TEACHER'S PET

An insider's guide to education

It may have gone unnoticed by some but Mary Hanafin has just enjoyed one of the best weeks of her political career.

That Budget decision to deliver €1 billion to the third-level sector came after a nine-month campaign by Hanafin and her senior officials.

Last week, some senior third-level figures, who had spent much of the past year worrying that Hanafin was only the "minister for schools and teachers", were lavish in their praise. "This was the best piece of pre-Budget lobbying I have seen," commented one influential figure.

Behind the scenes, Hanafin, her secretary general, Brigid McManus, and senior official Martin Hanevy worked to deliver unprecedented funding for the sector. The Irish Universities' Association (IUA), the group representing the seven university presidents, also did a remarkable lobbying job. Let's just say the views of UCD president Hugh Brady are taken very seriously indeed in the corridors of power.

Remember all that fuss about Hibernia College and its online course for primary teachers. At the time, the INTO created a bit of a stink, hinting that academic standards might be undermined.

Happily, rapprochement is underway. Where did Hibernia advertise a key vacancy for its head of education? You guessed it . . . on the pages of In Touch, the INTO's very fine monthly journal.

Hard to believe this but some university figures are, shall we say, a little sniffy about the Budget plan to deliver quite so much money to the institutes of technology. Apparently, some don't believe that money for some colleges in this sector will help to deliver world-class third-level education.

Our advice: keep this opinion to yourselves otherwise bridges will be burned with influential figures in Government.

The ASTI is licking its wounds after a rough week over the Irish Ferries protest. The union signalled that schools would close for a half-day early last week but took fright after the INTO made it clear schools would remain open and Joe Duffy's Liveline highlighted the fury among parents over the matter.

Got any education gossip? E-mail us, in confidence, at teacherspet@

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