Charlie McConalogue (Donegal North East, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Last Monday the chief inspector's report for the period 2010 to 2012 was published. As Fianna Fáil's spokesperson on education, I was happy to see that the report was predominantly positive. I compliment the chief inspector, Mr. Harold Hislop, on the report which contains significant detail and is based on the findings of announced and unannounced inspections. I also compliment the inspectorate on increasing the frequency of inspections in recent years.

The report includes assessments after announced and unannounced inspections by staff from the Department of Education and Skills. It found that standards of teaching and learning were satisfactory or better in the majority of lessons; parental surveys showed high levels of satisfaction - 97% - with primary schools; and standards of teaching and learning were satisfactory or better in the majority of lessons inspected. Some 86% of lessons inspected in unannounced inspections were satisfactory or better in primary schools.

In complimenting the inspectorate on this report it is clear the findings mean that we must also compliment those who work at the coalface in schools and teaching staff and I am happy to do so. However - I suppose there is always a "however" - the report points to unsatisfactory quality standards in the teaching of Irish and maths in schools. In regard to the teaching of Irish in primary schools, the findings are significantly less positive than those for the teaching of English or mathematics. During the years 2010 to 2012 inspectors reported that the quality of Irish teaching was problematic in one fifth of the lessons inspected during incidental inspections and that the quality of pupils' learning of the language was problematic in approximately one quarter of lessons.

While many inspectors involved in whole-school evaluations commended the commitment and efforts of teachers to teach Irish, they also found that learning outcomes were disappointing. Inspectors judged that the teaching of Irish was satisfactory or better in 80% of lessons observed during incidental inspections. They also reported that the quality of pupils' learning outcomes was satisfactory in 76% of the lessons evaluated. Inspectors noted that assessment practices were not satisfactory in more than one third of Irish lessons evaluated between 2010 and 2012. These findings point to the need for critical numbers of primary schools to make planned, systematic provision for assessing pupils' learning of the main Irish language skills. At post-primary level, things were less satisfactory, with approximately one third of Irish lessons ranked as unsatisfactory.

With regard to the teaching of maths, findings from 124 subject inspection reports in secondary schools between 2010 and 2012 indicated that while schools generally strove to engender a positive attitude towards mathematics among their students, in a considerable number of schools there were problems with the teaching, learning,

assessment of and planning for maths classes. In a significant minority of schools, 20%, deficiencies in planning and preparation in the teaching of mathematics were evident, particularly with regard to planning for the use of resources in lessons and planning for the assessment of students' learning. Inspectors found that student learning was inadequate in more than one quarter of the lessons they had observed during subject inspections.

While there is much that is positive in the inspector's report and much to be commended, weaknesses were highlighted in these two specific areas, Irish at primary and post-primary level and mathematics at post-primary level. What actions does the Minister intend to take to deal with the shortcomings identified in the report?

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