English lesson: Rejecting the need for a league of our own

The British are waking up to the negative impact of school league tables. Let's not make the same mistake says the general secretary of the ASTI.

Lessons from Britain

What lessons can we in Ireland learn from the publication on November 23rd of the annual report of Ofsted, the body that inspects schools in Britain?

Newspaper reports stated: "Four out of 10 schools in England are failing to provide children with a good education with the worst problems in secondary schools, where the proportion is more than half."

Is it not extraordinary that after 20 years of blanket inspections of schools involving teams of inspectors including business people that four out of 10 schools are failing in Britain? Is it not extraordinary that after 20 years of publication of league tables of examination results with the so-called top schools identified and failing schools excoriated, that half of secondary schools, according to Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Schools, are not performing up to standard?

The Conservatives, who started all of these ideologically-driven initiatives in the late 1980s, are now having second thoughts with their education spokesperson stating: "Teachers are working incredibly hard, but there are too many different targets and initiatives, so that they can't focus on what really matters - teaching in the classroom."

As for providing parents with information on schools, a UK government website concedes that "probably the best way to find out if a school is right for you and your child is to go out and see it for yourself".

League Table Culture

When we reflect on this bureaucratic quagmire, when we consider the demoralisation of teachers, the criticism and the special measures taken in Britain, we in Ireland should consider carefully whether these approaches are the ones likely to ensure that all our pupils receive the best possible education.

This debate should not be primarily about the provision of information; it should be about the quality of education we offer to all of our young people.

In this context, it is interesting that Denmark has become the latest country whose government has decided that the publication of league tables of exam results is damaging and will not publish them.

We must not allow ourselves to be drawn in by this failed culture of league tables which, of course, has a certain fascination but is profoundly damaging.

Opinion formers, including politicians, editors and other policymakers must continue to stress that parents have a right to expect high standards; that they have the right to information about all aspects of a school, information which is available from schools and if a whole school evaluation has been conducted, on the web. But these same opinion formers and decision takers must not take the easy option of fostering the league table culture with its explicit message that pupils only matter if they have high academic ability.

High Standards

It is vital for the future of society that our schools attain high standards. This does not, and should not, mean only high standards for pupils who have high academic ability but must mean allowing all pupils to realise their potential.

As the forthcoming report of the Expert Group on Future Skills Needs acknowledges, the problem is not with our high academic achievers but with those pupils who currently leave the education system without the necessary skills. To acclaim as "top schools" those schools which are limited to educating pupils of high academic ability from wealthy backgrounds is counterproductive and damaging to the well-being of our society and damaging to the economy. It will further ghettoise our communities with all the known consequences of such ghettoisation; ghettos of the advantaged are just as corrosive as ghettos of the disadvantaged.

Why should schools acclaimed by league tables as top schools jeopardise their position on the table by taking pupils with special educational needs or with learning difficulties?

It is significant in this regard that the draft code of professional practice drawn up by the Teaching Council states that teachers should value diversity. The society we create is reflected in the kind of schools we create. The question we must ask ourselves is what kind of society do we want to create. Of course, our schools must foster a culture of high academic standards but we should do this in a context of trying to encourage all pupils to realise their potential.

The Best Schools

I wish to state unequivocally that the best schools are those which take pupils of all abilities, including those with special needs, from all sectors of society. These are the schools which should be acclaimed as top schools by our opinion formers.

Soft Skills

The quality of our education system is central to the knowledge economy but it is also central to societal harmony. In the midst of a transformed society with the changes in family composition, schools are often the only locus of consistency and values in young people's lives.

Furthermore, industry recognises the importance of the softer skills such as personal, social and team-building skills, skills that are not captured by league tables.

Irish schools have always tried to develop these softer skills through a whole variety of activities - in the way teachers interact with pupils, in the way the curriculum is delivered, in, for example debates, choirs, games and various projects such as the Young Scientist Project.

The OECD states of Irish schools that parents "can be confident of high and consistent performance standards across schools in the entire education system". Under pressure from divisive league tables, how long can this continue? We must all recognise the changed information landscape, but we must also make judgments which foster the education of all our young people.

School Effectiveness

We must safeguard what is best in our schools and continue to seek to improve standards. However, standards will not be improved by league tables. They will be improved by applying the best practice on school effectiveness, which includes an ordered and consistent disciplinary environment, high expectations for all pupils, good pupil/teacher interaction, strong focused leadership and involvement of parents.