Schools shone as a beacon of hope in our lost decade

IN 2013 the much-respected Constitutional Convention recommended that the voting age in Ireland should be lowered to 16. It was a radical proposal but surprisingly the Fine Gael-Labour government agreed it should be put to a referendum of the people – all over 18 of course. There have been four amendments to the Constitution put to the Irish people since 2013 but not a whisper has been heard since about lowering the voting age.

I believe it is now time not only to restructure this proposal but to wholeheartedly support it. This, I am convinced, is the only way we can get education back on the national agenda. During the recession, spending per pupil in education dropped by 7% while in other countries in Europe the spending has actually gone up by 8%!

For the last three months I have been travelling around the country visiting schools and colleges making a TV documentary for RTÉ called The Classroom Divide.

The pillars of Irish society – health, housing, water and the gardaí – all have been mired in scandal, mismanagement and dysfunction over the last decade. But education has stood out as a scandal-free beacon of hope during the ‘lost decade’.

I was struck by the number of school principals who made a conscious decision in 2008 to maintain their schools as ‘a bubble of hope’. They battled on with reduced state funds – relying even more on socalled voluntary contributions from parents.

Today more than 90% of Irish students finish second-level education – just one off the top in the OECD and way above the European average. Unfortunately access to thirdlevel education is still a postcode lottery. Yes it has improved since I went to Trinity College Dublin in 1977 when a young person from Mount Merrion was 44 times more likely to end up in third-level than someone from Ballyfermot.

But I am convinced that education, more so than any other aspect of Irish society, has the ability to challenge, change and reduce inequality – lifting everybody.

Better education means better health, housing, wages, and above all a better society. Allowing people to fulfil their potential is surely one of the main functions of society.

But it will only happen if education returns, front and centre, on the national agenda. There are many fantastic, creative schools led by brilliant teachers thriving throughout the country – they never hit the headlines. Schools have embraced the new Ireland with gusto – the arrival of new cultures and nationalities is seen as adding to the rich tapestry of education rather than a burden.

Lowering the voting age to 16 would mean that education would be back on top of the national agenda. Can anyone remember any single education issue that featured in the 2016 General Election? The only time education has featured is when cuts were being announced. Shamefully it is the only area of Irish life where the State has institutionalised paying teachers differently for doing the exact same job.

I hope those who see tomorrow’s programme, at 9.35pm on RTÉ One, will be able to identify the problems in Irish education but more so will be energised to restore our schools and colleges to their rightful place at the heart of a decent hopeful society. At last, some good news.