Major setback for Quinn’s ambitious reform
Ruairí Quinn’s decision to drop his plans for an eight-subject Junior Cert next year represents a setback for the Minister and his ambitious reform programme.
The question now is will there be more U-turns? The next few weeks will be critical. A raft of key reports is expected including one on third-level funding from the Higher Education Authority and the draft report from John Coolahan’s Forum on Patronage and Pluralism in primary schools. Quinn is also due to announce the final shape of proposed Junior Cert changes later this week.
Critically, Quinn must also decide on key budget issues. Should he cut the €300 million teacher substitution and supervision programme, the school building programme or school transport schemes?
Quinn faces some very difficult choices but it is the issue of third-level funding which is concentrating minds. The Minister knows he is hugely vulnerable on the issue because of that ill advised “no fees” pledge to students before the election.
Any move by Quinn to back fees will unleash a storm from the Labour grassroots and the middle class. Our guess is that Quinn will do anything to sidestep such a confrontation. With the backing of the Troika (and possibly Nama) Quinn could back a student loan scheme.
Essential listening
While RTÉ's Drivetimeshow with Mary Wilson is becoming the forum for matters of interest in the education area, The Right Hookon Newstalk and The Last Wordon Today FM are also making waves. Last week's essential listening was Hook's interview with TCD provost Paddy Prendergast and Matt Cooper's conversation with Ed Walsh.
HEA shuffle
Fun and games at the Higher Education Authority where several key board figures are due to step down shortly. These include heavy hitters like deputy chair Mary Canning, Francis Ruane of the ESRI, and Jim Ruane, chair of the audit committee. Before she left office, former minister Mary Coughlan made several appointments to the board including former Fianna Fáil mayor of Donegal, Brendan Byrne. At the time, Teachers’ Union of Ireland general secretary Peter MacMenamin expressed concern about the appointment which “smacks of opportunism of the highest order.’’
Ruairí Quinn would probably like to put some of his own people on the HEA board but with 19 members it is already top heavy. The Hunt Report proposed a slimmed down HEA board so Quinn’s room for manoeuvre is limited.
* 26The percentage of teachers in Ireland who have not received any appraisal or feedback in their schools
Got any education gossip? E-mail teacherspet@irishtimes.com or sflynn@irishtimes.com
