Embedded shortcomings in the system revealed
November 5, 2013
There was good news in this report – but it will be hard to solve the problems
Parents and students are at the receiving end of the education system but their views on the services provided are only infrequently requested. So it is interesting that their views are so well represented in the chief inspector’s report on the quality and standards in teaching and learning in our primary and post-primary sectors. Previously the results of school inspection visits were kept within the Department of Education and Skills and were not issued as public documents. It was decided to revamp the inspection procedures for this latest report, changing them in the knowledge that at the end there would be a report for publication.
There was a considerable effort made to sample sentiment, given that 132,000 questionnaires were issued to parents and students at primary and post-primary level, and the results add significantly to the value of the report. It will be reassuring for the department to see relatively high percentages of “satisfactory” and “better than satisfactory” assessments across the full range of subjects. The report looked at both the teaching approaches taken but also the learning outcomes in the students. Lower performance levels were seen in maths and Irish however, evidence that our educational system needs to improve in these subject areas. The chief inspector Harold Hislop said that these results could not inform on whether the revised maths syllabus, Project Maths ,was having any impact in the classroom. There was confidence, however, that this would make a difference when the syllabus was fully implemented.
There are embedded shortcomings in the system, however, such as the fact that many teachers teaching maths are graduates of subjects other than maths or a science. This does not help when it comes to helping students with this sometimes difficult subject. Preparation It is difficult to know what to do with Irish. The report showed that far too often there was a low level of preparation for the classroom. The inspector speculated on whether having better in-class teaching materials might help bring improvements, although it is clear there are problems when almost a third of lessons at post-primary were considered unsatisfactory. The parent survey proved interesting because it revealed a communications gap between school management and parents, a point highlighted by Ruairí Quinn. At primary level only 70 per cent said their views were sought on school matters, and only 65 per cent knew about the work of the school board of management.
The gap apparently widens at post-primary where just 44 per cent of parents agreed their views were sought, with 32 per cent disagreeing and 24 per cent saying they don’t know. And the schools’ parents’ association does not seem to link with parents given only 51 per cent of parents said they were being informed, while 28 per cent disagreed and 20 per cent didn’t know.
www.irishtimes.com
10pc of lessons given in our schools are sub-standard
November 5, 2013
SERIOUS weaknesses have been found in the teaching of Irish and maths in schools.
The most comprehensive snapshot ever of quality and standards in primary and post- primary education reveals some disturbing evidence of poor practice. While it found that the majority of schools were well- managed, most teachers work effectively and the learning of students is generally satisfactory, there are significant problems in some areas. Chief schools’ inspector Harold Hislop expressed concern about the overall minimum of “10pc to 15pc of schools and lessons where less-than-satisfactory practices exist”. “Fundamentally, there are weakness in the teaching and learning of Irish in particular and, to a lesser degree, in maths, in a significant proportion of our schools,” he said.
The Chief Inspector’s Report, published for the first time, gives a detailed overview of the quality of teaching and learning, based on inspections in the majority of schools over the period 2010-12. For first time also, the report includes the views of parents and pupils on their experiences of the education system, with 65,000 students and 67,000 parents completing questionnaires. The findings on the quality of teaching and learning are based on a range of inspections carried out in half of primary schools and more than 90pc of post-primary schools. In primary schools, it found that a “very significant” 24pc of Irish lessons were less than satisfactory. In post- primary schools, teaching of Irish was “satisfactory or better” in only 72pc of classes, and in some cases teachers’ own skills in the language were deficient. Shockingly, the quality of student learning in Ireland was found to be problematic in 32pc of cases.
Moves to improve the quality of Irish teaching and learning include longer teacher training and a new strategy on numeracy and literacy in schools. Mr Hislop’s report also highlighted issues around maths teaching in post-primary schools, which have been publicised before, and which are blamed for Ireland’s disappointing showing in international student tests. Mr Hislop said it was of concern that the quality of teaching was only “satisfactory or better” in 77pc of classes and the quality of learning was less than satisfactory in 26pc of lessons.
