Joyce Robarts was born in India and later moved to Ireland after being professed as a Sister of Christian Education. In October 1957 she became Principal of the newly established Our Lady’s Boarding School in Rathnew, County Wicklow. Sr. Joyce viewed education as a human right for all and encouraged a broad education that was focused on social justice, empowering students, sisters and teachers to: “Make this world a better place because you are in it”.
In the late 1960s, Sr. Joyce became an active team member of the National Curriculum Development Unit (CDU) of the Department of Education, working with others, to initiate educational programmes that responded to a modernising Irish society. At the same time, Joyce began working with the Irish Traveller community providing classes for young Traveller children and collaborating with others to explore ways to improve and support the education and social conditions of Travellers. She travelled weekly to Bray to provide classes and inspired other sisters and senior students in Our Lady’s School to join her.
In 1974, Sr. Joyce became the Principal of Our Lady’s School in Terenure, Dublin. Still working with the CDU, she supported the innovative Transition Year Programme (TY), which was in its final stage of completion. She encouraged staff and parents of Our Lady’s School to introduce TY as a pilot scheme for fourth-year students and become one of the first schools to offer TY to pupils who wished to avail of an extra, innovative year before starting their Leaving Certificate studies. While Principal in Terenure, Sr. Joyce continued to work with Traveller communities, inspiring many of the students at Our Lady’s, to work for social justice and to speak out against injustice.
When Sr. Joyce reached retirement age, she worked full-time with the Traveller community. In 1980 she supported the establishment of a new day centre to support Traveller children with addictions, and later a night shelter in Rathmines, where she was the only full-time resident. Later, Sr. Joyce travelled to Sicuani near Cusco in Peru to work with prisoners, the sick in hospitals and in their homes. There she also worked with children with physical disabilities who were often rejected by their families, advocating tirelessly for the government to recognise and support them.
In April 1986 Sr. Joyce returned to Ireland for what she thought was a holiday and an opportunity to share more widely about her work and seek support. Unfortunately, she was admitted to hospital and after a difficult illness she died on 14th June 1986.
