Noel Dempsey (Meath, Fianna Fail)

I welcome the Deputy's acceptance of the net point. Most people in education agree on steering clear of only using examination results as a measure of a school's performance. The purpose of the scheme is to recognise schools that do what they are supposed to, taking into account all the circumstances mentioned by the Deputy, and provide maximum information so that parents and students are enabled to make well informed choices regarding schooling. The scheme will not provide that because a school fulfils its role in producing well rounded, successful students, it should be hammered and allocated less money.

The Deputy referred to a number of factors that might be taken into account. While I have not put forward a policy document, I have initiated a debate on this issue but a number of issues raised by the Deputy will be considered, including the socio-economic background of students, the facilities available, extracurricular activities and other provisions that are not currently academically measured. These are value-added measures.

I do not like using the phrase "league tables" because it is shorthand and conveys the wrong meaning. However, I would like to ensure, taking all factors into account, that we have a reasonable picture of how well a school is doing and, in cases where they are not doing as well as they should, the Department could assist them to raise their standards.

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