About Us

County Meath Vocational Education  Committee

 

Origins of the Vocational Education Committee

The Vocational Education Act, 1930, framed under the leadership of John Marcus O'Sullivan, then Minister for Education, stands as a significant piece of legislation. It established the Vocational Education Committees as they exist to-day: it provided a powerful impetus to vocational education and proved adaptable to the changing needs in vocational education over the past sixty-six years.
The Act and its seven amendments provided the flexibility and innovativeness which have become a hallmark in the Committees' provision of vocational education. Over the years the services provided by the Vocational Education Committees have changed significantly - the services currently provided are very different from those envisaged in the 1930 Act. In the 1990's the Vocational Education Committees provide a wide range of services in second-level schools, further education, adult education, second chance education, youth and sport and other activities.

 

 

Vocational Education Committee Composition

Co. Meath V.E.C. is made up of 23 members who are nominated by the County Council, the Town Council's in Navan, Trim and Kells and by parents and staff.

 

County Meath Vocational Education Committee

Mr. John Fanning	Mr. Peter Kierans
Chairman	CEO

 

back row:  L-R Kevin Reilly, Wayne Harding, John Fanning, Chairman, Ellen Cogavin, Brian Curran, Anton McCabe, Jenny McHugh, Vice Chair, Trevor Golden, Bryan Reilly, Ray Butler replaced by Mr. Joe Fox, Tracey McElhinney, Francis Deane, Christy Reilly, James O'Shea. Front row: L-R Seamus Grimes, Maria Murphy, Catherine Yore, Peter Kierans CEO, Tommy Grimes, Eugene Cassidy, Maeve Gallagher, Deirdre Maye, Joe Reilly .      Absent: Jenny D'Arcy, Joe Fox

 

    

County Meath Vocational Education Committee

Chairman	Vice-Chairman
John Fanning	Jenny McHugh

 

 

Cllr. Nick Killian's Speech from Civic Reception celebrating 100 years of education in County Meath

 

Today Meath County Council recognises and honours with a Civic Reception the work of generations of teachers, principals, administrators, past pupils and Statutory Committees.  Technical Education in County Meath started life under a unionist structure which was the Joint Technical Instruction Committee and migrated without rancour or division to become the VEC after the passing of the 1930 VEC Act.  Many visionary people have led the growth of the VEC and of Technical and Skills education.  Many successful businesses and careers have been launched from VEC schools.  Principals have grown the size and reputation of their schools even when finances were meagre.  The Vocational Schools - known as Techs - we now see why - they were set up by the Joint Technical Instruction Committees - provided the backbone of apprentice training and skills training in business, trades and Domestic Economy.  Based on these skills the early industry of the young nation was developed.

 

It is most fitting therefore that we mark 100 years of Technical Education in County Meath with a Civic Reception for County Meath VEC.  In 1905 a Joint Technical Instruction Committee was established which comprised 17 members of Meath County Council and three members of Navan Urban District Council along with two from Kells.  This joint Technical Instruction Committee set about levying one penny in the pound on rates in order to raise the income to provide Technical Instruction throughout the County.  One of their first steps was to find a suitable building in Navan in which to provide classes.  For the school year 1907/08 exactly one hundred years ago, a premises was found on Ludlow street in which Commercial, Domestic Economy and Manual Instruction classes were given.  There were 189 students enrolled for the 2007/08 school year.  In 1910 due to the overcrowding of the Ludlow Street premises the joint Technical Instruction Committee decided that the Ludlow Street premises was too small and they would build the new school on a site beside the County Hall on Railway Street.

 

A Meath man Sir. Horace Plunkett was the driving force in the introduction of Technical Instruction not only in Meath but also throughout the whole island of Ireland.  Sir Horace was a unionist Landlord whose ancestral home was Dunsaney Castle, Co. Meath. He was a very visionary person who felt the need to awaken a national spirit of self-help.  He set up the first Co-Op in Ireland known as the Irish Agricultural Organisation Society.  He was supported in his work by Sir Nugent T. Everard of Ranglestown outside Navan.  Sr. Horace Plunkett also was the person who brought the first motor car into Ireland. 

