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

As I mentioned earlier, the league tables published present a very inaccurate and unhelpful view of schools in that they provide information on only one aspect of school performance. I would encourage parents to look at school inspection reports, which are available on the Department's website and provide a far fuller, accurate and holistic view of what is happening in the individual school environment.

The Minister is currently prioritising reform of the entry system to higher education in an effort to reduce the negative backwash of the current system on teaching and learning in schools. These measures, combined with the alternative sources of information about schools available to parents, will negate the need or relevance of the type of league tables published to date. The central point made by the Deputy has been addressed by the Minister, Deputy Quinn, in the past two budgets by way of a considerable increase in the pupil-teacher ratio for private schools.

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