An insider's guide to education

Minister for Education Mary Hanafin is in India as part of the Government trade missions. When she returns you can expect the election campaign (education element) to swing into action.

But is there some frisson developing in the Minister's relations with those awkward people in the teacher unions? Apparently, Hanafin was not overly impressed with the INTO demand for further cuts class size on The Pat Kenny Show on radio over Christmas. Hanafin believes her success in securing so many extra teaching posts in the Budget should be appreciated before moving to the new frontier. But the INTO is gearing up for renewed hostilities on the issue.

Hanafin is also taking a tough line on teachers' pay in advance of the forthcoming partnership talks. Yes, teachers will get more money - but there will be plenty of strings attached.

The principal of Alexandra College in Dublin, Marian Healy, is attracting a great deal of favourable comment in education circles because of her handling of the "cyber bullying" incident.

Healy dealt with the issue in a firm but sensitive way, she also explained the school's approach very well in the media.

Cyber bullying is by no means confined to Alex pupils; it is a feature of life in many Dublin schools. Alex was unfortunate to be the school "outed" by the media, but it has emerged relatively unscathed.

All change at the CAO where Ivor Gleeson is the new CEO and Joe O'Grady is the new secretary to the board of directors. Former secretary Dr Martin Newell has retired but will remain on as an adviser.

Here's one piece of advice for the CAO - get yourselves a press/information officer - and fast. The CAO is an important component of the education story, especially at this time of year. Its material is also used to help compile school league tables, now part of the landscape. Despite this, the CAO does its media business in an ad hoc manner. The media - and the CAO itself - deserve better.

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