The plan by the Minister for Education, Mr Dempsey, for standardised tests in primary schools has unleashed a storm of protest. The INTO has expressed its fury at the lack of consultation. Many teachers fear that the initiative will place undue pressure on primary school children. There is broad concern across the education sector that some of the mistakes made in other states, notably in Britain, will be replicated in the Republic.
Mr Dempsey says he is motivated only by the literacy crisis in schools where about 10 per cent of pupils struggle at the lowest reading levels. The Department, he says, needs to have the fullest information possible on literacy and numeracy standards in order to allocate funds to those in most need. His argument is that standardised tests would give the Department the data it needs to address the problem.
But many would argue that this information already exists. A huge raft of it is already available to Department of Education inspectors from the 300-plus schools designated as disadvantaged in the primary sector. Indeed, an extensive survey of literacy levels in disadvantaged schools in all the main urban areas has begun recently. Mr Dempsey has a decent record when it comes to extracting more funds for disadvantaged students and those with learning difficulties. He would be better advised to concentrate his energies on this, instead of focusing on a testing system of dubious merit.
Mr Dempsey has already incurred the wrath of the INTO and scores of teachers with his latest initiative. After the third-level fees debacle, he is now gaining something of a reputation as an accident-prone minister who has managed to alienate many in the education sector.
Primary teachers are furious about the lack of consultation about this latest initiative. Secondary teachers are still angry over his decision to send in inspectors to check on their attendance last Christmas. Many in third-level resent cost-cutting in that sector and accuse Mr Dempsey of a lack of empathy with their needs.
Some would say it is to Mr Dempsey's credit that he has not been in thrall to the vested interests in the education sector. He certainly deserves credit for raising a series of important issues. It is to his credit that he has pushed the issue of educational disadvantage to the top of the agenda.
But he is also vulnerable to the charge that he failed to actually implement major change, while burning bridges along the way.
There is intense speculation that he will be moved in the forthcoming Cabinet reshuffle. Mr Dempsey says he is anxious to remain in Education, where several major initiatives are pending. But the latest controversy over testing, and his handling of it, may not help his case.