An insider's guide to education:
- The strangely low-profile departure of economist Jim O'Leary from the benchmarking body is probably good news for teachers. TP hears reports that Jim - a strident critic of excess public spending - was nonplussed by the prospect of teachers pocketing a big bag of money from the process.
Most now believe that teachers will pocket something in the 10 to 15 per cent range. But guess what? Even this might not be enough to cool the hotheads in the ASTI and their friends in the TUI.
- Now that the election gun has been fired, TP's mind returns to a topic which is of compelling interest to readers: who will be the next Minister for Education?
TP has already predicted great things for Mary Hanafin and Brian Lenihan. But now comes news that another hat is in the ring. Stand up Mary O'Rourke, FF grandee and a former education minister. A mid-ranking portfolio like education might be just the ticket for Mary, aka "Mammy".
TP simply does not believe any of this. Politicians don't return to Marlborough Street - one spin on the merry-go- round is usually enough. But why is the word being dropped in TP's ear?
Incidentally, TP believes Bernadine will confound the sceptics and win a Seanad seat. His advice: if Paddy Power is offering decent odds, have a punt!
- Those revelations in this newspaper about how US billionaire Chuck Feeney is helping to bankroll our universities is the talk of the town. TP notes with interest how DCU has, in recent years, cleaned up at the Court of Chuck. All credit then to president Ferdinand for his success in rasing all this loot - although ex-president Danny O'Hare deserves credit for setting the wheels in motion.
Not content with cleaning up with Chuck, DCU also has the loot rolling in from Sir Anthony O'Reilly, who has chipped in a small fortune to build the new library. With all this money sloshing around, how come many primary schools still have leaky roofs and lousy accommodation?
- Got any education gossip? You can e-mail TP on teacherspet@irish-times.ie
