An insider's guide to education

• Here's a peculiarity: the head of the IDA delivers a devastating critique of some aspects of our education system. And the response from the educators? With some exceptions - a stony silence.

In a stirring speech, the IDA chief executive, Sean Dorgan, said the Irish education system could appear disconnected from the rest of society. He also spoke knowingly about how the education debate tended to be "introspective".

Thus far, visionary figures like Don Thornhill of the Higher Education Authority and Professor John Coolahan of Maynooth have taken up the Dorgan challenge. But there has been a shameful lack of response from the following - the Department of Education, the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA), the main universities, the Institute of Technology sector, the ASTI, the TUI and the National Association of Principals and Deputy Principals (NAPD), among others.

What was that Dorgan was saying about the education system being "introspective?"

• The latest CAO figures produced some surprising trends. Despite all the negative publicity about the city, the University of Limerick continues to attract students without great difficulty. Galway, Cork, Trinity and Maynooth were the other winners. But the four per cent decline in student applications for UCD has shocked some of the head boffins in Belfield.

Over in Glasnevin, DCU will also be concerned about aspects of its performance. One question - did its decision to raise the points threshold for computer courses to an artificial level last summer turn students away?

• There's a coincidence. Noel Dempsey takes himself away for the St Patrick's Day celebrations and where should he find himself? In Australia - home of the much-admired student loans scheme.

The Minister is accompanying President McAleese on her sojourn Down Under. But did he take the opportunity to brief himself on the "study now pay later" Australian loan scheme? It would be a surprise if he did not. The loan scheme is much more to the taste of Mary Harney and Bertie Ahern. Their view: anything is better than the return of fees.

Got any education gossip. You can e-mail us in confidence at teacherspet@irish-times.ie