Sir, - I refer to the Opinion (Education and Living, May 18th) by Mr Joe Coy on the subject of the current provision of in-service for teachers of Leaving Certificate English. He states: "Nowhere is there evidence of direct involvement by the Department of Education and Science, nowhere the presence of an English inspector."
I wish to clarify the involvement of the inspectorate in the Leaving Certificate English in service programme. The inspectorate is involved at four key stages in the development and delivery of this programme.
1. Formulation of the syllabus and of the teachers' guidelines: two inspectors of English participated actively on the course-committee of the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) which drew up the revised syllabus. The teachers' guidelines were written by the NCCA's Education Officer for English in consultation with the inspectors. An Assistant Chief Inspector and two inspectors of English were involved in the final editing of the guidelines.
2. Selection of trainers: the inspectorate was very much involved in ensuring that the most suitable teachers were recruited as trainers to deliver the in-service programme. An Assistant Chief Inspector chaired the short-listing and interview boards. The Post-primary Senior Inspector in the In-Career Development Unit and a Senior Inspector of English were members of these boards.
3. Presence at training sessions: the Senior Inspector from the In-Career Development Unit was present at all sessions held for the training of trainers. A Senior Inspector of English was present at most of these sessions.
4. Liaison with the Education Centre: The Education Centre which administers this in-service programme does so at the request of the Department of Education and Science In-Career Development Unit. There is constant consultation on all matters regarding the content and delivery of the programme between the ICDU, the programme co-ordinator, the programme administrator, the Director of the Education Centre and the inspectors of English.
The involvement of teachers in the in-service of their peers is commonly regarded as a move towards greater empowerment of the teaching profession and has, in this and other similar programmes, been broadly welcomed by teachers. -Yours, etc., David Gordon, Press Officer,
Department of Education and Science, Marlborough St., Dublin 1.