Vocational Education Committee
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A Vocational Education Committee (VEC) (Irish: Coiste Gairm Oideachais) is a statutory local education body in the Republic of Ireland that administers some secondary education and most adult education in the state. Before 1992 VECs had authority over the Dublin Institute of Technology and the Regional Technical Colleges.
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[edit] Establishment
VECs were originally created by the Vocational Education Act 1930, as successors to the Technical Instruction Committees established by the Agriculture and Technical Instruction (Ireland) Act 1899. The original purpose of the committees was to administer continuation and technical education for 14 to 16 year-olds. Continuation education was defined as "general and practical training in prepartion for employment in trades", while technical education was described as "pertaining to trades, manufacturers, commerce and other industrial pursuits". To this end the VECs were charged with the duty of setting up and maintaining vocational schools.[1]
[edit] Present duties
Since 1930 the duties of VECs have increased, in particular in the area of adult education. These include:
Post-primary (secondary) education
- Vocational Schools
- Community Colleges
Further and adult education
- Post-Leaving Certificate courses (PLCs)
- Youthreach Services
- Vocational Training Opportunities Scheme (VTOS)
- Community Education[2]
VECs also administer maintenance grants and bursaries for third-level education.
[edit] Organization
VECs were originally established in each administrative county and county borough in the then Irish Free State. In addition, a VEC was formed in those municipal boroughs and urban districts which had a separate Technical Instruction Committee under the 1899 legislation (namely Bray, Drogheda, Sligo, Tralee and Wexford) and in the newly-created Borough of Dún Laoghaire.
The number of VECs was reduced to the present thirty-three when five town committees were amalgamated with the adjacent county committees, leaving Dun Laoghaire as the only VEC area not consisting of a city or county.
[edit] Committees
Each Vocational Education Committee was elected by the county, borough or urban district council and consisted partly of councillors and partly of persons with an "interest and experience in education" and who could be recommended by bodies "interested in manufacture or trades".
The Vocational Education (Amendment) Act 2001 changed the composition of the committees, and parents of students under 18 and members of the staff are also entitled to elect committee members. Members can also be appointed to represent the interests of students, voluntary organisations, community organisations, Irish language interests and business.[3]
[edit] List of Vocational Education Committees
| VEC | Notes |
|---|---|
| County Carlow | |
| County Cavan | |
| County Clare | |
| City of Cork | |
| County Cork | |
| County Donegal | |
| City of Dublin | |
| County Dublin | Covers Fingal, South Dublin and part of Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown |
| City of Galway | |
| County Galway | |
| Dun Laoghaire | Part of Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown (the former borough of Dun Laoghaire) |
| Kerry Education Service (County Kerry VEC) | Absorbed Town of Tralee VEC 1997[4] |
| County Kildare | |
| County Kilkenny | |
| County Laois | |
| County Leitrim | |
| City of Limerick | |
| County Limerick | |
| County Longford | |
| County Louth | Absorbed Town of Drogheda VEC 1997[5] |
| County Mayo | |
| County Meath | |
| County Monaghan | |
| County Offaly | |
| County Roscommon | |
| County Sligo | Absorbed Town of Sligo VEC 1997[6] |
| North Tipperary | |
| Tipperary (South Riding) | |
| City of Waterford | |
| County Waterford | |
| County Westmeath | |
| County Wexford | Absorbed Town of Wexford VEC 1997[7] |
| County Wicklow | Absorbed Town of Bray VEC 1997[8] |
[edit] VEC Schools
[edit] External links
- Irish Vocational Education Association
- City of Limerick Vocational Education Committee
- City of Dublin Vocational Education Committee
[edit] References
- ^ Vocational Education Act, 1930, accessed October 20, 2007
- ^ What are VECs?, (Cork VEC), visited October 20, 2007
- ^ Vocational Education (Amendment) Act 2001, accessed October 20, 2007
- ^ S.I. No. 89/1997 — Vocational Education (Urban District of Tralee Vocational Education Area and County Kerry Vocational Education Area) Amalgamation Order, 1997
- ^ S.I. No. 90/1997 — Vocational Education (Borough of Drogheda Vocational Education Area and County Louth Vocational Education Area) Amalgamation Order, 1997, accessed October 20, 2007
- ^ S.I. No. 92/1997 — Vocational Education (Borough of Sligo Vocational Education Area and County Sligo Vocational Education Area) Amalgamation Order, 1997, accessed October 20, 2007
- ^ S.I. No. 88/1997 — Vocational Education (Borough of Wexford Vocational Education Area and County Wexford Vocational Education Area) Amalgamation Order, 1997, accessed October 20, 2007
- ^ S.I. No. 91/1997 — Vocational Education (Urban District of Bray Vocational Education Area and County Wicklow Vocational Education Area) Amalgamation Order, 1997, accessed October 20, 2007
