We should focus on creating a mechanism for sharing important information with parents, writes David Stanton
The answer to this question is a qualified yes. It is yes because any information on schools, and on how they are performing, is of assistance to parents. But the information should be accurate, holistic, objective and equitable. It is unfortunate that the debate on this issue has focused simply on examination results and college entry figures.
These simple comparisons are unfair. What we should be focusing on is creating a mechanism for sharing important information with parents that looks at the performance, aims, objectives, culture and ethos of schools in the broadest way, taking account of all factors at play in our education system.
Those who oppose the publication of school results understandably fear that unfair comparisons between schools will be made on the basis of how many A1s a school achieves.
We all know that some schools in Ireland face greater challenges, on a day-to-day basis, than others. Fine Gael supports a far broader approach, one that would be truly fair to every school in the State.
What parents and the wider community should have access to is the progress each school has made and of the plans that it has in important educational matters.
This report, more comprehensive than a simple breakdown of As, Bs and Cs, would detail how the school identifies and tackles literacy difficulties, what specific programmes run within the school to assist students with special needs, how the school challenges disadvantage, what facilities exist for the teaching of science or physical education, and how these facilities are maintained and improved. How schools deal with discipline issues and its record in this area should also be available.
Most importantly, this annual school report should show the baseline skills of students entering the school. It should show the progress that students make during their years of education, and compare this progress against the school's set targets and also against national standards. This would clearly indicate where schools are successful, and where they need to concentrate time and resources to raise standards.
The compilation of school results into league tables in the UK was a one-dimensional measure. This approach has fostered a culture where it is now acceptable to rate schools according only to their A Level results, and to fail to examine all other aspects of a school's performance.
Our response should not be to ban the publication of all data that might be used to draw comparisons between schools, but to decide what information should be released to allow for fair and objective comparison.
At the moment, a small amount of information showing how many students from schools get to third-level colleges is reported each year in the media. This is a very crude form of benchmarking, applied on limited information. For example, the performance of a private school may appear impressive as it may have the greatest number of former students going on to attend third-level colleges.
But by simply scratching below the surface of these figures it can be seen that other schools may have sent a higher percentage of former students to third-level, outperforming the private school.
A simple analysis of "who goes where" will not show these key distinctions.
We need a more comprehensive monitoring system, looking at education in a broad and realistic way. This should reflect how schools are coping with the challenges that they face every day, with literacy, special needs, and disadvantage.
We need to move on from the current situation where parents are making decisions based upon anecdotal information aided occasionally by crude tables published in the media. To imply that a student who chooses an apprenticeship instead of a place at a third-level college has in some sense failed is in my view wrong and unjust. What parents need is a report that shows how each school works to help every child achieve their potential, whether or not that child is an A1 student.
A comprehensive report on each school would help teachers, who are professionals dedicated to the development of their pupils, to identify where gaps exist and additional resources may be needed.
• David Stanton TD is Fine Gael's deputy spokesperson on Education and Science