Pictured L-R: Professor Michael Shevlin, Trinity College; Dr Trevor O'Brien, Educational Psychology, Inclusive & Special Education at MIC; Dr Johanna Fitzgerald, ETBI National Inclusion, Special Education & Research Coordinator and RISE Lead (on secondment from MIC); Dr Sarah Gallagher, Assistant Professor in Inclusive Special Education at MIC; and Dr Nicola Mannion, Lecturer in the Educational Psychology, Inclusive & Special Education at MIC.
Mary Immaculate College (MIC) played a central role in a national showcase highlighting inclusive education in post-primary schools across Ireland.
The Realising Inclusive Special Education (RISE) Showcase, held in Naas on 16 April, brought together more than 200 schools and education partners to share approaches supporting student learning, participation and belonging.
Led by MIC in partnership with Education and Training Boards Ireland (ETBI), the RISE strategy supports inclusive planning, collaboration and effective use of resources. Now embedded in over 220 schools across Ireland, it has expanded beyond the ETB sector to include Association of Community and Comprehensive Schools and Joint Managerial Body schools.
Schools presented their work through a range of formats, demonstrating progress in whole-school planning, student transitions and teamwork, and reflecting a move towards shared responsibility for inclusion.
Dr Johanna Fitzgerald, ETBI National Inclusion, Special Education & Research Coordinator and RISE Lead (on secondment from MIC), said:
“Our post-primary schools can and do support every kind of learner. RISE provides an architecture for self-improving schools. It shows what is possible when policy ambition is matched with sustained support for implementation”.
The event also featured contributions from national education stakeholders, including the National Council for Special Education and the Department of Education and Youth, alongside perspectives from parents and school leaders. Across all contributions, a strong emphasis was placed on belonging, communication and partnership as key to successful inclusion.
Closing the event, Dr James Eustace, Acting General Secretary of ETBI, acknowledged MIC’s leadership and the impact of the RISE initiative:
“When the system pulls in the same direction, inclusive education thrives. RISE demonstrates how coherence across policy, leadership and evidence-informed classroom practice strengthens outcomes for all students and staff.
