After a trouble-free eight months in the job, Minister for Education Mary Hanafin has run into some hot water with what has been dubbed "CBC Monkstowngate".
Her Morning Ireland interview last Thursday - on the issue of State support for fee-paying schools in her constituency - failed to put the issue to bed. For all that, most people are probably not worried about public money for a popular school such as CBC Monkstown, which is not seen as elitist. They also take the point that non-Catholic schools such as St Andrews are a special case. Last year, the Department's own poll showed that 54 per cent favoured State funding for fee-paying schools. But the whole affair has done some damage - at a time when Mary Hanafin should be revelling in the afterglow of a successful teacher conference season.
She is probably sensible enough to know there will be bigger controversies - and that no long-term damage has been done.
Just one postscript. After all this, the Minister is now under severe pressure to deliver on disadvantage when her much-delayed policy is published.
The great and the good were out in force for John Dennehy's farewell as secretary general in Education recently.
In a scene reminiscent of The Godfather, about a dozen black Mercs were parked outside the Clock Tower in the Department to bid adieu to the larger-than-life Dennehy.
The attendance included several ambassadors, the most senior figures in the Garda and the Defence Forces, two university chiefs, teaching union heads and most of the main movers and shakers in education.
One of the highlights? Seeing "Grinds King" Ray Kearns of the Institute of Education discussing bad teachers with a puzzled INTO boss, John Carr.
Surprisingly, Michael Woods was the only former education minister present. Dennehy's contribution was lauded by Mary Hanafin, Barry McGaw of the OECD and several other luminaries. Dennehy made a marvellous speech - sprinkled with references to this column - which reflected the great progress made in Irish education. He made his own valuable contribution and he will be missed.
Another report from the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) . . . another trek through arcane and complex prose. Could these people employ someone to write simple English?
Speaking of the NCCA, there are rumours that the organisation no longer has a representative of second-level parents, despite their huge importance within the system. This could hardly be true - could it?
Got any education gossip? E-mail us, in confidence, at teacherspet@irish-times.ie
