Education blueprint for future success

EDUCATION is the guarantor of our future success as both a nation and an economy. To alleviate our deficit of infrastructure within education we must empower local communities to avail of local funding and building expertise to enable them to build their own schools or extensions/refurbishments.

We should reward teachers who work hard and achieve results for their pupils and, by extension, their school and community.

Performance-related pay would take into account regional and socio-economic factors and recognise that success can be relative any improvement above a particular school's baseline will be rewarded.

League tables should be compiled, but only used to compare like with like.

Early detection and intervention of learning difficulties must become the norm.

Parents must be responsible for their children's behaviour. Consistent bad behaviour related to lack of discipline will result in financial sanctions for parents, which can offset the price of new services, such as a classroom assistant.

The leaving certificate would be well served by continuous assessment, instilling responsibility and preparing students for third-level education.

Irish should not be compulsory. A European language and civic, social and political education or history should be compulsory up to leaving cert so we begin to produce citizens in our society not mere spectators.

Sean McKiernan (Jnr),

Virginia Road,

Bailieborough,

Co Cavan.