Deconstructing the policy narratives at the root of arts-in-education practice in Ireland: a potential othering of teachers at play?

‘Arts-in-education’ and teacher-artist partnership have been a key focus of recent policy in Irish arts education. However, recent research studies have highlighted how at times these partnerships can be problematic and teachers can become sidelined when such interventions occur. This article offers a new perspective on such research by exploring how the language of policy texts and the broader neoliberal discourse in which they are framed may impact the positioning of teachers and thus their possibilities for practice within partnerships. Using a critical policy lens, this article deconstructs the policy texts that have embedded ‘arts-in-education’ practice in Ireland and highlights some of the hidden narratives which have positioned the teacher as ‘other’ within Irish arts education policy. In doing so, it aims to illuminate the process of ‘othering’ within policy for researchers, policy-makers and teachers, and outline the potential implications of such positioning for the provision of arts education in primary schools.