Teacher's Pet

An insider’s guide to education

- The writing hasbeen on the wall for the National University of Ireland (NUI) since the (very large) salary of its former registrar was cut by the review body on higher pay several years ago. It was the first sign that the mandarins were targeting the venerable body, which dates back to 1908.

The coup de gracewas delivered by UCD and UCC which were distinctly lukewarm in their support for the NUI at a time when it needed to mount a vigorous rearguard action. Rumours about the absence of university presidents from regular NUI meetings also damaged the organisation.

That said, Minister for Education Batt O’Keeffe had no anti-NUI agenda. But he was prepared to go with the advice from senior officials. Simply put, this portrayed the NUI as a relic of the past – and a block to the goal of one unified awards and qualifications body.

The minister can expect to take plenty of flak for the decision. The brutal manner in which it was delivered without any consultation with the universities or the 15 NUI employees has been rightly criticised.

O’Keeffe delivered the bombshell to NUI Chancellor Maurice Manning and registrar Attracta Halpin in Leinster House last Wednesday morning without any advance warning.

Manning still hopes the decision can be reversed given the political uncertainty. Some have interpreted this as support for a change of government. But NUI members say Manning has never advocated this and has been scrupulously non-party political as chancellor.

From the Minister’s perspective, the decision is not without some political benefits. At a time when the Government is under fire for inaction and delay, here is a minister acting decisively and delivering a result on public service reform. That, at least, is how the whole business

looks from the Department of Education perspective.

- How many treesare felled to send out more than 80,000 CAO application forms and handbooks to students – at a time when virtually everyone applies online?

Worse still, the handbook – which lists the CAO courses on offer – is incomplete as it was printed months ago. Why bother to print a handbook when an online version could be updated daily?

Incidentally, more than 47,000 applications were received by last Wednesday, the closing date for online applications at the cheaper €35 rate, up 4,000 on the same period last year. There were virtually no paper applications.

- Take your seatfor one of the most anticipated public lectures of the year.

On Monday February 8th, former Intel chief Craig Barrett is to address the Royal Irish Academy in Dublin.

Barrett caused a sensation at the Farmleigh economic summit last summer when he delivered a “wake - up’’ call to Cabinet members and other luminaries about the decline of Irish competitiveness. He also said that our education system was not what it is cracked up to be.

It should be a fascinating evening.

The event is open to the public. Admission is free but places must be booked in advance at www.ria.ie

- The Irish Primary PrincipalsNetwork (IPPN) has produced a stellar cast of speakers for its conference at Citywest which begins on Thursday. The list includes include the two main Opposition leaders Edna Kenny and Eamon Gilmore - not to mention Colm O Gorman, Don Thornhill and George Hook.

The IPPN has had a good year. Its response to the Murphy report was impressive. The group immediately called on the bishops named in the report to step down. It has also underlined the deep-rooted concerns among many school principals about Catholic patronage of schools.

- Got anyeducation gossip?

E-mail us, in confidence, at teacherspet@ irishtimes. com