Upskill
Efforts are under way to upskill maths teachers, where necessary, while hopes of improving national student performance are also pinned on the new Project Maths syllabus. However, inspectors also noted that the depth of mathematical understanding required to teach Project Maths was challenging for some teachers. The inspectors found a much more positive picture around the teaching and learning of English, at both primary and post-primary level. Mr Hislop said among the issues raised by the inspections are the “definite shortcomings” in approaches to planning and preparing classes, at both primary and post-primary levels. He also said there were crucial issues to be addressed about how students were assessed. “Improvements in how schools assess and monitor the learning experiences and performance of their learners and in how they use the resulting information to plan for future teaching and learning are particularly important,” he said. Education Minister Ruairi Quinn said while the report acknowledged all the good practices taking place on a daily basis in schools, it also showed a system “screaming for reform” in some areas.
www.independent.ie
If our schools scream for reform, let’s reform them
November 5, 2013
IT is hardly news to anyone that there are “weaknesses in the teaching and learning of Irish”, as pointed out by the Chief Inspector of Schools in his report for the years 2010-2012.
This is self evident from the fact that successive generations of students emerge at the end of their primary and second-level education with only a vague idea of the language and an inability to carry out a conversation in Gaeilge. More worrying perhaps is the fact that the Chief Inspector, Harold Hislop, has identified weaknesses “to a lesser” extent than Irish, in the teaching of maths and it is hoped the newly introduced Project Maths syllabus will help to eradicate some of these problems. The Chief Inspector’s report is based on visits by inspectors to over half of primary schools, and more than nine in 10 post-primary schools over the two-year period.
While his report says that a majority of schools are well managed and most teachers work effectively there are, he declares, “dimensions of education delivery that are, to varying degrees, problematic”. What this means is that “definite shortcomings in approaches to planning and preparation for students” exist in both primary and post-primary sectors. For those with school-going children this is indeed worrying. Whatever about Irish, and for many it remains an important part of our educational system and our culture in general, it is not good enough that serious deficiencies have been identified in the teaching of mathematics. This is now a subject of fundamental importance in the digital age and the Chief Inspector’s report is not the first to point out that Irish teachers and schools need to do better.
The survey also found that communication with parents is another area where schools must do better. Parents do not believe they get enough advice when it comes to the subjects their children choose for the Leaving Certificate. There is also widespread dissatisfaction at the response to the problematic area of bullying, which has become an issue of so much importance. “The picture that emerges in this report lays down challenges for everyone who works in the educational system,” concludes Mr Hislop. It is reassuring that he believes “excellence in terms of learning experience and standards can be achieved” but that does not detract from the Education Minister Ruairi Quinn’s contention that in some areas education is “screaming for reform” and maths and Irish would seem like a good starting point.
WHEN DID OUR PUBLIC SERVICE FORGET IT EXISTS TO SERVE THE PUBLIC?
www.independent.ie
Minister Quinn Launches Chief Inspector’s Report 2010-12
November 4, 2013
Standards of teaching and learning were satisfactory or better in the majority of lessons inspected
Confidential Parental Surveys show very high levels of satisfaction with schools
The Minister for Education and Skills Ruairí Quinn T.D., has today launched the Chief Inspector’s Report on quality and standards in primary and post-primary schools and centres for education. The report, which is based on inspections carried out by the Department between 2010 and 2012, found the standards of teaching and learning were satisfactory or better in the majority of lessons inspected. Chief Inspector, Dr Harold Hislop, also noted there was room for improvement in a significant minority of lessons.
For the first time the Chief Inspector’s Report includes parental surveys that show very high levels of satisfaction with schools. Some 97 per cent of the more than 47,000 parents surveyed in primary schools felt that teaching was good in their child’s school. In post-primary schools, 87 per cent of the 20,000 parents surveyed held similar views.
This report follows a period of significant reform in how school inspections are carried out since 2010. Many inspections are now unannounced and while the number of inspectors has fallen, inspections of schools have become more frequent. Confidential surveys of parents and students now also form part of all whole-school evaluations.
“The reform of inspection has led to the introduction of a range of new models of inspection including unannounced inspections, follow-up inspections and a re-modelling of whole-school evaluation,” Minister Quinn said. “The Inspectorate also gathers the views and opinions of parents and learners and I am delighted to see how these important views are reflected in the Chief Inspector’s Report.”
Minister Quinn welcomed the report’s findings. “The Chief Inspector’s Report acknowledges all the good practice that takes place on a daily basis in our schools in terms of quality leadership, management, teaching and learning. It reveals some weaknesses and points schools firmly in the direction of improvement,” he said.
“Our school system has many strengths, thanks in large measure to the efforts of so many dedicated teachers and school leaders. In the past there has been a marked reluctance to acknowledge its failings and tackle its shortcomings,” Minister Quinn said. “This report gives us the information that we need, both qualitative and quantitative to allow us to see the strengths and weaknesses in teaching, learning, management and leadership in our schools.”
