Teaching Matters: Recently, I got the chance to visit the Canadian city of Toronto and to examine the education system there. Seeing a different system in operation is always interesting and provides a good opportunity to stand back and reflect on how we do things here in Ireland. While I found we had lots in common with Canada, the differences made me pause for thought.
One thing I liked about the Canadian system was the way they handled the transition of students from primary to second-level. Students in their final year of primary spend up to one day per week in the local secondary school, taking part in lessons, using the facilities and becoming familiar with the building and services. They have classes in the music room, drama studio, computer room and lunch in the cafeteria. This helps to prepare them for a smooth transition into their new environment. It also gives teachers an opportunity to meet to discuss children's needs, interests, challenges and individual strengths.
This transition arrangement is helped by the idea of a local "family of schools". The principals of all the schools within a local area, both primary and post-primary, come together every month to discuss local concerns, school policies and development issues in a network of schools. This network further extends to sharing resources and providing equal access for all students. One school might have a well-developed library with a librarian, another a computer suite with technician, while yet another has a large PE facility capable of hosting a basketball tournament and staffed by qualified PE teachers. This sharing of facilities struck me as a very good use of resources which we could consider this side of the Atlantic.
I was also struck by the way schools encourage teachers to participate in professional development and share their expertise with their colleagues. If I was teaching in a Canadian primary school and was considered a particularly effective teacher in a curricular area, I could become a "demonstration teacher" and other colleagues from my "family of schools" would be released to sit in my classroom and observe my teaching. They would learn new, up-to-date methodologies, see how I structure a lesson, engage students and assess progress. All teachers have the opportunity to do this in Canada, thereby building expertise within a school community. Of course there is a cost involved, but this should also be possible in our system. In Ireland, teachers often discuss lessons and topics but rarely have an opportunity to observe each other. Performing in front of colleagues would not be everyone's cup of tea, but most teachers have a great deal to share with their colleagues, given the chance.
There were, of course, things I saw that made me glad to return home. As principal of a school, I could be moved from school to school every three to five years, have to negotiate my own personal service contract with my employers (because I could not be part of a teacher union) and report on the effectiveness of my teacher colleagues every year to the local director of education. I much prefer our model of an in-school management with a team of people working together to further the aims of the school.
When visiting a secondary school, I was keen to see the "Auto Shop" group in action. I had only seen the likes of this in Grease and wanted to know how it worked. It was just like going into a large garage with lots of cars in various stages of repair, some of the cars up on ramps and lots of students milling around. The teacher was very enthusiastic but to me, seeing lots of open bonnets ready to collapse on fingers with students under and in cars was a little scary.
Coming from a special school I was anxious to learn about their support for children with special needs in Canada. They face many of the same challenges in this area as we do - what is the best system of instruction for autistic children, how can we fully accommodate children with special needs in mainstream classes (particularly in our secondary schools where exams dictate the pace), should we withdraw students from classes for additional help and how can we best support parents?
The Canadians have successfully organised teams of multi-disciplinary services to support students by directly employing speech and language therapists, physiotherapists, psychologists, occupational therapists and others. In Ireland, these specialists are usually employed by health services rather than by the Department of Education and schools and students have to wait lengthy periods of time for appointments. The advantage of having the services available in the schools, apart from access, is that therapists, specialists and teachers can work together throughout the day to implement a child's programme and follow up with parents at home. This is a development that is long overdue here.
Overall I was impressed by the schools I visited in Toronto. The Canadian government has recognised the importance of education and has decided to raise standards by increasing funding for resources, professional development and supports for students and staff. The school buildings were superb.
But you know, it was what was happening in the classrooms that really interested me. I was struck by the enthusiasm of teachers and the lovely, friendly atmosphere in the classes. I could have spent longer talking to teachers and pupils, but it was time to come home and as I landed at Dublin airport, I thought that despite the difficulties we have at times, on balance I prefer our system and look forward to showing the Canadians around our schools when they come to visit us next year.
Valerie Monaghan is principal of Scoil Chiarán, Glasnevin, Dublin
