In an article in today's edition, the Minister for Education and Science, Mr Dempsey, makes the case for the release of more information on school performance. The ban on league tables, he says, has created an information vacuum.
It is no longer enough, he writes, to make trite comments about the detrimental impact of such ratings. The challenge is to present parents with rounded, meaningful information about the totality of a school's effectiveness.
When league tables were banned originally, parents were reassured that the information they required would be freely available from schools. Many principals are happy to provide data on exam results and other important aspects of academic life. But there is also a culture of secrecy within the second-level system which can create difficulties for parents.
Entrusting a son or daughter to a particular school is one of the key choices made by parents. Every mother, father and guardian will want to do the best for their children by placing them in a school which gives them the best opportunity to fulfil their academic, social, sporting and cultural potential.
Arguably, many of the key decisions in this regard are made on the basis of rumour, gossip and innuendo. Certain schools are unfairly categorised as being "in decline". Others, largely on the basis of local gossip, are said to be "on the up".
Critics argue that the publication of league tables could have an adverse impact on schools in disadvantaged areas. But few would argue that the present situation is ideal - where the full extent of the literacy and related problems in many of these areas is hidden from the public. Publication of the facts would expose the extent of the problem and make a powerful case for much greater State investment and intervention.
League tables might also boost "free" State-run schools, where there are now more than 20,000 vacant places in the Dublin area alone. Exposure of their strong performance might halt the drift towards private fee-paying and grind schools.
That said, it is important that parents are presented with a rounded picture of exam results and other data which takes full account of a school's social background. Most sensible parents are not solely interested in exam results. They want to know about the ethos of and the extra-curricular activities in a school and how their child will be helped to develop socially.
Not everything done in schools is measurable but it cannot be beyond the wit of Government to frame a sensible new policy which will give meaningful and balanced information to parents. As the Minister writes, the challenge is to provide information about "school effectiveness across a complex range of a school's activities". The current situation, where very little information is made available to parents through official channels, is unsustainable.