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  • February 11, 2025
While school progress is important, other factors must also be taken into account – The Irish Times

While school progress is important, other factors must also be taken into account – The Irish Times

The information published in today’s Irish Times lists of nutrition schools is a factor that some parents may consider when choosing a school for their child.

But it’s not the most important factor. Whether your local school sends 40 percent or 100 percent of its cohort to third level is a limited measure.

The schools with the highest progress rates are not necessarily ‘better’ in any sense of the word; sometimes they are even less creative and less inclusive.

A special feature of these lists is that they are generally much more relevant in urban and suburban areas. In large parts of Ireland, every child goes to the local or nearby school. There is no conversation or debate about the merits of single-sex or co-educational schools because, especially in more rural areas, the local community school is the only game in town.

So be sure to check out the progress rates for schools in your catchment area and beyond. But keep in mind that many other metrics are more important. Whether parents/guardians are considering a school choice or that decision has already been made, it’s worth asking some of the following questions so that both parents and students approach second level with their eyes open. We’ve collected the key factors to consider and the questions parents should ask of both the school and, where possible, the local community (bearing in mind that newcomer communities may not have access to the same network of local knowledge):

  • Extracurricular options: Not all children are particularly academic, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t as intelligent as their peers. Data shows that around a quarter of young people, regardless of their socio-economic background, do not thrive in a school system aimed at maximizing collective labor agreement points. But extracurricular opportunities make school more fun for most young people and also help create more well-rounded citizens with the kinds of skills they need to excel in life and their careers.

Questions to ask the school and the grapevine: What sports do you play? Are there charities where your students can volunteer? What projects (e.g. Young Social Entrepreneurs, BT Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition, Model United Nations) can they get involved in? Are there other social clubs, such as chess, drama, debating, that they can join?

  • School Leadership: In the Irish school system, the school principal wields enormous power. Unless there is clear incompetence or misconduct, management will generally support the client. The principal sets the tone for the entire school, so it’s really worth asking every now and then: what are they like?

Research by Maynooth University academics Dr Aedín Doris, Dr Olive Sweetman and the late Professor Donal O’Neill (all of whom have kindly contributed to various education-focused articles over the years) has shown that schools with feminine principles on average tend to do better. Of course, this isn’t a hard and fast rule, and many readers will shudder as they remember their excellent male director or bad female director, but it does seem to be one of the most consistent variables.

Questions to ask the school and local winery: Who is the director? What are they like? Do they tend to support their teachers no matter what, or do they put students first? Are they open and inclusive, or guarded and defensive?

  • Pastoral Support and Inclusion: The recent focus on phone use and social media among teens has tended to obscure the reality that high school has always been an unforgiving place for many. No child has ever been immune to mental health issues; we just have better terminology and understanding today. It may be high in The Irish Times rankings, but that is meaningless if there is no strong guidance.

A school’s inclusivity falls under this metric, and many parents/guardians will understand that a well-rounded education means their child has diversity at school, whether that be different socio-economic backgrounds, different ethnicities, different abilities or a culture that encourages young LGBT+ supports. people.

One thing worth paying attention to is whether the school offers the Leaving Cert Applied programme, which offers great opportunities for young people who may be less academic and more vocational.

Questions for the school and local community: What is your anti-bullying policy? Do you have children here with different backgrounds? What active measures do you take to support LGBT+ students, and are there any LGBT students ‘out’ at this school? What would you do if my child turned out to be LGBT?

How does the school actively enforce policies and procedures that support the health and well-being of young people?

How do you support students with additional needs, such as dyslexia, autism, ADHD or an intellectual disability?

If it is a fee-paying school, do you have a bursary program to admit young people from more disadvantaged backgrounds?

Dympna Devine, professor of education at UCD, suggests: “If my child is struggling to make friends, how would you involve him in his social development?”

  • The voice of students and parents: ‘Teacher knows best’ is an outdated idea, but it is still prevalent in many schools. It is worth looking out for schools that have more than a token student council and instead seek to meaningfully involve students in the day-to-day running of the school, as well as its strategic direction.

Many parents/guardians will decide which school their child goes to, but it would be truly remiss not to talk to the young person about what they want from a secondary school, and why. Listen to them.

Parents and guardians also need to be involved as members of the school community, rather than being treated as merely providers of ‘voluntary’ contributions.

Questions to ask the school and about the local community: How do you meaningfully involve students in school planning? Is there a mechanism to translate their ideas and thoughts into policy and action? What about parents: how do you involve us?

  • Academic education: Teacher shortages mean some schools are unable to offer the full range of subjects they would like, but parents and guardians should talk to their child about which subjects he likes in primary school. If they like science, can the school offer all science subjects? If they like languages, does the school offer a good choice of language subjects?

Pay attention to the school’s teaching and learning approach. Pay particular attention to whether the school emphasizes the word ‘learning’ rather than the word ‘teaching’; if so, this is a good sign.

It’s fine to divide students into classes based on advanced or ordinary ability, but beyond that, streaming children based on their abilities is a very poor practice and can lead to serious and long-lasting self-esteem issues that affect their influence the future.

There are not many schools left that engage in this discredited practice; If they do, their thinking is outdated and it is best if you can find another option.

Questions to ask the school and local winery: What subjects do you offer? Do you stream students? What do you expect from your students? How do you promote going to university, apprenticeships and Post Leaving Cert courses? What is your approach to teaching and learning?

Sources of information:
  • Word of mouth: Ireland is so small that the local vines encompass entire communities. Join the local WhatsApp group (if that sounds hellish, request the information you want and hit mute);
  • Whole school evaluations: These provide valuable information about the school’s leadership, management, subject provision, teaching and learning, the quality of student support and the quality of school planning and self-evaluation. You will find them on Gov.ie/en/schoolreports;
  • Open Days: These can give you an idea of ​​the school, and it’s good to go with your gut here.

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