Discussion: How good are Irish teachers?

In a feature in next Saturday's Irish Times, the newspaper's Education Correspondent Joe Humphreys will ask "How good are Irish teachers?" Here's a flavour of the article ...

“Ireland is a world away from the UK and US in terms of measuring teacher performance. Just as well,” writes Humphreys. “The OECD, an international shaper of educational policy, is urging countries to avoid the mistakes of the Anglo-American model, with its focus on league tables and results-related pay.

“However, it has also warned Ireland against complacency. Our scores in the latest Programme for International Student Assessment show room for improvement.”

But, with all due respect to the OECD, maybe the best people to judge this are Irish people living abroad, who can compare Irish education with that in other countries.

What has your experience been? Does the Irish school system, and the teachers who work within it, beat the one in your current home? Or do you consider your children fortunate to have access to an international education?

Would you move back to Ireland so your children could be educated there? Or could we do better at, say, languages?

Have your say on Irish teachers in the comments field below this article.