Who will be the next Minister for Education? With the general election due some time before the summer, some political wags and mandarins are already taking their pick. One name is starting to emerge from the pack.

Step forward the clean-cut Mary Hanafin, Minister for Children, former teacher in Sion Hill, Blackrock, Co Dublin, and all round bright young spark of Fianna Fβil.

Hanafin's impressive performance as a junior minister makes her the number one candidate for Marlborough Street, say observers. TP thinks it is an exciting prospect.

Of course, Fine Gael could get is own minister - in the unlikely event of it leading the next government. Richard Bruton, who was a superb opposition spokesman on education, would make a great minister.

The current opposition spokesman, Michael Creed, however, has been keeping what one might diplomatically call a low profile. In fact TP met educationalists last week who did not even know his name!

There is another scenario; Michael Woods - even at 60-plus - might stay on. Woods will contest his eighth election in Dublin North East next year. His performance, although less showy than Michβel Martin, has been a great deal better than some begrudgers would have you believe.

Maybe he might still do another stint?

Some bits of Astir, the journal of the ASTI, are getting a bit like Pravda in the old pre-glasnost days.

This month's less-than-splendid edition includes a long article on what was "achieved" (!!!) during their pay campaign.

And there was TP thinking that the union suffered a serious reversal.

There is also the usual stab at the fourth estate. According to Astir, the union has learned that the media are more interested in sensationalism than objective reporting. Surely not. It all sounds like sour grapes to me.

UCD's success in winning the £2 million Clinton Centre is a great coup for our chum, Art Cosgrave, the clubby president of UCD.

However, Roger Downer, the Ulsterman who leads the University of Limerick, is right to feel disappointed, as his college was among the defeated candidates.

All that Government claptrap about empowering the regions obviously counts for little.

Latest score, Dublin Four 1 Munster 0.

Maybe they'll get a consolation prize in the next round of research grants?

Great news about those strong Junior Cert results - and well done to the kids.

Only one problem: maybe the Junior Cert now far too easy and gives students false expectations of what they might achieve in the Leaving Cert.

Yes, says one of TP's teaching chums - we do have a problem there. You see, the Leaving Cert is far more difficult than the Junior Cert.

One veteran teacher says you can deduct at least 10 per cent from all your JC marks to get your LC result. Now that should put a stop to the annual drinking binge.

You can e-mail teacher's pet in confidence at teacherspet@irish-times.ie