Renew the spirit of real ambition - Free education anniversary

THE introduction of free second-level education was one of the most transformative, if not the most transformative, initiatives ever introduced by an Irish politician. Two simple statistics support that view, though there are many other factors. While this island was still part of the United Kingdom just 6% of the population went beyond national school.

Today, we have one of the highest participation rates in third-level education in the world. Those opposites are neatly bisected by the formal 1966 introduction to the Dáil — 50 years ago tomorrow — of Fianna Fáil minister Donogh O’Malley’s free education scheme.

That scheme was essential because early political efforts to develop second-level education were opposed by the Catholic hierarchy who saw any challenge to their schools as a threat to their authority. A radical, brave initiative was required. There are many issues to be resolved in our education system — school patronage, the mandatory status afforded to Irish, grade inflation, pupil-teacher ratios, curriculum development and third level funding. Each of these issues is challenging though not in any way as limiting as the conservative opposition faced by education ministers in earlier decades.