Fastforward 2014: change is in the air in education

1 Teacher strikes loom
As the Association of Secondary Teachers in Ireland (ASTI) hangs tough, a lot is riding on the latest ballot on a different version of the Haddington Road agreement. The executive has recommended a "no" vote and if the members vote with them (the ballot closes tomorrow), the Government has said that, supervision and substitution will become unpaid and mandatory. All told, as many as 500 post-primary schools could be facing closure.

2 Dublin Institute of Technology
(DIT) to become Ireland's first
technological university
Will 2014 be DIT's year? The institute of technology, in an alliance with IT Blanchardstown and IT Tallaght, is seeking university status and the Technological Universities Bill is due to be published in 2014. There are two other alliances: Waterford and Carlow institutes of technology in the south east, and Cork and Tralee institutes of technology in the south west. Both are bidding for university status but Minister for Education Ruairí Quinn has signalled that the Dublin bid is the clear front runner to get there first.

3 The revamped Junior Cycle –
new era or damp squib?
From September, the new Junior Cycle is being phased in with the introduction of the new English course. Many teachers like the thrust of the new Junior Cycle which is ambitious and interesting but are concerned about the limited training and in-service available. There are also very real concerns about doing away with a high-stakes State exam that's marked by outside examiners, and replacing it with in-school assessment where teachers mark their own students. How will students take to it?

4 Increased accountability
for teachers
The powers of the Teaching Council will be beefed up in an amendment to the Education Act which will make membership of the council mandatory for all teachers. The amendment will also strengthen the powers of the council to investigate claims of underperformance by teachers and to impose sanctions where necessary.

5 A problem of language
Expect a national debate on the state and place of the Irish language in education. The Chief Inspector's report released in November expressed significant concerns about the standards of teaching and learning of Irish at both primary and post-primary level and the Irish language commissioner Seán Ó Cuirreáin is stepping down due to a lack of Government support for the language. Fine Gael's election campaign pledge to abolish compulsory Irish at Leaving Cert was quietly set aside. Will 2014 see it resurrected?

6 Uniform rules and parent power
Unfortunately for fashion-conscious students hoping to turn the school corridor into a catwalk, parents who are soon to be surveyed on uniforms by the Department of Education are likely to see them as preferable to a daily battle over what to wear. The uniform survey is a precursor to one of Quinn's pet projects, the Parents' Charter, which seeks to give parents a greater role and a stronger voice in education. In other good news for parents, the Admissions to School Bill will be enacted, thus regulating enrolment policies and heralding an end to the era of the dreaded school waiting list.

7 Another free preschool year
One of the most interesting findings in the recent Pisa report was the impact that attending pre-school has on a child's academic performance as a teenager. This was especially the case for students from disadvantaged areas, with the report showing that those who had preschool education performed significantly better later on. Preschool is long-term investment but it gives the best bang for your buck. It is estimated that for every euro spent at preschool level in Ireland, society gets a return of seven. As the economy recovers, this is the kind of investment that makes sense.

8 Education, training and
apprenticeships
These are set for an overhaul. The further education and training authority Solas, is expected to publish its five-year strategy for further education and training. In addition, a review of the current system of apprenticeship is set to be published early in 2014. This will most likely kickstart a discussion about how we can make apprenticeships and training more relevant to the needs of modern apprentices and society. Expect to hear a lot of discussion about the German model of vocational education throughout.

9 Small schools
Will Quinn finally publish the long awaited value for money review on small primary schools? The review examined the viability of the 600 schools with 50 or fewer students and is expected to recommend amalgamations and closures. It's political dynamite and will give Fianna Fáil a platform on which to mobilise rural Ireland ahead of the European elections.

10 New blood
A cabinet reshuffle after the European elections will most likely see the end of the Quinn era in education. The new minister is likely to come from the Fine Gael side of the Government. It may just be the turn of Brian Hayes to step forward.