Inspectors judged that 86 per cent of lessons inspected in unannounced inspections were satisfactory or better in primary schools, while 14 per cent were not satisfactory. Similar findings emerged in whole-school evaluations in post-primary schools with 87 per cent of lessons judged to be satisfactory or better and 13 per cent not satisfactory.
“Inspections provide an important external look at the work of schools,” said the Chief Inspector, “and are focused on helping each school to improve its teaching and learning. They also provide an important reassurance to parents and the public about the quality of the work of schools”, Dr Hislop added.
The Chief Inspector’s Report 2010-12 raises particular concerns about the teaching of Irish and the teaching of Mathematics.
Students’ learning was found to be less than satisfactory in almost a quarter (24 per cent) of Irish lessons in primary schools and almost a third (32 per cent) of Irish lessons in post-primary schools. The lack of a comprehensive Irish-language programme for English-medium primary schools and concerns about the Irish-language competence of teachers in a small but significant number of classrooms were among the factors noted by the Chief Inspector.
Standards in the teaching and learning of mathematics were generally good at primary level with learning satisfactory or better in 85 per cent of lessons inspected and good results for Irish students in international surveys. However, inspectors noted the lack of opportunities for primary pupils to engage in the sort of collaborative working needed for effective problem-solving.
At post-primary level, students’ learning was judged to be less than satisfactory in over a quarter of mathematics lessons (26 per cent). The Chief Inspector noted that Project Maths was being introduced during the period covered by this report to address many of the weaknesses in maths teaching. However, inspectors also noted that the depth of mathematical understanding required to teach Project Maths was challenging for some teachers.
The Chief Inspector’s Report 2010-12 also describes the “challenging” environment in which schools operated in the period 2010-12. It notes that spending on education rose from €3.218bn to €3.263bn at primary level and from €3.070bn to € 3.147bn at post-primary level, and that spending per student in 2010 was above the OECD average. Spending on supports for children with special education needs rose from €1.2bn in 2010 to €1.3bn in 2012 and now represents 15 per cent of the total budget of the Department. The report shows that student numbers rose by 5.5 per cent at primary level and by 6.3 per cent at post-primary level but that the number of teachers was relatively static. The retirement of large numbers of experienced teachers and the loss of middle management posts in schools due to the public service moratorium are also among the developments noted by the Chief Inspector.
An Triail
November 4, 2013
Fíbín presents its acclaimed version of the modern Irish classic An Triail by Mairéad Ní Ghráda for Leaving Cert students, as you’ve never seen it before, using puppets, masks and engaging visuals. November 18-22, 10.30am and 1.30pm.
www.axis-ballymun.ie.
Junior Cert Irish under review
November 4, 2013
Major reform for the Junior Certificate was announced by the Department of Education last October.
The new structure will be implemented on a phased basis from 2014 and the reformed examination will be taken for the first time in 2017.
Under the new system, students will take between 8 and 10 subjects from a wide range of traditional exam subjects and ‘short courses’ including subjects such as Chinese, Physical Education and Digital Media Literacy. Individual schools will devise a program of subjects from which students will choose.
Schools will be expected to put together a program that will develop the ability and thinking of students with subjects that meet the needs of that particular school body. It is hoped that the new Junior Certificate will see students rather than examinations at the centre of the new approach to assessment.
Irish, English and Mathematics will remain core subjects and 2016 will see Science introduced to this group.
The National Council for Curriculum and Assessment is undertaking a consultation process on the background paper for the review of Irish and submissions are invited from any interested parties on the matter.
Participants are asked to send submissions to consultation@ncca.ie or to take part in the process by filling in either a short survey or a full survey on the NCCA website by 20 December 2013.
Irish is one of the Phase 2 subjects, along with Business Studies and Science, to be introduced to first year students in the autumn of 2015 as part of the junior cycle developments. English, the only Phase 1 subject, will have been introduced the previous year. The new specification for Irish will be published in autumn, 2014, a year in advance of its introduction.
All documents relating to the consultation process are available here.
Foilsithe ar Gaelport.com
Oideachas trasteorann ag méadú ó thuaidh agus ag titim ó dheas
November 4, 2013
Extra marks for Civil Service exams in Irish abolished
November 1, 2013
A system whereby those completing Civil Service entrance exams in Irish got an extra 6 per cent added to their marks has been abolished by the Government.
At the weekly Cabinet meeting, Ministers accepted a recommendation by Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform Brendan Howlin to discontinue the bonus points system on the basis that it is an anomaly and its intention of promoting Irish speakers within the Civil Service has not worked.
