The world of adult education has lost a pioneering figure with the passing of Joan O'Hagan, who died of cancer at the age of 75. A gifted mathematics educator, O'Hagan was renowned for her ability to transform the subject into an engaging adventure for her students.
A Life Dedicated to Learning
Born in Magherafelt and raised in Maghera, County Derry, Joan was the daughter of Charlie O'Hagan, a civil engineer, and Pat O'Hagan (née Quigley), a homemaker. She pursued her academic interests by earning a degree in physics from the New University of Ulster in Coleraine before moving to England in 1976.
Her teaching career began with adult numeracy in Manchester, later moving to London. During the 1980s, she and her then-partner, Jim Logue, established the innovative Walk-In Numeracy project through Hammersmith and Fulham Council for Racial Equality. This groundbreaking initiative featured adults learning together in collaborative circles, an approach that caught the attention of the Inner London Education Authority.
From 1986 to 1988, Joan served as the ILEA adult numeracy coordinator, where she led professional development for numeracy educators across inner London.
Beyond the Classroom: A Passion for Flight and Social Justice
Joan's interests extended far beyond mathematics. In 1984, she earned a private pilot licence, and two years later discovered Project Solo, an initiative enabling people from disadvantaged backgrounds to learn gliding. She not only took her Walk-In Numeracy students for training but also joined the project's committee, playing a crucial role in securing its funding and providing coaching on gliding theory.
When she moved to Birmingham in 1990 to work at Fircroft residential adult college, she qualified as a gliding air experience instructor. At Fircroft, she revolutionised mathematics teaching by placing it within cultural and historical contexts, famously transforming students' attitudes from negative to positive.
Recognising that adult numeracy was a global issue, Joan co-founded the international Adults Learning Mathematics (ALM) research forum in 1992, creating a vital space for researchers and practitioners to advance the field.
A Lasting Legacy in Education
From 2000 onwards, Joan worked on numerous local, regional and national projects across England and Ireland. Her remarkable portfolio included devising a Basic Skills strategy for the NHS, training prisoners to become Maths Mentors for fellow inmates, and supporting further education teachers in improving mathematics instruction for the construction industry.
Her intellectual curiosity spanned physics, cloud science, probability mathematics, and history – particularly Irish history. A passionate advocate for social justice, she spent her later years voluntarily teaching mathematics to refugees.
Joan is survived by her sister, Anne, two brothers, Donal and John, and five nieces. She faced her final illness with characteristic grace, expressing contentment with a life she described as having achieved 'the perfect combination' – making significant contributions while thoroughly enjoying her work in adult maths teaching.
