Education: The appointment of Ms Mary Hanafin as Minister for Education and Science is certain to be welcomed by most teachers. A former Irish and history teacher at Dominican College, Sion Hill, Blackrock, Co Dublin, the new education minister is said to have a natural empathy with the teaching community.
Ms Hanafin's appointment is in keeping with the general thrust of Cabinet changes which is to show a softer, gentler face to the public. Her predecessor, Mr Noel Dempsey revelled in his profile as a tough, uncompromising figure who was ready to confront vested interests. By contrast, Ms Hanafin is likely to be less controversial, some would say less provocative, than her predecessor.
For all that, the new Minister on her elevation to Cabinet will be anxious to achieve real change in the two or so years to the next election. One senior figure welcomed her appointment last night: "I think she will be very, very good. She is talented and clever and she will have the ability to bring people with her."
If Ms Hanafin takes a cue from her two predecessors in Marlborough Street (Mr Dempsey and Dr Michael Woods), she will declare the issue of educational disadvantage as her main priority. She will be assisted by a detailed internal report - commissioned by Mr Dempsey but still unpublished - on the Department's effectiveness in tackling the issue.
The report is critical of the lack of co-ordination between the various initiatives targeting the disadvantaged. One of Ms Hanafin's first task will be to respond to what is in the report.
There is much to be done in the area. Two recent reports shocked officials in the Department. One showed how almost 30 per cent of children in disadvantaged areas suffer from severe literacy problems; the other highlighted how a quarter of students in these areas are absent from school for more than 20 days a year.
The most politically sensitive area for the new minister will probably be the issue of dilapidated school buildings. Mr Dempsey had much success in securing an unprecedented €200 million a year for primary schools, but any publicity about Third World conditions in any school can be disastrous for an education minister.
The other priorities at primary level will be to increase overall funding to the sector - which still lags well behind the OECD average - and to decrease class size. The INTO, a powerful force in primary education, will also be highlighting special needs provision and the pressing need for early childhood education.
At second level, Ms Hanafin faces some awkward tasks including
What to do about the proposed reforms of the Leaving Cert which would see a drift towards continuous assessment;
What to do about school league tables? Mr Dempsey has said the current ban creates an information vacuum;
What to do about the drift from public education towards private fee-paying schools and grind schools. Ms Hanafin's former school, Sion Hill, is one of many public schools facing a sharp decline in pupil numbers - despite a strong local reputation.
At third-level, she does not even have to invent an agenda. The 80-page OECD review on third-level, just published, provides a template for change.
Ms Hanafin is likely to take a considerable interest in the key area of scientific research. She is likely to forge a partnership on this issue with the new Enterprise and Employment, Minister, Mr Martin, himself a former education minister.
