Education debacle is a depressing spectacle
However, the level of excitement this week has surpassed anything seen to date. We witnessed the unedifying spectacle of the democratically elected and appointed minister for education being treated to ignorant behaviour by people you would expect to know better.
One of the often cited problems in modern society is the lack of respect that young people in particular show to authority. Teachers now tell horrific stories of the manner in which some students behave in class. At best it is symptomatic of a lack of respect, and at worst it is indicative of a brand of anarchy that is increasingly permeating society.
However, if the forces of law and order or teachers want to command respect, then they should behave accordingly and lead by example. Recent revelations with regard to the behaviour of some members of the gardaí have not done much to promote respect; but the behaviour of a minority of teachers at some of this week’s teacher conferences has plumbed new depths.
The notion that the minister would not be allowed express his views without being jeered or shouted at using a megaphone is difficult to understand or condone. Regardless of whether or not we agree with the views expressed by a person, everybody should be free to express their views and to be listened to in a civilised society.
A minority of teachers certainly did not afford the minister that courtesy this week and behaved in a despicable fashion. The example it sets for young people is not becoming for teachers whose objective is to help prepare our young people for life.
I would love to see the reaction of those teachers next Monday morning if students jeered, shouted and used a megaphone to drown out their message.
While the teachers who behaved so ignorantly and despicably deserve whatever treatment they might now get in the classroom, it does make life very difficult for the majority of teachers who understand how to behave in a civilised fashion.
It is very unfortunate that the only thing many people will remember from this week’s conferences will be the megaphone and other ignorant behaviour because a lot of very important propositions were being put forward by the minister.
These include the reform of the Junior Cert; the whole question of patronage of schools; the notion that honours maths should be an entry requirement for primary teaching and many other issues besides. These issues deserve proper public debate.
The minister is trying to rush through questionable reform of the Junior Cert without providing anything like enough training for affected teachers. The patronage question has become a crusading issue for a minister who is probably approaching the end of his political career and is trying to create a Donagh O’Malley-type legacy. And education funding is being curtailed and teachers doing the same job are being paid different rates. Morale in the profession is dangerously low in my experience.
All of these issues and more deserve to be debated in public. While the teachers who behaved as they did this week deserve massive criticism, it also strikes me that the minister himself is intent on pushing through his reforms without anything approaching proper consultation and discussion.
Teachers, Mr Quinn, and the rest of us should remember the quality of our education will determine our success or failure as an economy and as a society. Consequently, it needs to be treated with more respect and consideration than is currently the case.
All in all, this has been a very depressing week for anybody with the remotest interest in education.
