Ireland's Education ratings plummet, in PISA International Rankings

[Luachara]

The scores show that between 2006 and 2009 Ireland dropped from 5th to 17th place for reading literacy, from 16th to 25th place for mathematical literacy.

Our ranking in science is just 20th out of 65 participating Countries.

The Department of Education have no explanation. The changeing cultural profile of the Nation over the past years may be a contributing factor with more children who have lower skills in English in the school system.

What hope have these children of getting a job and a reasonable life when even the most able of our children will have to emigrate?

It cannot be related to a change in the ability of the children, so it must be influenced with the performance of teaching.

Of course there is also a question of emphasis, with some groups placing much more importance on learning their holy books than learning Science.

Education Matters - Ireland's Foremost Education Periodical Education Matters » PISA study results: an urgent call to action

Programme for International Student Assessment - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[ger12]

The scores show that between 2006 and 2009 Ireland dropped from 5th to 17th place for reading literacy, from 16th to 25th place for mathematical literacy.

Our ranking in science is just 20th out of 65 participating Countries.

The Department of Education have no explanation. The changeing cultural profile of the Nation over the past years may be a contributing factor with more children who have lower skills in English in the school system.

What hope have these children of getting a job and a reasonable life when even the most able of our children will have to emigrate?

It cannot be related to a change in the ability of the children, so it must be influenced with the performance of teaching.

Of course there is also a question of emphasis, with some groups placing much more importance on learning their holy books than learning Science.

Education Matters - Ireland's Foremost Education Periodical Education Matters » PISA study results: an urgent call to action

Programme for International Student Assessment - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

But I thought we had some of the best teachers in the World?

[niall78]

But I thought we had some of the best teachers in the World?

We do in a lot of cases but even they can't bridge the infrastructure gap that has developed between us and most developed countries educational systems in the last ten years.

[Luachara]

Moving down the internatioanl league does not bode well for our economic future. This is a major problem that is not getting enough attention.

[alloverbartheshouting]

A thread was already started on this a while back and this is what I posted at that time. It has been slightly edited.


I'm a primary school teacher who works 40+ hours a week within the school, as well as assessment and planning work at home during weekends. I don't begrudge this, as this is my profession and I am proud of it. Due to cutbacks, I earn a little more than €500 per week, but again, don't complain because I have a permanent job and one that I love and am privileged to have.

So, to prevent (or to indeed exacerbate) levels of teacher bashing - a much beloved activity here - these are my insights into the reasons for current literacy and numeracy levels:

1) The OECD PISA reports that assess literacy and numeracy levels have been collated since 2000, so most posters here can't rest on their laurels because this was not tracked globally prior to this. Furthermore, it tracks the median and not the average. Take into account the number of non-Irish nationals and educationally disadvantaged 15-year-old students surveyed in this internationally standardised test and this automatically throws up issues. For example, in Ireland, we do not traditionally assess via multiple choice, as PISA does. So, do we completely reject the traditional Leaving Cert model and move towards SATs or International Bacc?

2) Schools are increasingly being asked to do parents' jobs for them. Children getting obese? Well then, let's waste time in the already packed school day to take part in Food Dudes (getting children to eat more fruit and veg). Children with bad teeth? Lets all get on board an initiative to show how to maintain oral hygiene. Careless young drivers? Schools spend time on road safety programmes. Swine flu? Again, get the teachers to teach children how to wash their hands.

3) Parents are working (well, were anyway) harder than ever before, and not spending the same quality time with their children. After a hard day's work, who has the energy to spend time reading or having a conversation with their child, never mind actively engaging with their school work? after all, this is what parents did 20 years ago.

4) More access to computer games and social media meas that children are actually less capable than before of concentrating for sustained periods of directed and independent work and study (fact - Harvard Graduate School of Education).

5) And finally, why would a child from an educationally disadvantaged background even bother? Thanks to Bertie and his every-increasing Social Welfare handouts, they have witnessed their parents get everything they need (housing, money, medical cards, etc) from the State and an education only means having to actually achieve for oneself. I work in a DEIS Band-1 school, and have had had the heart-break of seeing bright capable pupils scoff at third-level education as the potential it provides was not deemed worthwhile in comparison with the perceived benefits of life on the dole. And I can't blame them - many of my pupils came from homes where no-one worked yet where cars, two foreign holidays a year, flat-screen TVs, etc, were the norm. Sure why would anyone bother being motivated to work towards a Leaving Cert and a third-level qualification when all of the above was on offer? Sometimes I was made feel like an eejit by parents (who had a terrible school experience, it must be said) for having done so.

But hey, that's just my opinion.

[Sister Mercedes]

We do in a lot of cases but even they can't bridge the infrastructure gap that has developed between us and most developed countries educational systems in the last ten years.

Because we've spent the money on teachers pay and pensions instead of on educational infrastructure?

[Luachara]

We do in a lot of cases but even they can't bridge the infrastructure gap that has developed between us and most developed countries educational systems in the last ten years.

What infrastructure gap?

The reality is we did not put in enough resources to deal with the tens of thousands of immigrant children to give them a grounding in english. We are asking such children to learn Irish.

[Con Gallagher]

There are probably many reasons for this, I speculate on the following:
Poor morale amongst teachers
Poor teachers not being pensioned off/dismissed
Over emphasis on religion in teacher training and so less time is devoted to maths
Children of emigrants who do not speak English or Irish at home
Parents being under more pressure and so have less time to oversee homework and liaise with teachers
The return of larger classes
Cuts to SNA's and other supports
The overuse of text speak by Irish children
Poor quality tv.

The situation is unlikely to improve over the next decade.

[linny55]

The scores show that between 2006 and 2009 Ireland dropped from 5th to 17th place for reading literacy, from 16th to 25th place for mathematical literacy.

Our ranking in science is just 20th out of 65 participating Countries.

The Department of Education have no explanation. The changeing cultural profile of the Nation over the past years may be a contributing factor with more children who have lower skills in English in the school system.

What hope have these children of getting a job and a reasonable life when even the most able of our children will have to emigrate?

It cannot be related to a change in the ability of the children, so it must be influenced with the performance of teaching.

Of course there is also a question of emphasis, with some groups placing much more importance on learning their holy books than learning Science.

Education Matters - Ireland's Foremost Education Periodical Education Matters » PISA study results: an urgent call to action

Programme for International Student Assessment - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

What a load of BolloX .

[ger12]

We do in a lot of cases but even they can't bridge the infrastructure gap that has developed between us and most developed countries educational systems in the last ten years.

We pay our teachers above the OECD average

Teachers paid above OECD average - The Irish Times - Tue, Sep 13, 2011

yet we spend below the OECD average on education

OECD highlights poor Irish education spending - RT News