Putting Ireland top of the class [IrishTimes]
- Published: 25 April 2011
THE ANNUAL teacher conferences which begin today come after a challenging year for Irish education. Late last year, the complacency which had settled on the education system was shattered by the results of the OECD Programme for International Student Assessment survey on attainment levels among 15 year olds. The results for Ireland could scarcely have been bleaker.
On reading levels, Ireland slipped from fifth place in 2000 to 17th place, the sharpest decline among the 39 countries surveyed. In maths, Ireland dropped from 16th to 26th place, the second steepest decline among participating countries. Ireland is ranked as below average in maths and only as average in science.
Minister for Education and Skills, Ruairí Quinn, is right to describe the OECD results as a “wake up call ’’ for Irish education.
Full Story: www.irishtimes.com
