The 50 most influential people in education [IrishTimes]
- Published: 04 October 2011
Who exerts real power and influence in Irish education? Who shapes public policy? Who has the ear of the Minister? Who influences what happens in the classroom? Who leads and influences public debate? The Irish Times top 50 list is the first to identify and rank the main movers in Irish education
1 RUAIRÍ QUINN
Minister for Education and Skills
In six astonishing months, Ruairí Quinn has shown how an energetic Minister can drive the education agenda and push for change. While some of his predecessors were content to sit on their hands, the 65-year-old is at his desk by 8am each day, driving his reform agenda.
His timing could hardly be better. The dramatic slump in Ireland’s OECD rankings in literacy and numeracy have swept away the complacency and self-regard that clung to Irish education for decades. Quinn has labelled the OECD report “a wake-up call” for Irish education. We have, he says, been “codding ourselves about our world-class education system”.
Full Story: www.irishtimes.com
