Teacher's Pet

An insider's guide to education.

It may have been billed as a "summit" on the future of the third-level sector. But there is little excitement around the place about next Monday's meeting involving Mary Hanafin and some heads of the universities and institutes of technology.

The meeting will consider the landmark OECD report on third-level, four months after it was published. So, no great signs of urgency there.

The universities are now more or less resigned to their fate for the lifetime of this Government. They can moan all they like about funding, but the return of fees is off the agenda.

Roughly translated, the basic message from the Government is this: sort out your own problems by building up the core of international students and by forging links with business. We will do what we can to help but don't expect miracles.

In a very good speech at the Historical Society in TCD last week, the DCU president, Ferdinand von Prondzynski, lamented the lack of an overall national strategy for third-level shared between the State and the universities. This would, he said, facilitate rapid innovation and modernisation in a stable planning environment. But is anyone in Government listening?

OK, the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA), has done some great work, but could it please liberate itself from the education jargon that peppers its documents?

Things have reached their nadir in the NCCA document on the Leaving Cert where exams are called, wait for it, "assessment events". Could you make it up? Probably not.

Last week's conference of the Irish Primary Principals' Network (IPPN) was a very successful one. You have to admire the energy of its director, Seán Cottrell, who has successfully put the organisation on the national stage. Not bad for a group with no negotiating rights.

But there is still the strong sense that the key relationship for the Department is with the INTO.

Relations between the INTO and Marlborough Street have rarely been warmer. Hanafin has not been subjected to anything like the criticism that was meted out to Noel Dempsey. In return, the INTO expect the Minister to deliver on disadvantage, class size - and soon.

It was Brown Envelope Day last week as many schools sought desperately- needed funds. Fair enough, if these funds were for non-essential items, but as one school principal pointed out last week: "We need these extra funds to cover heating, lighting and maintenance costs". Isn't it time this prosperous nation of ours funded primary schools properly?

[ teacherspet@irish-times.ie ]