25th January 2011 - Literacy and Numeracy - Average is Simply not Good Enough
- Last Updated: Tuesday, 25 January 2011 17:03
Three out of four primary school Principals would like to see a re-structuring of the primary school curriculum to further support literacy and numeracy in the classroom. This is according to an Irish Primary Principals’ Network (IPPN) survey of over 800 Principals.
IPPN President, Pat Goff said ‘A national strategy for literacy and numeracy in Irish schools must become a top priority for the incoming government. Recent PISA (Programme for International Student Assessment) findings show that Ireland has slipped from near the top of the rankings to less than average. Average is simply not good enough. A strategy, beginning with teacher training, and continuing right through teacher probation up to actual service in the classroom is a must, if Ireland is to regain lost ground’.
The decline in standards of numeracy and literacy is a real concern for educators, but it cannot be fully attributed to the integration of special needs and New Irish into mainstream classes.
‘There is considerable evidence that curriculum overload is also a contributory factor, but we must get back to basics and focus every teacher in every school on literacy and numeracy. To do this, we must have greater flexibility in how we deploy teachers throughout the school, in the best interests of the children’ continued Mr Goff.
Mr Goff will address over 1,000 school Principals at the annual IPPN Principals’ Conference in the City West Hotel, Dublin on Thursday 27th January.
