An insider's guide to education

- MARY COUGHLAN, the new Minister for Education and Skills, has made a flying start in her new portfolio.

Coughlan gave an assured performance at both the INTO and the TUI conferences. And those pictures of her cowering in fear from a baying mob at the TUI conference provoked a great deal of sympathy from the public.

Better still, Coughlan has shown some decisiveness. First, she announced an easing of that ludicrous embargo on promotions, which has made it impossible for schools to operate.

Second, she backed bonus CAO points for maths after almost a decade of dithering by some of her predecessors on the issue.

Both decisions were recommended in an article in these columns last week as part of a 10-point plan for the new Minister.

Who says politicians don’t listen to good advice?

These are early days but the word from Marlborough Street is that Coughlan will show similar resolution on two other contentious issues – academic standards across the educational system and that awkward school patronage debate with the Catholic church.

- INTERVIEWS FORthe vacant post of ASTI general secretary are due to begin late next week.

Despite the important, high profile nature of the job, it has been a low profile battle.

But there are some strong candidates, including several members of ASTI head office staff.

The interview panel for the post will include some of the best and the brightest in the union; current general secretary, John White; executive member Noel Buckley; and president Joe Moran, who has made such a dramatic impact in the past year.

The candidate nominated by the interview panel must be rubber stamped by the 180-member central executive.

- QUOTE OFthe week from the teachers' conference? No contest.

ASTI’s Bernard Lynch compared the ICTU’s leadership to Cheryl Cole’s hair before that L’Oréal contract: “Weak, limp, dull and straw-like.’

- MICHAEL KELLY'Scontract as chair of the HEA has been extended for six months to see out the end of the work of the National Strategy on Higher Education.

Kelly, former secretary general in the Department of Health, was parachuted into the HEA in 2005. His appointment followed publication of the Travers Report on the illegal charges levied on patients in public nursing homes and other long-stay facilities.

Kelly and his then minister, Micheál Martin, had differing perspectives on how events unfolded.

The report of the national strategy group – chaired by economist, Colin Hunt – is expected in June.

- REMEMBER THATloose talk about shifting the Easter teacher conferences to some other time?

After last week’s media blitz all such notions have been abandoned.

With little else on the agenda, the teacher conferences dominated the media for four consecutive days.

Is there any other group of workers whose views are given such prominence?

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