The annual round of teacher conferences this week finds the profession broadly in good heart. Teacher morale, which took such a battering during the divisive ASTI dispute five years ago, has been restored. Minister for Education and Science Mary Hanafin has played an important role here.
As a former teacher, she appears to have a natural empathy with the profession. As a result, teachers are feeling better about themselves. The record 27 per cent increase in applications for primary teaching this year is also revealing; it tells us how teaching is now seen as a highly prized profession. Yes, many school-leavers are attracted by the good conditions of service but they are also drawn to a job which is challenging and fulfilling.
In an interview in today's editions, Ms Hanafin points to her overall satisfaction with the education system in this State. But there is much that is wrong with that system. It remains under-resourced and over-stretched. The kind of resources and supports which teachers in other OECD countries take for granted are still not always available. Key functions in schools are often dependent on the good will of teachers and principals who will volunteer to take on additional roles. There are other problems: the continuing low levels of literacy in many disadvantaged areas, the high drop-out rate from second-level and overcrowded classrooms. And, as reported in today's editions, a growing leadership crisis in primary schools with teachers reluctant to take on the overburdened and poorly paid role of principal.
For all that, it is an education system which compares favourably with any in the developed world. Irish 15-year-olds score very highly on literacy skills in regular OECD league tables. Education is also one area of the public service which does not attract a huge level of negative publicity - in stark contrast to the burning public anger about areas like the health or transport services. Equally, education seems unlikely to feature as a major issue in the forthcoming election, reflecting general contentment with what is provided.
This situation may explain the low-key run-in to this year's conferences. Over the winter, the INTO conducted a very successful public campaign to highlight the continuing reality of over-crowded classrooms but the Taoiseach's commitment to 4,000 extra teachers in his ardfheis speech last month has helped, at least partly, to defuse a potential confrontation on the issue. This week, primary teachers will be seeking clarification of this promise and evaluating what it will mean in practical terms.
In today's interview, Ms Hanafin says some 2,000 of the new teachers are needed simply to cope with the population increase. This begs the question: how will the remainder help to reduce class sizes and end a scandal where the Republic has some of the most over-crowded classes in the EU? Teachers at second-level too will be seeking details of another ardfheis promise - Mr Ahern's vague commitment to reduce class size for maths and other key subjects.