The problem of education

I've been thinking about the problem of the teaching profession in Ireland because of all the teachers union conferences recently.
I'm not going to pretend to understand the full career requirements or motivations of people to choose teaching over another profession; but I think that it is an important area of ambiguity that needs to be addressed.

From my point of view the benefits and positives of being a teacher are:

•     Stable employment once your are taken on full time
•     Opportunity to work with young people
•     Opportunity to shape and direct young adults
•     Able  to focus on a subject that you have some interest in
•     Long holidays
•     Tenure (where you are full time)

The negatives (for me) would be:

•     Putting up with disruptive kids
•     Repetitive nature of the material
•     Lack of direction in terms of career development.

I want to focus on the last one for the moment as its probably the one I know least about.
How does a teacher progress? I assume that you start off on an entry grade and over time maybe you teach higher level classes, or more subjects or become year heads. Maybe the ultimate objective is to become principle or vice principal? (Feel free to enlighten me, I really know nothing about this topic!)

In my line of business I advance by going for roles with more responsibility or I move into roles that I feel can benefit from my experience plus give me knew understanding. In theory I can indefinetly move diagonally upwards. to my mind there is effectively a cap on how much authority you can achieve as a teacher.

How do you get salary rises? If your salary is linked to the number of students you teach, or the number of classes you take then you might be able to cheat the system by offering your services and targetting those classes and subjects that are in demand at that time. However this reflects nothing of your achievements. Good exam grades might be a start but only exam year teachers could be assessed. Non-standardised end of year exams can be easily gamed to produce lots of good results; Cross-marking and exam setting have the same vulnerability. Obviously a class full of A's isn't likely so the bell curve can be used to detect cheating in that way, but in effect it pre-determines performance and therefore remuneration?
If anyone wants to explain to me how the Irish system works!

Good Friday

Just a quick post.
I'm sure these sentiments have been echoed in the media many times before but I just don't understand the logic now in prohibition on Good Friday. It temporarily shuts pubs till midnight, so people stock up in an off Licence the day before, or go out on the tear on the Thursday night instead.

The government should drop the ban for many reasons:

• It forces people with other religous views to comply with the Catholic churches laws.
• It fails to prevent people actually drinking on the day
• It prevents tourists from drinking on a good friday

The biggest reason though is that it attempts to enforce good behaviour. The people who feel strongly about not drinking as a mark of respect to their religion are still free to do so. In fact it should earn them a higher place in Heaven; if they can resist temptation then they really do understand the sacrifice.

Of course one problem is that most people manage to resist that temptation 5 or 6 days each week.
So telling them they can't drink and then closing off all of their options is basically nannying them.
As we we have all experienced in our own lives; when you are told that you have to do something it makes you more likely ro "rebel" and not do it. It might make more sense to force people to drink on the day, that way they might "rebel" positively and not drink!

Election Update 15-02-2011 - Deep Concerns about the games being played with jobs

I listened to the debate last night and like most people came away with the feeling that what I heard was about point scoring rather than serious discussion.

Labour and the Retail Sector
Labour's focus on the retail sector for jobs is worrying me. Jobs in the retail sector have a wide level of access - many people are capable of doing these jobs (as compared to say programming, or science or nursing) and they are definitely a boon for lower skilled workers. My concern is the reason why stores hire staff. The common view seems to be that business rates and rents are too high and that's probably true, but how much is that reducing the numbers employed? Back in the boom the same rents and rates were in place, but we had higher employment in the retail trade - why?
We are now at the employment level of 2005-2006 for retail according to CSO statistics
Demand, confidence and credit in the economy are the answers:

• More people working right across the economy in every sector
• More disposable income per person
• Easier access to credit via cards, loans, low(er) interest rates.
• Greater confidence around getting and retaining jobs, wage growth, debt repayment

Thus people were spending, and that spending drove jobs in the retail sector.

