Teacher's PET

An insider's guide to education

• After the rumpus over Laffoy, Noel Dempsey will probably be relieved to get back to the education agenda this week. But the question is - what is on his agenda?

The Minister has gone down fighting on the fees issue. But his plan to reform the third-level grant scheme faces stiff opposition from staff in what used to be called Social Welfare. Meanwhile, any move to abolish the €80 million of taxpayers' money given to the private schools would unleash a storm of protest.

Noel Dempsey has a great reforming zeal and the political courage to move on a difficult agenda. He has the potential to be the best Education Minister in a generation.

Let's hope he is not diverted from his ambition to leave a mark on Irish education. Let's hope he does not have to expend all of his energies over the next few months fighting with Finance Minister Charlie McCreevy over the spending estimates.

• In the Department of Education they talk of little else these days but who is to replace the hugely regarded John Dennehy, as secretary general. The job may not be vacant for another 18 months, but already the jockeying for position is underway.

The front runners include current assistant secretaries Pat Burke, Peter Baldwin, Paul Kelly Paddy McDonagh and Martin Hanevy.

Inevitably, there is speculation that the Department may again opt for someone from outside. Kelly, for example, was plucked from the Department of Defence - but this time the smart money remains on an internal candidate. Pat Burke is the early favourite.

• Down at Winetavern Street they are loading their guns and preparing to fire them at Charlie Lennon, the ASTI general secretary.

Early next month, the 180-member central executive will essentially conduct a performance review of their own general secretary.

Lennon's offence? For the past three years he has been telling anyone who would listen inside the union that the pay campaign and all that went with it would end in failure and recrimination.

Lennon is hugely admired in the wider trade union movement and across the public service. But on Planet ASTI none of this appears to count for much.

• When British Education and Skills Secretary Charles Clarke came to Dublin recently some education notables were treated to good company and great hospitality at the British ambassador's residence in Sandyford, Dublin.

Among the guests, John Coolahan from Maynooth, John Carr from the INTO and the impressive new president of the Union Of Students of Ireland, Will Priestley.

Clarke's brilliant address was like a wake-up call for the sleepy Irish education sector. His message: school league tables and the rest of the accountability agenda is here to stay.