In the early days of the new Navan Technical School there were tensions in the public arena regarding the Irish language being on the curriculum.  This coincided with the growth of nationalism and the sweeping victories of Sinn Fein right across the country.  The Principal of Navan Technical School and organiser of Technical Education throughout the County Mr. Bennett was killed in a traffic accident between Navan and Trim in 1920.  He was replaced by a well known Irish language activist and teacher, Mr. Sean McNamee who himself went on to become the first Chief Executive Officer appointed by the VEC since it was established in 1930. 

 

After the founding of the Free State, Technical Education passed to the care of the Department of Education in 1924.  A Commission of Enquiry on Technical Education was set up by the Free State government. The most important recommendation made by them was on the need to establish a system of practical continuation schools and classes to educate young people between the ages of 14-16 years.  The 1930 Vocational Education Act enacted the recommendations of the Commissions on Technical Education and set up the VECs as we now know them.  At the end of the term of the Joint Technical Instruction Committees in 1929 the expenditure for County Meath was £5,400 and there were 315 students in permanent centres and 588 students receiving what was known as itinerant instruction. 

The first CEO of County Meath VEC was J.J Gallon. Mr. Gallon had been appointed secretary of the Committee of Agriculture and Technical Instruction in 1905. With the transition from the Joint Technical Instruction Committee to the VEC, Mr. Gallon transferred over as Chief Executive Officer.  There were difficulties with the Audit process through 1931 and 1932 which resulted eventually with the removal from office of the first Chief Executive Officer by the Minister of Education. 

In 1933 Mr. Sean McNamee was appointed Chief Executive Officer, a role which also contained the position of Principal of Navan Vocational School.  The  Kells Vocational School was built in 1929 with the Trim Vocational School following in 1931.  The next three school established were three rural schools at Nobber, Dunshaughlin and Athboy. Oldcastle Vocational School in 1969 amalgamated with the Gilson Trust to form St. Oliver Post Primary School.  Community College, Dunshaughlin was commenced in 1933 moved into a new building in 1954 which was again replaced by a new school in 1977.  St. Fintina's Longwood was commenced on a site donated by the local parish and through the work of the local Parish Priests Fr. Clavin in 1952.  Coláiste Pobail Rathcairn commenced as a temporary school in rented accommodation in 1998 and moved into its new permanent modern Coláiste in the year 2000.  The next new school was St. Peter's College, Dunboyne commenced in 1994 followed by Ratoath College commenced in 2005 and our latest school, Laytown commenced in 2008.

 

Three amalgamations of Vocational schools took place in Kells, Trim and Athboy.  The VEC continues to play a role in those schools as joint trustee with the diocese and with religious orders. 

 

The Chief Executives Officers who led the VEC were outstanding and visionary people.  The first CEO we have already mentioned.  Mr. Sean McNamee who took over in 1933 built up the VEC, extended his classes and established schools right around the county.  Mr. McNamee was followed by Mr. P. B O Brioráin - Paddy Byron. Byron who ran the scheme from 1954 until 1982.  He was followed by Mr. Liam O' Donnell who held the position until 1995.  Each CEO extended the number of schools, broadened the range of service and grew the county scheme.  In recent times the VEC has extended its role beyond schooling.  Literacy Education throughout the County is a major role, Community Education, Youth Work, Adult Education and Adult Guidance are all part of the VECs extended role.

Today County Meath VEC employs 650 staff in 9 schools, 6 Youthreach Programmes, Traveller Training, Back to Education Initiative, Community Education.

 

We truly owe a depth of gratitude to the four Chief Executive Officers, the Head Office Staff and to the Principals and teachers in the schools and to the leaders in the great range of programmes.

 

On behalf of County Meath County Council and the people of County Meath I say:

 

Míle Buíochais agus Rath Dé ar bhur saothar