I worked in Brown Thomas for a year and a half in their TV and HiFi department back in 2000. It was a great time because there was so much money in the economy, combined with shiny new technologies like, flat screens, wide screens, LCD's MP3 players and play station 2. During the week there were about 4 people on the floor plus a manager, but at the weekend that would go up to about 8 people. Often times the full time people would work a Saturday to make up for the slim pickings during the week. And this staffing experience is common to many retail operations - If there isn't demand you don't need people on the floor.

Right now there is over 200% more people unemployed in the economy (13.5% vs 4.5% for the same period in 2005). That's a lot less disposable income, fewer people willing to spend on their credit cards and most importantly, a tremendous lack of confidence in the short to medium term income prospects. If retailers don't see changes in peoples short term confidence then why would they hire in the first place? If I dont think my wages are going to rise in the near term (or worse still that I may lose my job) then I am not willing to make unnecessary large purchases taht require credit in case I can't pay them off. I understand Labours reason for targeting jobs in the retail sector, its an area where low skilled workers could re-enter the workforce quickly but creating the reason for retailers to hire in the first place is much more important.

Just as an addendum:
The current employment laws around working while on the social welfare would be a far better place to start.
People on social welfare can work up to 20 hours per week without endangering their entitlements, however it must be the same 20 hours every week. Most people who work in stores (or in other places like cinema's leisure centres, call centres etc) will tell you that most of the time their hours vary to match busy times, employee holidays and specific initiatives. There are very few of these jobs that can support this type of inflexibility in their employees. If you took away this outdated condition then you could get people back into part time work and  reduce the burden on the state. In addition you would make them feel like they are contributing and ensure that their skills are not eroded over time.

Election update 3rd February 2011

The president dissolved the Dail on Tuesday and the election date is set for February 25th.
This is more of a summary than anything else since my last post a few days ago.
Sources are "meet the leader" podcasts from NewsTalk

Jobs

The Labour party has come out with a €500 million recommendation for jobs which sounds remarkably like FF's €500 million smart economy fund.
FG - TBA

Croke Park
FG and Labour have also said that they won't renegotiate the Croke park agreement but expect productivity gains, redundancies and natural attrition. I assume FF won't want to renegotiate the Croke Park deal.

Income Tax
FG said they won't raise income tax
Labour - TBA

Privatization
Labour - not against selling off bodies but hasn't listed any ones that it wants to
FF- Much the same, prefers to retain strategic interest

Residential property tax
Labour want to exempt the tax on the primary residence, elimination of reliefs (section 23)
FG - TBA
FF -Favours site value tax

Healthcare
FG - Abolish the HSE, set up Dutch FairCare over 5 years
Labour - TBA
FF -  Would not chance HSE

Education
FG - Free third level, 30% contribution over 10 years after graduation
Labour - NA
FF - need to cut costs, loan system (Australian system)


The Bailout
FG - Will renegotiate on interest rate, constitutional referendum on budget targets
Labour - Will renegotiate on interest and duration, say they never signed up in the first place
FF -  NA but I guess either renegotiate or hold.

Additional comments
Labour have a "digital Ireland" platform which is all about broadband roll out. I don't want to seem arrogant here but is this really an issue? I understand that in rural areas broadband it probably is but it seems to me that there is plenty of broadband packages available.

Fianna Fail have now announced their front bench with nobody particularly special included. FF want to abolish the Seanad and suggest being able to appoint non-Oireachtas members as ministers. Its funny to see Willie O'Dea back, Proves he's a wily operator, Get canned just early enough so that no one really remembers him too painfully. His banishment to the political backwaters has worked quite well.
Looking at Micheal Martin I think he is a clever guy, He is clean enough to get some votes in this election and reduce the available voting space for the rest - shrink the Governments majority. It wouldn't surprise me  if he  tried to promote independents to further erode majorities.

Electoral strategy
FG and Labour are simple, get as many seats as possible and either be the majority party in coalition or single party government. According to recent polls FG would be the majority partner, and rumor is that FG will give up an extra ministry to get their hands on the Finance portfolio.

