Sandra Irwin-Gowran

Biography

Sandra Irwin-Gowran is Head of Education and Development with Educate Together, a diverse network of 117 schools in Ireland. There are 21 second-level schools in the Educate Together network, this number includes voluntary secondary schools, community schools and community colleges. Educate Together partners with ETBs in the management of a small number of these schools. All are committed to the principles of equality-based, learner-centred, co-educational, and democratically run. Sandra has managed the development of Educate Together’s Ethos Quality Framework, and the development of the Ethical Education curriculum which is taught from 6-18 years. In addition, she develops and manages innovative school-based projects such as the Educate Together Nurture project. Sandra taught as a second-level teacher in Dublin’s Liberties as well as rural Zimbabwe before joining the Curriculum Development Unit of then City of Dublin VEC (now ETB) where she coordinated educational projects related to social justice, citizenship education and human rights. Before coming to Educate Together Sandra was Director of Education Policy with GLEN where she collaborated with the Department of Education and Skills and key education partners in developing policy and practice to support LGBTQ+ young people in schools. During this time Sandra was a member of the Department of Education and Skills Anti-Bullying Working Group which resulted in the Department of Education and Skills National Anti-Bullying Action Plan.