By John Carr
Tuesday November 04 2008
Opposition by thousands last week to the education cuts announced in the Budget has produced a predictable response from some quarters.
A typical example came from former Limerick University president, Edward Walsh, who called on teachers to take a 10pc pay cut.
His justification for this shows very little understanding of the real issues.
"Class size may be a factor when pupils are very young," states Walsh.
Loathe as I am to correct the homework of a former university president, but that should read, 'Class size is a factor when children are very young'.
Large class sizes mean less time for children in school with more children falling behind from an early age. Large numbers mean more distractions, more time spent on management and organisation of pupils than on teaching and learning.
Walsh makes the claim that the class size increase returns us to 2007 levels. Correct. That was the time 18,000 parents attended meetings to demand smaller classes and 200,000 parents petitioned the Education Minister for smaller classes.
Those parents who petitioned and protested all knew then and know now that class size is a factor when children are young.
This is even conceded by the McKinsey Company on whose analysis Walsh bases most of his subsequently misguided argument.
The McKinsey Report claims education standards can be boosted by improving teaching standards as opposed to spending more money or reducing the size of classes.
It claims that three things are necessary to improve standards -- getting the right teachers, developing effective teachers and ensuring every student performs well. I agree entirely.
Primary education performs well in this regard. We get the right teachers. Unlike many countries, Irish primary teachers are drawn from the top quarter of school leavers. We develop effective teachers in college and afterwards.
Irish teachers ensure that every student performs well. The curriculum sets particular learning outcomes for children, system wide checks are in place on school performance and discussions are well underway on a new system of tackling alleged teacher under-performance.
The way to improve outcomes is to make good in areas where we fall down badly. These are in the area of funding and class size.
Walsh claims that Ireland lags behind particular countries like Singapore on some international test comparisons.
Test performance is not the only criteria on which to judge an education system. Schools also need to produce pupils who are creative, adaptable and imaginative, traits that have attracted much of the foreign direct investment into this country.
He goes on to argue that the creators of the Celtic Tiger economy were educated in far larger classes. That is true. What he conveniently ignores is the many children left behind are now struggling in adult life.
The underlying problem is the low funding provided to Irish schools. Ireland spends 4.6pc of its wealth on education; 6pc is the average in most developed countries.
Yes, Irish teachers may appear well paid by international standards but when the cost of living in Ireland is factored in, pay rates are fairly average.
Calls for a 10pc pay cut are relatively easy for those who earn €250,000 a year. Most teachers on average salaries of €50,000 per annum are, like other workers, struggling.
A fairer way to fund education is through the taxation system through which all can make an appropriate contribution.
Walsh's flawed supporting arguments could easily damage a previously impressive academic reputation.
John Carr is General Secretary of the Irish National Teachers Organisation
- John Carr
