Mayo Education Support Centre is a fine success story

Mayo Education Support Centre is 32 years in existence.

The idea of establishing a local education support centre was first mooted at an INTO branch meeting in Castlebar in October 1982.

In May 1985, a general meeting of primary and post primary teachers was organised and at that meeting a committee was formed to further this project.

Despite meetings with the Department of Education and subsequent communications, it wasn’t until early 1991 that the Department of Education confirmed by letter that a ‘Teachers’ Centre’ could be established in Castlebar.

A temporary premises was obtained in the De La Salle Sports Hall, and October 17 1991, the first annual meeing of the centre was held.

Jim McGovern was appointed chairperson and Mairéad Ryan appointed part-time director. Mairéad was succeeded by Antoinette Casey in 1994.

At the centre’s AGM on March 20, 1997, the Teachers’ Centre became known as Mayo Education Centre, and approval was given for the appointment of a full time director. On September 1, 1997, Denis O'Boyle took up the post. Patricia Grealis was also appointed as full-time secretary in October 1997.

Earlier that year, the centre moved location from De La Salle Sports Hall to the Parish Centre in Chapel Street.

However, during this time a permanent site was being sought and, in 1998, Minister for Education Micheál Martin turned the sod on the commencement of the building of a dedicated premises for the Education Centre on a site leased by GMIT from the Western Health Board on a long term basis.

Then, on Wednesday, March 14, 2001, the new building – although not fully completed – opened its doors to the education community of Mayo. The building was officially opened on April 26, 2005, by President Mary McAleese.

In 2001, Mayo Education Support Centre won a prestigious architectural award from the Royal Institute of Architects of Ireland for its unique, modern and strong urban design.

The architectural design of the building used sculptural forms, together with an innovative use of materials and light to create an uplifting environment.

At the award ceremony in Dublin, the award was presented to Dr. Noel Montyne, senior architect for the Department of Education & Science, Denis O’Boyle, director of Mayo Education Centre, Eamon McCarney and Ann Maire Cusack of Taylor Architects, Castlebar.

Art Ó Suilleabháin succeeded Denis O Boyle as director in 2007 and Dr. Paul Butler took up the position in 2015. In September 2019, Michael McKenzie, the current director, took up the role.

Mayo Education Support Centre has a proud history of providing educational support for teachers throughout Mayo since its inception.

It stands alone as the only Education Support Centre that provides a suite of online summer courses for primary teachers.

This user friendly platform has been recently revamped and updated, and with the addition of new courses in collaboration with teachers and tutors nationwide, it is going from strength to strength.

The centre has adapted to the changing needs of teachers by developing online CPD opportunities for teachers.

It currently offers a blend of face to face and online supports and responds to the needs of teachers as they arise. Currently there are support groups running for SEN, infant teachers, deputy principals and DEIS schools.

Its facilitated professional learning days for principals are another recent addition to supports which are proving very popular.

The centre has maintained strong links with Lincoln University over the years and provides opportunities for both primary and post primary teachers to complete a Doctoral or Masters programme, with the Lincoln Summer School taking place each summer in the centre.

Mayo Education Support Centre is also proud to be the base for the national programme ‘Active School Flag’.

This programme is about building physical activity into the school day for children in both the primary and post primary sector.

It is part funded by the teacher education section of the Department of Education.

The centre has succeeded in forging links with the Department of Health (Healthy Ireland) in bolstering financial support for the programme over the past number of years.

The centre also provides administrative support to a myriad of national projects and programmes on an ongoing basis for the benefit of the primary and post-primary schools in Mayo.

It seeks to address new areas of need and provide new supports where none already exist.

Most recently the centre worked collaboratively with the other Education Support Centres in the region and with their respective county childcare committee managers to commission a bespoke project focusing on transitioning from pre-school to primary school.

This project, ‘Tús Maith – Transitions in Action’, was delivered over the past two years with very positive feedback and has attracted attention as a potential model for a national project on transitions.

It was independently evaluated last year by the Department of Children Equality Disability Integration and Youth, and will be offered again to the preschools and primary schools of Mayo for the 2023/2024 school year.

Teaching and Learning in the 21st Century (TL21) is a programme for post-primary schools to support the instigation of meaningful change in a collaborative, co-operative, reflective and sustained way with the focus on one particular area of their school life.

This is a two-year programme in collaboration with Maynooth University and Mayo Education Support Centre is delighted to bring this programme to the post primary schools of Mayo for the first time ever in 2023, with six post-primary schools participating.

Mayo Education Support Centre continues its proud tradition of supporting the work of schools and teachers across county Mayo and beyond.

The centre is delighted that the Education Support Centres of Ireland (ESCI) network, comprising 21 full-time and seven part-time dedicated centres across the country, has celebrated its 50th anniversary.

This significant milestone reflects five decades of commitment to supporting local educators and enhancing the quality of education in our community.

Each centre has a unique history and contribution to the local and national educational community. The ESCI network is committed to enhancing the quality of education, supporting teachers and fostering lifelong learning among educators.