Sir, - Your Editorial of January 25th encouraging secondary teachers to "embrace" performance-related pay and "modern management techniques" has set me thinking. I am a secondary teacher of English, drama and media studies. I produce nothing and, apart from when I'm in drama class, I don't perform - at least not in the way your Editorial seems to suggest. However, I am being constantly assessed.
Since reading that Editorial, I have, among other things, elucidated the difference between argument, persuasion and reference; explored the usefulness of the adjective and adverb; played the "Mental-English game" (trying to get my young students to compose four successful sentences in their heads and speak them without notes and without using aaas and emmms); I have also attempted to explain, with summary notes, how best to read photographs; and I have brought a small group to see The Tempest in the Abbey Theatre. And, since the publication of your Editorial, I've spoken, individually, with 12 parents. I repeat: I produced nothing, neither did I perform in any way that might contribute tangibly to the growth of fodder - or live bait - for the great Tiger. If I did, it was purely by chance.
I see myself as a teacher - one who attempts to "lead or draw out" the potential of students as they live among their peer group, family and community. I wasn't trained to "perform" for money, neither do I want to. I teach and, hopefully, educate; and I get paid for this. I don't perform or make a product.
Should I be changing my attitude in this brave new world of "modern management techniques"? What is a modern management technique anyway precisely? Does my school have one? Where can I go to see one in action - performing and producing? Can it improve the standard of a pupil's education?
In short, what baffles me about this new vision for education is that no one has quite explained to me where it has come from. Who/what (a name, a committee) has dreamed it up? What is its philosophical basis for change? And why am I being constantly reminded that we've got the best education system in Europe, yet, some of those same voices are crying out for "modern management", "productivity", "performance." Why? What is this performance? Show me. Explain it to me? Will all this talk of "performance management programme" transform education? Or is for the sake of the market? Or simply just a notion conjured up over a good dinner?
Of course, all this is very different from teachers embracing syllabus, assessment and learning change: as far as I can see we've done it, are doing it, will continue to do it. - Yours, etc., Edward Denniston,
Waterford.