TEACHER'S PET: Roger Downer, who has retired as UL president on health grounds, made a huge impression during his tenure. He succeeded Ed Walsh - who cast a long shadow - eight years ago, but Downer's achievements were no less grand.

Downer was very proud of the management team he built at UL. But will any one of them get the chance to succeed him?

There is no shortage of strong internal candidates, but the new selection procedures have tended to work against internal candidates for the really big jobs. The top jobs at NUI Maynooth, DIT and UCD have all been filled by external candidates in recent years. And, all three successful candidates had a strong background in research.

There is still some confidence in Limerick that a local man or woman will do it. But there's many a slip . . .

• With the education sector in a post-teacher conference lull, the little-known Irish Universities Quality Board (IUQB) received only scant attention for their media bash last week.

Padraig Walsh and his team deserve a great deal more coverage. The IUQB produces a very informative assessment of our universities on its website. But, sadly, few people bother to read it.

Here's a tip. If you or your son or daughter is planning to go to third-level this year, get them to log onto the IUQB website at www.iuqb.ie. There is some excellent stuff, not least good objective reviews of how university departments are performing.

• We all know that educationalists are consumed by personal ambition. And here's the proof.

Apparently, there has been no shortage of applications for one of the most taxing jobs in Irish education - president of the Christian Brothers-run Marino Institute. Marino has become a byword for internecine feuding since Caoimhe Máirtín resigned as head of the teacher-training college there last year. But even this has not dampened some people's enthusiasm for the post.

Note for applicants. The job specification points out: "A candidate who may not be proficient in Gaeilge should be willing to undertake whatever language acquisition courses as may be necessary."

• Update on ASTI . . . Yes, the green shoots of recovery are at last visible after what was widely seen as the union's most successful conference in many years.

Delegates voted down that sensible plan to allow members to vote by post or in schools instead of at local branches. But the vote was taken late in the conference when about 100 delegates were already on their way home.

But this change, which requires a two-thirds majority at conference, seems inevitable before long.

• Quote of the week? "It's like the Big Brother house in there." - A senior teaching trade unionist describing the atmosphere at the partnership talks.

Got any education gossip? E-mail us, in confidence, at teacherspet@irish-times.ie