An insider's guide to education
A new era began in Marlborough Street yesterday when Brigid McManus took over as secretary at the Department of Education.
The appointment of the 46-year-old is seen in Government circles as an opportunity to invigorate a Department which is seen, sometimes unfairly, as being too inward- looking. One senior figure explained last week how the Government wants a dynamic education department - not just a "department for teachers". That, more or less, sums up a common view in some influential circles.
The fact that only one assistant secretary in the Department - the highly regarded Martina Hanavy - applied for the top job prompted much comment in Government circles. Rightly or wrongly, this confirmed an impression in some circles that a freshening up was needed.
McManus comes to the job with a glittering CV and a huge reservoir of goodwill from across the public service. She is seen as very talented and very pragmatic. Expect some exciting times to come in Education!
Near panic at last week's Government bash for OECD education worthies at Farmleigh House when one delegate fell ill.
Someone shouted - is there a doctor in the house? Luckily, UCD boss - and ex- Harvard prof - Hugh Brady was on hand to sort things out. A full recovery is expected.
The China visit made a huge impression on all who visited. Ireland's trade mission was the lead story on national TV broadcasts. Many hard-pressed Irish universities and ITs believe they are pushing an open door when it comes to China. Expect to see Chinese students taking a huge chunk of college places by 2020.
Star performer on the trip? Most say it was a tie between Mary Hanafin and Diarmuid Hegarty, the boss of Griffith College in Dublin. Hanafin's skills are well known, but Hegarty surprised everyone by addressing delegates in near-fluent Chinese.
Surprisingly, the Chinese - who are known for their formality - also loved Hegarty's relaxed, informal style.
Congrats to TCD, which managed to secure a ranking in the Times Higher Education top 100 colleges for science and engineering worldwide.
The ranking is a tribute to TCD academics - and it also reflects the huge public investment in science and research.
• Got any education gossip? E-mail us, in confidence, at teacherspet@irish-times.ie
