Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 18 May 2004
99 Mr. Broughan asked the Minister for Education and Science the position in relation to publishing school league tables; the grounds on which he is considering a review of the blanket ban on their publication; the criteria on which new league tables published by his Department may be based; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14334/04]
View answerIt is desirable that parents and the public in general have information about schools that is meaningful, fair and fully rounded. At present this information can often be anecdotal and based on hearsay. More recently, we have seen the introduction of an unofficial form of league table based upon third level entry patterns.
The issue here is not about crude league tables based upon raw examination results. My Department does not publish raw examination results at present nor has it any intention of publishing examination results in their raw form in the future.
It is not enough to say what we are against. We must also discuss and decide what we want. For my part I want a real debate about the issue. The question at the heart of this debate is whether we want to know if a school is effective. By effective I mean are students in the school achieving to their potential? For some students this will mean high academic achievement and for others it will mean simply completing school. Let us be clear: all students are equally important and the success of the less academically able child is of equal importance.
I would like to consider if it is possible for us to have an information model which has regard to a school's contribution to the academic, pastoral and social needs of the student and also takes account of all school sponsored activities such as sport and drama.
In other words, any information model that we might use to gauge the effectiveness and quality of schools must be sufficiently sophisticated to reflect the fact that achievement in school is influenced by factors as diverse as socio-economic background, gender and ethnicity. I accept that this is a complex matter, which requires clear and open debate.
To inform the process of public debate I have asked the OECD directorate of education to provide me with comparative materials from other countries on this issue. This will provide examples of international practice in this area.
As well as the comparative analysis, I envisage that appropriate consultations on this issue will take place at a later date.
