Madam, - I read with dismay the exaggerated claims made by Seán Flynn for "feeder school" lists and his cynical denigration of the recently published school inspection reports (June 23rd). The feeder school lists are, he says, "acknowledged as playing a huge role in school choice" and they are "cherished by many parents".
The reality is that feeder school lists are of little value to most parents outside the main cities. Their choice of school is generally determined by convenience of location and affordability.
What benefit is it to me to know that the best school in Ireland (for results, that is) is on my doorstep, if (a) I cannot afford the fees; (b) the school operates a selective intake policy; (c) the school has only a limited number of places available; or (d) my child's educational needs are such that the achievement of points for third level is not relevant?
Furthermore, the fact that X per cent of pupils in a particular school achieve 400 or 500 or more points offers no guarantees to me that my child will score the same. Nor, indeed, should any right-minded parent view five or six years of secondary education in such a simplistic fashion.
In short, results are not as significant a determinant in school choice as Seán Flynn would have us believe. The constant harping on this single issue to the exclusion of all others does a great disservice to a system characterised by care, compassion and equity.
In addition, why do I need a league table to rank my local school when, notwithstanding the school's own endeavours to publicise its achievements, I can assess it myself by speaking to my neighbours, friends and relatives who have experience of the school and by whom the merits and deficiencies of staff and management have been observed and experienced over many years?
This type of research, which, one assumes, is the mainstay of journalistic endeavour, is cynically construed as "gossip and innuendo". To this I can now add the "honeyed words" of the inspectors.
If the issue is one of choice, then let it be recognised that the majority of parents have little choice and that the choices that are made are not exclusively driven by the search for points. Let it also be acknowledged that we are all very well served by an excellent education system which, though significantly under-resourced and under-funded, has and continues to deliver a quality education in the absence of league tables.
If the issue is more information and greater accountability, then let us have a reasoned and wide-ranging discussion on how this is to be achieved, perhaps by developing the current system of inspections, perhaps by some other method. But, please let us move beyond the narrow confines of results and league tables, the constant promotion of which serves no one but the circulation manager. - Yours, etc,
TONY O'ROURKE, Naas, Co Kildare.