at Mary Immaculate College, University of Limerick. She also works as a teacher and deputy principal at a primary school in the Republic of Ireland. Ailbhe holds an MA in Education and the Arts and a Post-Graduate Diploma in School Leadership (University of Limerick). Ailbhe’s research interests lie in arts education, creativity and teacher agency.Dorothy MorrisseyDorothy Morrissey is a lecturer in drama education at Mary Immaculate College, University of Limerick. She holds an EdD (Narrative Inquiry) from the University of Bristol (UK) and is the author of a recently published Government of Ireland, Department of Education commissioned report Creative Clusters: A collaborative approach to cultivating creativity in schools. Dorothy is a member of the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment Primary Arts Education Development Group and has published widely on the arts, arts education, teacher-artist partnership, and gender.