Radical Reform in Irish Schools, 1900-1922: The "New Education" Turn by Teresa O'Doherty and Tom O'Donoghue (review)

Abstract

time, Caroline Rusterholz emphasizes the benefits of age-based analyses, arguing that controversies restricted younger teenagers’ access to sexual welfare services, thus complicating the “common narrative about the liberalization of sexuality” (271). Indeed, the methodological breadth of the volume is commendable, from Claudia Soares’ investigation of the mature perspectives of people who had spent time in nineteenth century welfare institutions as children, to Maria Marven’s in-depth analysis of oral history interviews with those who were admitted to convalescent homes between 1932 and 1961. The postscript, which reflects on “why histories of children’s experiences of welfare matter,” is a refreshing conclusion and the decision to make the book open access underscores the editors’ commitment to creating a dialogue with those “who have the power to shape the welfare of children today” (273). Ultimately, this is an engaging and accessible collection that contributes numerous insights to the historiographies of childhood, welfare, and modern Britain, and it is sure to be of interest to researchers and students working in any of these areas. This enjoyable book concludes that “[c]hildren’s experiences of welfare are important, not merely because children are investments for the future, but because their lives matter now” (278) and it should prove valuable to anyone interested in children’s welfare, regardless of their disciplinary or academic affiliations.