Sir, - The Irish Times carried a report by Andy Pollak on November 24th in an address by Una Halligan of Hewlett Packard to the educational conference of the ASTI. Mrs Halligan said that the World Competitiveness Report on 46 countries resulted in Ireland being declared to have the second best education system of those countries (after Singapore). This was one of the reasons for so many technological industries locating here in recent years. Mrs Halligan emphasised the need to plan for the further development of skills in information technology.
It is worth reflecting on such a dramatic statement. While we have always regarded the Irish education system as of very high quality it is gratifying to see statistical evidence to support that view.
When the Minister for Education publishes his new Bill, it is to be hoped that he will seek to build on the great strengths of our system, rather than add to the administrative workload of schools, as has been done in many other countries. The most important strength of our system is the quality of teaching. While Irish schools have sometimes been under-resourced in terms of equipment and buildings, considerable money has been spent by successive governments in paying Irish teachers reasonably good salaries in comparison with other European countries, thereby continuing to attract people of a high calibre into the system.
Placing people at the centre of the new Bill could do much to strengthen our system even further. It is timely to acknowledge the rights and responsibilities of pupils, parents, teachers, school managers and owners. It is appropriate to place the system on a statutory basis but most important is to provide for the welfare of all concerned. A well staffed psychological service, a realistic provision of guidance counsellors and remedial teachers for all schools, a reduction in the pupil-teacher ratio and the establishment of a teachers' council to oversee the profession would all be welcome. - Yours, etc.,
Brian Duffy,
Principal, The High School, Rathgar, Dublin 6.