A Life Course Perspective on Heritage and Education: The Role of Polish Complementary Schools in Ireland

This chapter examines the experiences of first-, second- and 1.5-generation Polish migrants in Ireland as they seek to maintain and pass on their linguistic and cultural heritage through participation in Polish complementary schools. It explores the reasons behind involvement in these schools in the context of the changing socio-cultural landscape of their lives, the approaches to parenting in a new country and the perceived importance of heritage language and culture transmission for children’s future prospects in both Ireland and Poland. It draws on 13 semi-structured interviews conducted in 2021 with Polish migrant parents, children and educators, and presents various cases that illustrate the role of Polish complementary school education at different stages of the life course, such as the transition to post-primary education, preparing for the Irish Leaving Certificate examination and entry to third-level education.