Dr Maurice Manning speaking at the launch of Education Matters Yearbook 8 in NUI, Merrion Square, Dublin

As the 2014 calendar year winds towards its end we at Education Matters are savouring the conclusion of a very busy but tremendously rewarding and successful twelve months. We are naturally very proud of our latest Yearbook publication. It is always a slightly daunting undertaking to begin the annual process of commissioning articles and contributors for the Yearbook.

Review of year gone by; guide to year ahead
Endeavouring to ensure that each Yearbook is a well-balanced and informative digest of ‘the year that was’ in Education, while at the same time maintaining its integrity as an important and impartial barometer of issues and policy deficits for the year ahead, is a challenge but we are confident that this Yearbook achieves both. In the words of Professor Maurice Manning, “a publication of this breadth is a significant undertaking, but therein lies its particular value”.

Pictured at the Education Conference at NUI Galway l-r: Dr Emer Smyth, Head of Social Research ESRI; John Coolahan, Emeritus Professor NUI Maynooth; Virginia O’Mahony, Assistant Director IPPN and member of Education Matters Yearbook Advisory Board; Dr Tony Hall, School of Education NUI Galway and Editor Education Matters Yearbook; Dr Fidelma Healy Eames, Senator and conference organiser; Stiofán Ó Cualáin, Acting Principal and member of Education Matters Yearbook Advisory Board; Pasi Sahlberg, Finnish educator and scholar; Dr Mary Fleming, Head School of Education NUI Galway.

Education Conference
Another significant development for Education Matters in 2014 was our involvement with the ‘Reforming Learning: Driving Success’ Education Conference spearheaded by Senator Fidelma Healy Eames and hosted by NUI Galway. This conference featured important contributions from Dr Emer Smyth of the ESRI, renowned Finnish Educator Pasi Sahlberg, Ruairi Quinn TD and Professor John Coolahan. We would like to commend Senator Eames for her commitment to education in organising the event. It was a pleasure for the Education Matters team to work with her and it is certainly something we look forward to repeating in 2015.

Launch of latest edition of Yearbook
Finally we had the launch of the Education Matters Yearbook at NUI buildings in Dublin by Minister for Education Jan O’Sullivan TD.  This was a wonderful night for the Education Matters team as it marked the culmination of twelve months of hard work.  We would like to express our gratitude to Professor Maurice Manning and Attracta Haplin for again opening the doors of the beautiful NUI premises and welcoming the Education Matters board, contributors, sponsors, editorial team and guests.

Pictured at the launch of Education Matters Yearbook 8 in NUI, Dublin, l-r: Dr Tony Hall, School of Education NUI Galway and Editor of Education Matters Yearbook; Dr Mary Fleming, Head of School of Education NUI Galway; Jan O’Sullivan, Minister for Education & Skills, Dr Maurice Manning, Chancellor NUI.

Minister’s Priorities for 2015
It was also a very significant night for education as Minister Jan O’Sullivan chose this event to outline some of her key goals for education in 2015.  We have posted the Minsters speech HERE for you to read.

Merry Christmas
We would like to wish you our readers and our supporters and sponsors a very happy Christmas and a wonderful New Year. We look forward to engaging with and supporting the education conversation in 2015.