No fair-minded person could argue that the lists of feeder schools, published in a supplement with today's edition, provide a full or rounded picture of how a school is performing. They do not allow for the social context in which each school is operating and they give no credit for excellence in areas like drama and sport.
But the lists are not without value. Many parents will examine them closely in the coming weeks, using the lists to help them select a school for their son or daughter - a critical decision in the life of any parent. Most sensible parents will choose a school where their child will have an opportunity to develop his or her social, sporting and other skills. But they also want some reassurance that their children will achieve their academic potential. The feeder lists provide some information which can be of use in making this decision.
Little other information on schools is available to parents. At present, the choice of school is often based on rumour and speculation in a local area, much of it unfair to schools and their teachers. In keeping with the spirit of the Education Act, schools should readily give information about exam results to parents, but many seem very reluctant to do so. In recent years, some fee-paying schools - like Blackrock College and St Columba's College in Dublin and Cistercian College in Co Tipperary - have posted details of their exam results on school websites but they remain in a small minority.
Minister for Education Mary Hanafin has acknowledged the existence of an information vacuum. The "provision of adequate information on schools is one of the challenges facing us in the Irish education system", she says. There appears to be an insatiable appetite among the public for information on schools. Last year, a comprehensive Department of Education opinion poll showed huge public support for more information. Over 75 per cent say information about the numbers from a school who proceed to third level should be publicly available.
The Minister hopes the publication of school inspectors' reports from next year will fill the information vacuum. These reports will give a general overview of how a school is performing, while steering clear of contentious issues such as exam results and teacher performance. The reports should help to fill the information vacuum. But they seem unlikely to quell the huge public demand for still more information on schools.
The lists published today also feature a table detailing special needs provision in Dublin schools. Broadly, they show that provision is concentrated in poorer and disadvantaged areas. The lists raise serious questions about the enrolment policies of some schools. Many fee-paying schools, for example, operate an admissions policy which can marginalise pupils with poor academic standards and/or special needs. To her credit, Ms Hanafin has been critical of these schools. As yet, she has given no signal of the action she intends to take on this issue.