Plastic people in pinstripe suits: an exploration of the views of Irish parents on the publication of school league tables

Abstract

While the publication of school league tables is prohibited by law in Ireland, the publication of data categorising university placements achieved per school has become common practice. A central argument advanced in this endeavour includes the provision of information for parents. The views of parents on this issue have, until now, not been explored in Ireland. The current paper outlines the findings of a national survey of 1915 parents on the publication of school league tables. The findings of this research highlight a widespread rejection of the practice. Concerns surrounding the narrowing of educational experience, the intensification of performance pressures and the rise of elitism in schools were noted. Calls for greater teacher accountability were also noted and deemed to transcend the publication of school league tables.

Keywords:

• school league tables
• parental views
• accountability
• philosophy of education

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

1. Points are a central component of the Irish matriculation system. In the Leaving Certificate examination, students receive points for the grades they receive. One hundred points is awarded if a student receives an A1 in a subject. Students can count their grades for six subjects. Therefore, the maximum points students can receive is 600 points. Since 2012, students who achieve a grade D or higher in honours-level mathematics automatically receive 25 additional points.

2. Grinds refer to private academic tuition that students would receive and pay for outside of school time.

3. Transition year is a voluntary, one-year, enrichment-type, school-based programme offered between the Junior Certificate (junior cycle) and Leaving Certificate (senior cycle). It is taken by approx 40% of a year cohort.

4. F and M are used to represent female and male respondents, respectively. The number represents the number assigned to the respondent (from a total of 1915).