Teacher's PET

An insider's guide to education

The Dempsey Revolution continues in Marlborough Street. In the past month, he has appointed a new programme manager, Gerry Murray and a new press officer, the very efficient Grace Cappock, who comes in from the Fianna Fáil press office. But what has happened to some key figures in the ancien régime? That is the question on everyone's lips.

A quick update on those Opposition spokespersons... Joe Costello, for Labour, has hit the ground running with a series of very good press releases and statements. Fine Gael's Olwyn Enright has been less visible and less vocal. Relax Olwyn, you have time on your side. In fact, TP is old enough to remember when Enda Kenny and the hugely impressive Richard Bruton were education spokesmen. No one around here can remember anything Enda said or did when he was on education watch. Is that just our imagination?

TP likes to attend the odd house party. He usually brings his own wine and maybe a box of chocolates. But such straight-laced luxuries would probably be out of place at a Junior Cert party night. At least a Junior Cert party night, as envisaged by parental representatives John Whyte and Rose Tully.

The two indefatigable parents' reps recently warned parents about the horrors which can be found at house parties. "Those parties provide the opportunity for drink and sex," said their almost breathless press release. The press release also revealed that... wait for it... students when they drink, do so "with no regard for amounts or speed of consumption". Surely not. Something must be done.

Is there an end to those endless questions to the Minister about school extensions, school milk and other parish pump stuff? TP hears that Noel Dempsey has written to TD's telling them - in polite terms of course - to wise up.

Much of the information they need, he says, is available on the Department's website and elsewhere. Now, if only questions to the education minister were used to tease out policy on education. That would be something different.

Predictably, the teacher unions and school management bodies have been out of the traps denouncing last week's scoop on the feeder schools for UCD and TCD. As usual, the urbane John White of ASTI raised the level of debate. But some of the other contributions were dire.

We are told that the entire education community is against school league tables. But how come it has had so little to say about third-level access. And how come the views of parents rarely get a look in?

Got any education gossip? You can e-mail us in confidence at teacherspet@irish-times.ie