TEACHING MATTERS:As we mark the 90th anniversary of the first Dáil, doubts widely held at the time about Ireland's capacity for self-governance have resurfaced, writes Prof Tom Collins

A sequence of systemic failures of governance and accountability together present a profound challenge. They highlight the urgency of developing a civic culture and an institutional system that can be entrusted to manage the country in an accountable, open, fair and competent manner.

Economic upheavals of the scale, nature and pace currently under way happen rarely. They invariably leave a lasting impact, not only on the economy, but also on the wider institutional, social, and cultural life of the society. We can be reasonably certain, therefore, that the future will be vastly different from what we envisaged only a few years ago.

To the extent that education is always somewhat future-oriented, how should education in Ireland respond to this new environment?

The recently published Government plan (Building Irelands Smart Economy) positions education at the heart of Irelands economic renewal. It refers to the development of a new Higher Education Strategy; the use of research funding to instil a commercialisation culture in third- level institutions; and the provision of flexible learning and upskilling opportunities through the Strategic Innovation Fund.

With regard to second level, the report aims “to enhance the entrepreneurial culture in Ireland” and “to improve the number of students taking higher level mathematics at second level”.

As with Higher Education, these are long-held aspirations, pre- dating even the boom. So it would appear that little cognisance has been taken of the changed economic circumstances in shaping education policy. The following are worth considering:

1. Re-state the core values of education: of uplifting and enriching the lives of students and that of the wider society; of furthering the imaginative and cultural life of society; of increasing citizen involvement and awareness; and underpinning employability and economic development.

2. Embed challenging and critical thinking as a core principle of citizenship education in order to address those weaknesses in civil society governance.

3. Ensure the adequate funding of a State education through a taxation system that can sustain a comprehensive provision.

4. Avoid pay cuts for teachers at first and second level because they would undermine morale and voluntaristic basis of the profession and also potentially damage intake.

5. Prioritise investment in early life education as the most optimal point of education spending.

6. Seek the following:

a. Removal of the State guarantee of a job for life for all public sector employees

b. Creation of guaranteed post- registration-structured placement opportunities for newly qualified teachers, thereby addressing the falls in staff student ratios

c. A rationalising provision at third level in areas of programme duplication

d. The re-introduction of third level fees on a means-tested basis;

e. Development of a suite of graduate conversion sources in the areas of Science, Engineering and Information Technology, with a particular focus on graduates in areas of Arts, Humanities, Architecture and Law

f. The abolition of part-time fees

g. Refocusing of the research spend in Science, Engineering and Technology, from basic research to product and process development and commercialisation in those areas Ireland has an established competitive advantage.

dg