An insider's guide to education.

To the surprise of many, education minister Mary Hanafin has been relatively low-profile during this election campaign. Apparently, she has spent most of it pounding the pavements of her Dún Laoghaire constituency, where she is expected to top the poll.

The minister did surface briefly at one morning press conference last week. Otherwise, she has been conspicuously absent on most of the big TV and radio programmes. All very strange given her standing as the best media performer in Cabinet.

Hanafin has said she would like to stay in education but the mandarins in Marlborough Street are already preparing for a new face - possibly Brian Lenihan or Richard Bruton (pictured right).

Bruton - Fine Gael's deputy leader and a former enterprise minister - has made no secret of his desire to take the education portfolio.

He would be an outstanding education minister - and a very challenging one for the teaching unions. Bruton was one of the first politicians brave enough to make the case for more public accountability in education. He has also done some outstanding research work on science education in Ireland.

This column has written in the past about the Irish Federation of University Teachers (Ifut) which has been surprisingly slow to engage in public debate about the changes at third-level.

But change is on the way. Ifut has just appointed a new general secretary, Mike Jennings, who is set to revive the union.

A former Siptu official, Jennings came within a whisker of taking a seat for the Workers' Party in Dublin Central in the 1980s.

His first test will come at this weekend's Ifut conference. But he has already made a big impression on many key figures at third-level.

A school located near this reporter is to be applauded for its courtesy in giving locals advance warning of its annual sports day. The notice warns housekeepers that some extra noise can be expected.

Its a nice gesture by the school. But it makes you wonder what kind of society are we becoming? Most sensible people love the idea of kids taking part in sports and will tolerate a bit of noise. Or have we become that intolerant?

This is the final Teacher's Pet of the academic year. Many thanks to all who e-mailed. The column returns in September