Madam, - In the coming year my husband and I will choose a secondary school for our son. My 25 years as a secondary school teacher will cause me to ask the following questions when making the choice.
Will he be in a safe and supportive environment, with a pastoral care system which ensures that at least one member of staff will get to know him well and keep an eye on his progress, social as well as academic? Will all aspects of his development during these crucial formative years be catered for? To answer this question, I'll be looking at the PE department, music, drama and art, the transition year programme, co-curricular and extra-curricular activities.
Will he find a healthy mixture of fellow students, truly reflecting the world in which he'll have to live after school is finished? Will he be encouraged and enabled to achieve to the best of his ability, whatever that proves to be?
Will his social conscience be stimulated? Will he receive the kind of counselling and guidance he needs to make good decisions about his life?
The school we will choose for our son will not be a points factory. We won't be asking how many of last year's Leaving Cert students went to this or that college. I have been privileged many times to witness the amazing journey that begins with a gawky, uncertain 12-year-old and ends with a confident young adult, nurtured by a home where the priorities are right and an education that takes the whole person into account.
The school in which I work fulfils all the above criteria. It is a State school with no fees; but sadly, it takes only girls! I am confident, however, that similar high standards and a commitment to real education can be found in many of our schools. - Yours, etc.,
MARY NEWMAN, Monread Lawns, Naas, Co Kildare.