FF are of course trying to get as many votes as possible, but their outcome is different. Every % that goes to them or independents/ Sinn Fein / Green party / Others is a reduction in the governments majority and puts more pressure on an FG / Labour Coalition Government. If FF can get between 16% and 20%, Sinn Fein and the Greens get 10% between them and the Independents get another 10% that only leaves 60% between FG and Labour. It puts them in opposition during a difficult time (which is the place to be) and gives them 4 years to rebuild the party, mostly with a "lower taxes, small Government platform" next time round.

Latest MRBI / Irish Times Poll
FG 33%
Labour 24%
Fianna Fail 15%
Sinn Fein 12%
Remainder - 16%

Quiet Day Jan 28th

Not really a lot going on for todays election blog. Mostly reaction to Berties delusional sentiments yesterday.
The big news is that Cowen will dissolve the Dail on Tuesday and set the date for a general election. I reckon 18th of February is the earliest date. In fact at this point an early election might stem some of the bleeding and limit the time for anti-Fianna Fail revelations.
Kenny and Noonan are jumping the gun a bit by meeting with José Manuel Barroso over the EU/IMF bailout. I wonder this will be jumped on as a reason why Kenny hasn't been around. When detractors ask where is he the party will respond, he's been negotiating with the EU, what more can he do?
There hasn't been much coverage on the outcome of the meeting as yet but I'd be guessing that the fiscal element in the constitution or the corporation tax rate will be bargaining items for the EU. It shows a certain arrogance on behalf of FG (though Labour are showing the same) as if its already over bar the shouting. I wonder how it would upset the apple cart if Labour were the majority party.

Election commentary - 27th Jan

Today has been relatively quiet with a light skirmish between Enda Kenny and Micheal Martin. Martin challenged Enda to a 3 way debate between FF, Labour and FG. Enda rejected but said he would engage in a 5 way between the three above plus Sinn Fein and the Green party.
Personally I think this is a smart move on FG's side. They probably suspect that Martin might out talk Kenny on the issues as would Eamon Gilmore most likely. Instead they probably want to bring 2 extra targets into the fray to split the debate. Let the others battle it out between them. FF and the other 2 smaller parties might actually eat into some of Labour's votes. If its a 3 way and public speaking is the objective then Kenny will lose ground to Martin and Gilmore. By making it a 5 way he may lose less ground....

The only other item of note was Bertie Aherns last few moments outside the Dail being heckled by People before Profit. I have to say his regrets over the Bertie Bowl and comments that  someone should have told him what was happening in the banks makes me wonder where that legendary charm and incisiveness has gone. While I want to see him made accountable for his part in the bust, I am beginning to wonder if the delusion is not just ego, maybe its a medical issue.....

Should I stay or should I go? - The ballad of Brian

So FF have opted to hold on to the devil they know!?

Its interesting in a way because it sets up Micheal Martin nicely for a come back. Its almost like creating a save point in a game. If they drop him now then he can come back after FF lose the election and lead the party, untainted by whatever is left to come out in the remaining 37 days.

I started to write this two days ago and yesterday 4 more ministers resigned, including Mary Harney. The remaining ministers will cover the vacant posts until the election. As we speak tweeters are claiming a lot of huddles in Leinster house and  the possibility of a further heave against the Taoiseach tonight (20th Jan).

The reality is that a heave like this is academic in terms of getting the country back on track. FF will lose the election. The question for them is what changes they can make today to minimize the damage.
If they think that changes will be effective then we will probably see some change in the near future (i.e. removing Cowen). If they think its a lost cause regardless of what they do, then Cowen will be the main candidate for this general election. When they fail Cowen and more of the frontbenchers will step down, FF will do a house cleaning exercise and give some of the younger members a go, then 4 years from now they will have some chance of winning or becoming a minority partner in a coalition government.

The next 36 hours will definitely be interesting....