Teacher's Pet [IrishTimes]
- Published: 15 March 2011
An insider's guide to education
* After the sleepy Mary Coughlan era, new Minister for Education and Skills Ruairí Quinn has hit the ground running at the Department of Education in Marlborough St.
At a meeting with secretary general Brigid McManus last Thursday afternoon, he set out no less than 12 separate priority areas. And he wants swift action on issues such as school patronage, the literacy crisis and school buildings.
Quinn has received a very warm welcome from across the education sector. The new Minister, who spent three years as education spokesman, knows all the main players and understands all the key issues.
At this stage, the teacher unions – where support for Labour is in the DNA – see Quinn as “their man’’ who can be relied upon to do their bidding.
But make no mistake – Quinn is a formidable and independent figure who will do things his way. He has the potential to make a real, lasting impact on the education sector.
What are this main priorities? During his contribution to the Oireachtas Education Committee last year he raised some of the big issues he would like to see addressed.
These included:
– Why has Ireland more primary schools per capita (3,200) than any other OECD state?
– How much has been invested in the teaching of the Irish language? He called this “the single biggest policy failure’’ of the Irish system.
– How much time has been spent in faith formation in primary schools?
– Why are five teacher-training colleges controlled by religious orders?
* The number of candidates in the race to be the next provost of TCD is down to five after Prof Robin Coningham of Durham University withdrew last week.
Coningham, one of only two external candidates, said he has taken the decision “as it has become increasingly difficult to sustain the running of a credible and public eight-week election campaign in another country alongside maintaining equal credibility discharging the daily responsibilities of my role as pro-vice chancellor, active researcher and supervisor, and parent here in the UK.’’
Full Story: www.irishtimes.com
How Quinn can make a difference [IrishTimes]
- Published: 15 March 2011
The new Minister for Education Ruairí Quinn has the unenviable task of boosting standards in Irish education with virtually no additional investment. Here’s an 11-point action plan to help him turn things around
1 PUT YOUR HANDS UP AND ADMIT THERE ARE DEEP-SEATED PROBLEMS IN OUR EDUCATION SYSTEM
For decades, successive ministers for education have congratulated teachers on our world class education system – even as some of the same teachers pointed to an alarming decline in standards. Batt O’Keeffe broke the mould in 2009 by raising awkward questions about the quality of Irish graduates – and by refusing to act as a cheerleader for the Irish education system.
Late last year, the latest OECD world rankings confirmed the Irish system was nothing like as good as we thought. Almost a quarter of our 15 year-olds are functionally illiterate. On reading levels, Ireland has slipped from fifth place in 2000 to 17th place, the sharpest decline among the 39 countries surveyed.
In maths, Ireland has fallen from 16th to 26th place, the second steepest decline among participating countries. Ireland is now ranked as below average in maths.
The new Minister’s first message should be to acknowledge these deep-seated problems and end the culture of complacency.
The signs are good. On the day after his appointment as Minister for Education and Skills last week, Ruairí Quinn described the OECD rankings as a “wake- up call’’ for the Irish education system .
2 ABOLISH BOTH THE JUNIOR AND LEAVING CERT
Neither exam is fit for purpose. And don’t just take my word for it.
Talk to US multinationals about their difficulty in recruiting top-class graduates in key areas. Or listen to Tom Boland, head of the Higher Education Authority. He says many students weaned on the rote-learning culture of the Leaving struggle to adjust at third level.
The Junior and Leaving Cert exams seem increasingly out of place in an era of smart technology. We want an education system which promotes independent learning and critical thinking and one which encourages students to be multilingual and at the cutting edge of technology. That’s why both exams should be scrapped.
One piece of advice: set a time limit for the review of both exams which has been promised in the Programme for Government. And make sure the review team is full of radical, bold thinkers. The traditional education taskforce – made up of nominees from the teaching unions is exactly what’s not required. Their main agenda is to protect members. You need people who will take a wider view.
Full Story: www.irishtimes.com
In short [IrishTimes]
- Published: 15 March 2011
A round-up of today's other stories in brief
Priest's appeal against sentence for abuse nearly 30 years ago fails
An elderly priest has failed in his appeal against his three-year sentence for sexually abusing an altar boy in his Wicklow parish nearly 30 years ago. The Court of Criminal Appeal found yesterday that the approach taken by Judge Michael O’Shea in sentencing Fr Thomas Naughton (79) was “impeccable” and that he had committed no error in principle in reaching his conclusions.
Mr Justice Liam McKechnie, sitting with Mr Justice Declan Budd and Mr Justice Daniel O’Keeffe, said Naughton had been in a position of trust and authority but had abused both and had inflicted a 30-year “sentence of vulnerability” on his victim.
Orla Crowe, defending, said the sentencing judge did not give due regard to Naughton’s efforts at rehabilitation, his considerable health difficulties and the remorse he had shown.
Schoolgirl rescued from lake walk
A 16-year-old schoolgirl who was injured in a fall on the Spink walk high over the main lake in Glendalough, Co Wicklow, yesterday was airlifted to hospital by the Irish Coast Guard.
The Dublin-based Sikorsky helicopter was tasked at 12.30pm when the alert was raised by a group from a school in Co Meath.
The schoolgirl sustained an open wound to her lower leg after falling and required emergency treatment. She was winched with a teacher on to the helicopter and flown to Dublin airport, where she was transferred by HSE ambulance to Beaumont Hospital.
Man jailed for rape and sexual assault
A man has been sentenced to six years and two months at the Central Criminal Court for rape in a Dublin apartment almost two years ago.
John Noghayin (29), Cabra Park, Dublin, who is from Nigeria, was convicted by a jury last month of raping and sexually assaulting a woman in May 2009. He had pleaded not guilty to all the charges.
Full Story: www.irishtimes.com
Forum on school patronage in Ireland has been announced [schooldays.ie]
- Published: 14 March 2011
A new forum is to be set up to look at issues concerning school patronage as part of Ireland's education system.
Minister for education Ruairi Quinn revealed at the Annual Conference of Catholic Primary School Management Association that the group will look at ways the influence of the Catholic Church on schools can be reduced.
He said the forum would address the managers of Catholic primary schools in the nation over the next nine months.
This programme has been praised by the Irish National Teachers' Organisation (INTO), which said it welcomes the new minister's initiative.
INTO has been calling for a forum of this kind for a long time, wishing to make education establishments in the country more diverse.
Full Story: www.schooldays.ie
Quinn pledges to be 'new broom' as education chief [Independent.ie]
- Published: 12 March 2011
NEW Education Minister Ruairi Quinn yesterday vowed to change the way things are done in the department he previously lambasted for being secretive and protective of the Catholic Church.
While in opposition, Mr Quinn suggested department officials could be "members of secret societies, such as the Knights of St Columbanus and Opus Dei, and have taken it upon themselves to protect the interests of these clerical orders".
He also described many department officials as either "Catholic right wing" or being "incompetent, lazy and destructive".
Trenchant
Some of his most trenchant criticism of the department related to its handling of the Ryan Report on institutional child abuse and the frustration of trying to get information in the Dail on properties owned by the religious congregations involved.
But Mr Quinn yesterday said he would be "a new broom" in the department.
He added: "In time, I will be giving guidance on how questions can be factually answered."
Full Story: www.independent.ie
