The Department of Education has alerted the new Minister to falling standards in literacy and numeracy - and it has also made the case for radical reform of the Junior and Leaving cert exams.
In a briefing document for Minister for Education, Ruairí Quinn, the Department’s senior officials say recent OECD results and reports from its own Inspectorate have “indicated that standards in these areas were under threat.’’
On the exams, the officials writer: ‘One of the significant concerns about post primary education is the extent to which rote learning and learning for examinations is dominating at the expense of critical thinking skills, developing self learning approaches and ability to apply scientific and mathematical skills. ’
The briefing says revision of the English curriculum at the primary and junior cycle phases, to make more explicit the levels of attainment required at various stages, and more standardised assessments in primary and post primary schools are also key objectives.
The briefing also underlines the “considerable challenge’’ facing Mr Quinn as he seeks to provide the same range of services when Exchequer resources are under pressure - and school numbers rising.
The briefing says: “Even assuming zero net migration, it is expected that, in 2020/21, enrolment will increase to 546,000 at primary level from 505,998 currently (2009/2010); 349,000 at second level from 312,159 currently, and 215,000 at Higher level from 156,785 currently. This increase will continue to place considerable pressure on places and funding, according to the briefing.
Officials also say the level of allocation in the schools’ capital budget for the year 2012-14 is very tight. It advises: “The key issue will be the need to prioritise within major capital works. Given the demographic increases that are on the way, there is a continuing need to ensure that there is investment in school buildings to ensure that the demographic needs are addressed.
For example, at primary level the expected increase of about 57,400 pupils by 2018 could necessitate the provision of up to 2,050 additional classrooms if all the pupils could not be accommodated in existing schools.
Similarly the projected increased pupil numbers at post-primary level between now and 2016 of 16,500 pupils. In addition, there is an expected increase of nearly 50,000 post-primary pupils between 2016 and 2025.
On higher education, the briefing predicts a further 72 per cent growth in demand to 2030.
It warns: “If we wish to maintain the current levels of funding per student, annual recurrent funding which stands at €1.3bn would need to increase to €1.8bn by 2020 and to €2.25bn by 2030 at current prices.
Ireland now faces a stark choice: either growth in the system is curtailed and student numbers contained in order to retain stability; or there is a significant increase in funding for higher education, either through Exchequer sources or through a significant new funding source to augment the Exchequer contribution.
Otherwise the expenditure per student, which is already in sharp decline, will reduce to unsustainable levels, with inevitable adverse consequences on the quality of the education experienced by students and to the detriment of Ireland’s reputation as a country with a highly skilled workforce and high quality graduates.’’
The paper also hints at great involvement by the private sector in third level funding.