The Cabinet accepted the argument that there are better means of ensuring there are civil servants and public servants with a proficiency in Irish to serve Gaeltacht areas or to work in specific areas where a good standard of Irish is necessary.
However, Mr Howlin’s department has yet to devise a specific plan to achieve this aim. It has indicated panels will be set aside for those who are fluent or proficient in Irish.
Decision criticised Conradh na Gaeilge was critical of the decision. Its president Donnchadh Ó hAodha said the abolished system had not been replaced by a satisfactory alternative.
“The new proposed system to set aside 6 per cent of recruitment panels in the Civil Service for new employees with Irish is not adequate.
“Instead of being ambitious, brave and doing the right thing, the Government is going to further weaken the service provided by the State in Irish for the Gaeltacht and Irish language speaking community.”
He questioned how the policy decision tallied with the Government’s 20-year strategy for the Irish language.
Julian de Spáinn, general secretary of Conradh na Gaeilge was also critical of the change.
“There is no doubt but that every government since the 1970s has made a mess of encouraging the Irish language in the Civil Service and providing a service of a high standard in Irish to the Gaeltacht and Irish language speaking community.”
www.irishtimes.com
Speaking with one voice
November 1, 2013
A chara, –
It was great to read about “One Voice”, various language teaching professionals co-operating toward the vision of a multilingual Irish population (Education, October 29th).
The strategy of an integrated language curriculum with Irish and English at its core and involving teaching through the medium of second and third languages as a matter of course has long been championed by Prof David Little of TCD and is certainly an idea whose time has come.
The Finnish education system is often held out as an ideal by Irish commentators a nd rightly so. The Finnish system has multilingualism at its core, rooted in early acquisition of the country’s two national languages: Finnish and Swedish.
Teacher training is key. High standards must be expected in order to be achieved. Investment is needed but even more important is the understanding that the acquisition of languages to a very high standard by teachers of those languages is a condition precedent.
We are the most gregarious people in the world. We are natural linguistics , we just don’ t know it yet.
– Is mise,
DÁITHÍ Mac CÁRTHAIGH BL,
An Leabharlann Dlí, Baile Átha Cliath 7.
www.irishtimes.com
News from East Galway
November 1, 2013
Chat Groups – Courses – Competitions – Other Opportunities
Register for online Irish courses
Gaeilge gan Stró + Gramadach gan Stró
Pay €80, get €30 back*
Info: 091-870718 / oifig@lochariach.com
Homework Clinic
Help with homework for parents of primary school children over tea and coffee in an informal setting. Every school Monday from 14.45 to 16.15 … back 11th Nov.
The Monthly Scrabble Challenge – Are you up to it?
Eolas | Info: 087 1953884 / oifig@lochariach.com
Join the next Scrabble in Irish evening in the Loughrea Hotel & Spa bar, Tuesday, 12 November, at 7.30pm. For Irish speakers, learners and those with the cúpla focal …. All interested are welcome!
Chat for Teenagers
Info: 091-870718 / oifig@lochariach.com
Chat group for secondary school students in first and second year every Wed. from 16.15 to 17.15 … homework serves as guide to the sessions but practise in speaking Irish is the primary focus … for €2 per week … back 11th Nov.
Enrolment Night for Summer Colleges in East Galway
Info: 087-3903994 / colaisteneifinn@gmail.com
Register your 12-18 year olds with Coláiste Néifinn for their Irish day colleges in Athenry and Glenamaddy next summer. Enrolment takes place in Raheen Woods Hotel, Athenry, on Wed., 6 Nov., at 18.00.
Shortstory Competition in Irish for adults
Info: Seosamh Ó Beirgin, gearrsceal@eircom.net
Organised by the Ballinasloe branch of Conradh na Gaeilge, Craobh Grealláin, for over 18s. Shortstories in Irish only. The prize is €300 … Deadline: 1 February 2014
Calendar for Irish language events in East Galway
Bilingual calendar now online. This is a platform for Irish-speaking or bilingual events hosted by the various organisations, community groups, or individuals who are actively running or involved in them. Contact the office to add an event, a club, or other: 091-870718 / oifig@lochariach.com
Fun Irish Club
Info: Ruth 091-870718 / Maura Kelly Stewart 087-2187924
The fun club for national school children, in Rang 2-6, runs on school Saturdays from 13.00 to 15.00, in Woodford. Check out the latest pictures … back on 9 Nov.
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Gaeilge Locha Riach • 3 Seanbhóthar na Gaillimhe • Baile Locha Riach, Co na Gaillimhe • Ireland
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