Ciarán Cannon (Galway East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I too welcome the publication of the chief inspector's report for the years 2010 to 2012 and thank the Deputy for giving me the opportunity to discuss its publication. The report gives an objective, honest account of the quality of education in primary schools, second-level schools and centres for education. It found that the standards of teaching and learning were satisfactory or better in the majority of lessons inspected. The chief inspector noted there was room for improvement in a significant minority of lessons.

For the first time, the report includes surveys from parents and students which show high levels of satisfaction with primary and post-primary schools. Some 97% of primary parents were very satisfied with schools, while 87% of post-primary parents expressed the same view. The report acknowledges all the good practice that takes place on a daily basis in schools in terms of quality leadership, management, teaching and learning. It also reveals some weaknesses and points schools firmly in the direction of improvement.

The Minister for Education and Skills has made it a priority to strive for a top-class education system. The Deputy is fully aware of the many reforms introduced since the Minister took office, including his support for the reform of school inspections, follow-up inspections and a remodelling of whole-school evaluation. All of these changes have a common purpose, to improve the life chances of all young people through improving fundamentally the education we provide for them. In these challenging times no country can afford to rest on its laurels or bask in past glories. For years we heard that we had one of the best education systems in the world and tended to accept that accolade uncritically. We are now developing a more nuanced and realistic picture of the education system, which is welcome.

This is not to say that we have a bad system. It has many strengths, thanks in large measure to the efforts of so many dedicated teachers and school leaders, but there has been a marked reluctance to acknowledge its failings and tackle its shortcomings. Quality assurance is a core element in guaranteeing the sort of educational experience we want. It is only through reflection on the strengths and weaknesses in our system and in our individual schools and centres for education that we can truly improve.

This quality assurance has to have both internal and external elements. For this reason, the Minister has introduced school self-evaluation into our system. The inspectorate has led this development and continues to support schools in their engagement with this important process of self-improvement. The chief inspector's report documents the ambitious programme of reform of the inspection of schools that has taken place in the past three to four years. These changes have been informed by best national and international practice. We now have a range of new models of inspection at primary and post-primary level, including incidental inspections, follow-through inspections and a remodelling of whole-school evaluation. The inspectorate has also developed systems to gather the voices and opinions of parents and learners and these very important voices are reflected in the chief inspector's report. The report gives us the information we need to allow us to see the strengths and weaknesses in teaching and learning, educational provision and the management and leadership in our schools. However, it does not do this in a vacuum. It describes the complex demographic, financial and organisational challenges that all of us in the political and educational system have faced in the past three years. This is the context in which schools, inspectors and the Department of Education and Skills had to work in the 2010 to 2012 period.

The Deputy raised two issues in particular, one with regard to the teaching of Irish. As he pointed out, the inspectors found there were some concerns with Irish at primary and post-primary level. We are tackling the issues highlighted in the report. The Minister has asked the Teaching Council to work with teacher education institutions to raise standards generally among Irish teachers which will certainly help in this regard. He has also asked the NCCA to revise the Irish curriculum at primary and post-primary level and he has located COGG and the NCCA together so the development of materials to support the curriculum will take place at the same time as the development of the curriculum itself.

The Deputy also raised the weaknesses in maths, which confirm the real need for fundamental change in the curriculum and in the teaching of the subject. These changes are under way in project maths, as the Deputy is aware. The Minister has also made available postgraduate courses for teachers to enable them to upskill in their understanding of maths and its teaching in the future.

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