Non-Self and Ethics: Kantian and Buddhist Themes

After distinguishing between a metaphysical and a contemplative strategy interpretation of the no-self doctrine, I argue that the latter allows for the illumination of significant and under-discussed Kantian affinities with Buddhist views of the self and moral psychology. Unlike its metaphysical counterpart, the contemplative strategy interpretation, understands the doctrine of no-self as a technique of perception, undertaken from the practical standpoint of action. I argue that if we think of the contemplative strategy version of the no-self doctrine as a process engaged in, in order to free oneself from delusion and to see things more objectively in order to promote right action, then we find a clear parallel in Kant’s duty of self-knowledge which demands that we rid ourselves of deluded moral self-descriptions. While in Buddhism the aim is a selflessness that liberates one from suffering, for Kant the aim is an agency free of the conceit that interferes with clear moral vision, sound judgement, and dutiful action. I conclude by responding to objections advanced by Charles Goodman which aim to show that the Kantian position is deeply at odds with Buddhist thinking, arguing that neither Kantian agency nor Kantian self-legislation is undermined by the doctrine of no-self

Educational Inequalities Among School Leavers in Ireland 1979-1994

The extent to which inequalities in educational outcomes persist in modern Ireland has been the subject of much debate. This paper investigates whether the rapid expansion in educational participation rates over the 1980s and early 1990s has led to a reduction in social class and gender inequalities. Using data from the annual surveys of school leavers conducted by the Economic and Social Research Institute, analyses highlight marked changes in female educational participation, particularly in the third-level sector, but a remarkable persistence in class inequalities in educational attainment. Contrary to findings based on other sources (Clancy, 1995), no reduction in socio-economic inequalities is apparent in access to third-level education.

Improving Second-level Education: Using Evidence for Policy Development

Second-level education has a crucial role to play in Ireland's long-term economic prosperity, as well as being intrinsically valuable, allowing young people to develop intellectually, socially and personally. Much of the debate internationally has focused on how countries compare against international benchmarks and indicators like PISA. This paper argues that, while we can potentially learn from what other systems have 'got right', it is important that we do not fall into the trap of engaging in 'policy borrowing'. Furthermore we now have a rich evidence base in Ireland on 'what works' in terms of school organisation and process. The paper reviews this evidence in a number of key areas: ability grouping, school climate, teaching and learning methods, and curriculum and assessment. The discussion reviews how these aspects of school policy and practice can make a substantive impact on student outcomes and act as 'drivers' of improvement, often requiring relatively modest levels of expenditure.education/Policy/policy development/Ireland

STUDENT, TEACHER AND PARENT PERSPECTIVES ON SENIOR CYCLE EDUCATION. ESRI RESEARCH SERIES NUMBER 94 NOVEMBER 2019

The nature of senior cycle has been subject to much policy discussion. Most recently, the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) initiated a review of senior cycle, with a scoping phase followed by consultation with casestudy schools and national seminars. Forty-one schools were involved in this process; they conducted consultations with staff and parents and NCCA staff carried out focus group interviews with junior and senior cycle students. This report draws on the two phases of the school-based consultation to document teacher, parent and student perspectives on the current senior cycle and potential directions for change. Because the schools volunteered for involvement, there should be caution in generalising to the broader population of schools. Nonetheless, the findings yield important insights into the benefits and challenges of senior cycle, closely mirroring findings from previous Irish research

Female participation increases and gender segregation. ESRI WP564, May 2017

This article examines the impact of a large increase in female participation on occupational segregation. Increases in female participation may decrease occupational segregation if women enter male dominated sectors but may increase segregation if they enter already female dominated sectors. Using Ireland as a test case due to the recent large increase in female participation rates, we firstly carry out a decomposition analysis between 1991 and 2006 and find that the rise in female employment was driven predominantly by increased demand while between one tenth and one fifth of the rise was due to women increasing their share of occupational employment. Formal measures of segregation show that occupational segregation fell over this time period. The formal measures of segregation show that the level of occupational grouping is important with stagnation or smaller falls in segregation using a broad occupational grouping and sharper falls using a more detailed occupational grouping. Our findings support previous U.S. research that found a rise in female participation resulted in a decline in occupational segregation

