Madam, - I feel the analysis in your edition of August 18th regarding vacant school places and the surge in demand for private second level places comes to questionable conclusions.
First of all, many of the secondary schools mentioned are in areas where the school-going population is in decline. Furthermore, the numbers quoted for the decline in enrolments compare with the previous highest number at these schools.
Thus, the "vacant places" cited in the Department of Education report surely refer to the era when second-level numbers in Ireland peaked, meaning that schools were overcrowded and the pupil-teacher ratio well above anything recommended by the OECD.
It may not be a bad thing that numbers in State schools are now lower than at peak, particularly as efforts to modernise the curriculum are under way.
Your article suggests that there is a stampede to the fee-paying schools. But the vast majority of secondary pupils attend schools in the State sector. A comparison of the numbers in each category is required here. The recently published data on the numbers attaining university places in the Republic gave a very positive endorsement to State schools. Indeed, the current results from Leaving Certificate 2003 show that the top four performers in the country all attended schools in the State sector.
The academic performance of schools in the fee-paying sector is also influenced by the ability of students to avail of grinds and other educational opportunities for those who can afford to pay. Academic ability is a very worthy notion, but the ability to pay to pave the path to academic success must also be factored into the equation.
One further distinction which merits analysis is the facile labelling of "free" versus "fee-paying" schools. No form of education in Ireland is free. Secondary schools are chronically underfunded. In the State sector, schools rely on the so-called "voluntary contribution" to fund basic services, and fund-raising is needed where any new buildings or extra educational facilities are sought. Parents of all second-level pupils are in fact paying fees. Whether these are by way of a school contribution, plus the rising cost of books, uniform and other essentials, or a formalised entrance fee surely is not the core issue.
The real sources of educational advantage in Ireland start at a much earlier level: location, pre-school and primary school experiences are far more important indicators as to whether a pupil will stay the course and succeed at second level. These are issues which the Minister for Education is now highlighting for action.
In the coming academic term, I suggest your correspondents analyse the whole funding of the education system in Ireland, and the system of social advantage and disadvantage that this perpetuates. - Yours, etc.,
Mrs EDEL FOLEY,
Vernon Rise,
Clontarf,
Dublin 3.