An insider's guide to education.

With the election now looking certain for April/May, The Good Doctor Woods is clearing the in-tray and about to head out into the constituency to fight his eighth election. Amazingly, he still begins the day with a clinic in his home, five mornings of the week.

The rumour mill says he has an eye on the job of Ceann Comhairle but, even at 65, he could find himself confounding the doubters yet again.

What will be his legacy in education? Okay, he is not exactly an all-singing all-dancing Minister, but he has reformed the Department and seen off the ASTI to boot.

Now, if it weren't for the Sinnott case . . .

More bad news for embattled TUI boss Jim Dorney. It is Dorney's misfortune to be head of a union often dubbed "USI for grown-ups".

When it comes to internecine feuding, these guys take the biscuit. No wonder The Sopranos is the most popular TV show in their plush Rathgar HQ.

The latest feud is turning out to be the race for the position of vice-president, with the uncompromising union activist Paddy Healy making the running.

Healy is an avowed opponent of benchmarking and not thought to be on Dorney's Christmas-card list.

If he wins, expect these two gentlemen to make uneasy bedfellows.

Remember how the governing body at DIT was discussing the serious issue of how to get the lift working at a recent governing body meeting? Bad news - the virus is spreading.

Word reaches TP that the good people in Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology had a very heated (ouch!) discussion about a hot-water boiler that had gone on the blink. Who says there are no big issues these days in education? However full marks to Galway-Mayo IT who have supplied the media with FOI material, promptly and without charge.

TP is a very sceptical fellow but - even allowing for this - he was very impressed with the performance of education top gun John Dennehy at the Public Accounts Committee last week. Dennehy showed all the guile and experience one might expect from a Kerryman who has worked his way from school principal to secretary general of the Department. Even Pat Rabbitte could not land a punch on Dennehy as he ranged effortlessly across the whole education agenda.

No wonder the politicos love this guy!

You can share some eduction gossip by e-mailing TP at teacherspet@irish-times.ie