Functionalised nanostructured polyaniline? A new substrate for building adaptive sensing surfaces

A new method for covalently binding side-chains to the surface of solution based conducting polymer nanostructures is introduced in this paper. Modification of the structures is achieved by convenient reflux in the presence of a nucleophile, and post-functionalization purification is subsequently carried out by centrifugation. The entire process is easily scalable and hence suitable for bulk production of functionalized nanomaterials. In particular we focus on the modification of polyaniline nanofibres which can be synthesized by interfacial polymerization. Mercaptoundecanoic acid side-chains are attached to the polymer nanostructures, with the intrinsic nano-morphology of the material being maintained during the process. The modified PAni nanofibres provide a template for the attachment of other specific functional groups which could be used to target a particular species

Prospective review of 30-day morbidity and mortality in a paediatric neurosurgical unit

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to record the 30-day and inpatient morbidity and mortality in paediatric patients in a tertiary neuroscience centre over a 2-year period. The intentions were to establish the frequency of significant adverse events, review the current published rates of morbidity in paediatric neurosurgical patients and propose three clinical indicators for future comparison. Methods: All deaths and adverse events were prospectively recorded from 1 January 2014 to 31 December 2015. Each adverse event was categorised, allocated a clinical impact severity score and linked to a neurosurgical procedure wherever possible. Where a patient suffered several adverse events in the same admission, each event was recorded separately. If a patient had been discharged home, an adverse event was recorded if it occurred within 30 days of admission. Results: Five hundred forty-nine procedures were performed in 287 patients (aged <16 years). One hundred thirty significant adverse events were identified. The following are the three clinical indicators: significant adverse event rate: 111 (20.2%) operations were linked to at least one significant adverse event; unscheduled return to theatre rate: 81 (14.8%) operations were associated with an adverse event that resulted in an unscheduled return to theatre; and surgical site infection rate: 29 (5.3%) operations were associated with an infection. Conclusion: Complications and adverse events are common in paediatric neurosurgery. Prospective, continuous surveillance will promote both quality assurance and quality improvement in the neurosurgical care delivered to patients

THE GOALS AND GOVERNANCE OF THE SOCIAL INCLUSION AND COMMUNITY ACTIVATION PROGRAMME (SICAP) 2015-2017: A MIXED METHODS STUDY. ESRI RESEARCH SERIES NUMBER 68 JULY 2018

The Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme (SICAP) (2015-2017) aims at reducing poverty and promoting social inclusion and equality through local, regional and national engagement and collaboration. The three goals of the programme are; strengthening local communities, promoting lifelong learning, and helping people become more job ready. SICAP is funded and overseen by the Department of Rural and Community Development, with Pobal nominated to act as an agent of the Department with respect to national management and oversight of the programme. The Local Community Development Committees (LCDCs) are the contracting authorities that manage and administer SICAP at a local level and direct the funding to 45 Programme Implementers (PIs) covering 51 local areas or lots to implement the programme. This report is part of a broader research programme entitled ‘A Programme of Evaluation of the Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme’ aimed at informing the Department of Rural and Community Development’s overarching strategic goals and objectives in relation to SICAP and evaluating projects, actions and activities conducted as part of the programme

Discrimination by Gender and Disability Status: Do Worker Perceptions Match Statistical Measures?

We explore whether perceptions of discrimination are related to ordinary statistical measures. The majority of disabled respondents report feeling some discrimination due to their disability, the majority of women feel some discrimination because of their gender, and a surprising number of men also report some discrimination. We do not find a strong link between perceptions of discrimination and measured discrimination perhaps because those who perceive discrimination feel that it occurs along other dimensions than pay. However, we do find a connection between whether a person feels his or her income is inadequate and measured discrimination for all groups studied

Functionalised polyanaline nanofibers

Polyaniline (PAni) is a conducting polymer which switches between distinct states exhibiting dramatically different properties. The colour, conductivity and redox state of PAni all depend on the local chemical environment of the material. Consequently PAni has great potential for sensing applications. The nanostructured form of PAni is particularly interesting as it provides a very large surface-to-volume ratio that can lead to dramatic enhancement of sensor sensitivity and response time. In this work, we focus on derivatising polyaniline nanofibres. Using the technique described, carboxylate terminated side-chains can be covalently bound to solution based fibres