Hi and welcome to this edition of Classroom Central! In this issue, we feature material from our special Feeder Schools supplement which was published this week.
How did your school perform in the Feeder School list? See what trends have emerged this year in this handy guide to the 2022 data.
Five key takeaway points from 2022 Feeder Schools The Irish Times 2022 Feeder School list, published today, provides new insights into the education pathways taken by thousands of students who have completed the Leaving Cert cycle. These are five of the key takeaways from this year’s data.
Fee-charging schools continue to have an advantage - but it is slipping: Students from fee-paying schools continue to have an advantage in securing college courses, but that advantage has slipped somewhat as grade inflation and expanded college places open up third-level to more students from non-fee and disadvantaged schools, according to our analysis of this year’s lists.
Ironing out statistical quirks: Find out why some institutions’ progression rates seem over-reported while others’ seem to be under-reported.
Who exactly is included in Feeder Tables 2022? To make sense of the feeder tables, it is important to understand the component parts. There are two key numbers associated with each school listed in our tables: the total number of students attending college this year and the total number of incoming first-year undergraduate students who sat the Leaving Cert in 2022.
Irish-medium schools perform strongly: One recurring feature of the annually published feeder schools data set is the consistently high proportion of Irish-language schools that rank prominently at the upper end of the tables. Why is this?
Why do some schools do better — or worse — than others? At first glance, it seems clear: a parent sends their child to a fee-paying school, and that child has a greater chance of going to third level than someone who attended a non-fee-paying school. But does that tell the full story?
Grade inflation: a knock-on effect from the pandemic proving difficult to deal with - The pandemic had lots of knock-on effects, not least in education. But, whereas other aspects of life have returned – at least somewhat – to normal, the education system is still dealing with the fallout, particularly when it comes to Leaving Cert grade inflation.
Accessible analysis on school performance: Parents often have different criteria when it comes to selecting a school for their child. For some, teacher quality and educational achievement will be a key measure while, for others, the school’s ethos, language of instruction and approach to inclusivity will be an important consideration. Whole School Evaluation reports can help parents make a decision when it comes to choosing a school.
The Secret Teacher: ‘Sean made a disclosure to John in strictest confidence, leaving him with a real dilemma’ Learners come in all shapes and sizes – but so does learning. Being a member of a school community brings very steep learning curves, many of them miles away from textbook or whiteboard.
‘A crisis like no other’: Is there a way to overcome the shortage of teachers? If there was ever any doubt about the scale of the teacher shortage problem, then internal communications between principals and the Department of Education released to The Irish Times show in stark terms the challenges facing schools.
I want my students to be active citizens and learn about the EU: What resources are there for teachers? I am a post-primary CSPE (civics, social and political education) teacher and acutely aware that many of my students have little understanding about the European Union and how it affects their lives
