Anybody know when they publish the school league tables?

candlegrease

You know, the ones that show how many students from each school went to college etc.

Craguls

As far as I can remember last year it was around the higher options conference which was September 18th I think.
(I went to the Mighty Boosh then too )

randylonghorn

mink_man wrote: »

no!

If you have nothing useful to add, spare your breath to cool your porridge.

mink_man

it was a yes or no question, it wasnt "whoever knows when they publish the school league tables answer here" !!!

eVeNtInE

This post has been deleted.

mink_man

eVeNtInE wrote: »

This post has been deleted.

ah eventine, you seem more fair then him, why didnt he just say that then?

eVeNtInE

This post has been deleted.

yurmothrintites

I hate those tables, they are very inaccurate, They don't count PLC or post LC courses and they don't take into the account the setting of the school or the backgrounds of the pupils.

Where 90% of students say in a fee paying school went to 3rd level, it might be considered ordinary. But when a school in the west of Ireland in a disadvantaged area is reeling out 60% to 3rd level, it might not seem that extraordinary, but for some schools it may seem brilliant for a particular year.

Another fault of the tables is the numbers of some pupils in the schools. It is very common to see tiny secondary schools such as the one on Achill Island at the near top of the tables as there is around 15 pupils in the Leaving Cert year and the majority went to college. The individual pupil is solely responsible for his or her results and his or her prospects of college, not a league table defining what the "best" school is.

spurious

They don't serve any useful purpose as they do not compare like with like.

Some schools take everyone who applies to go there, including students with learning or behavioural difficulties and special needs.
Some have 'entrance tests' to weed out those who will not do well at exams.
Some take only those who can afford a large amount of money.

When all schools take their fair share of students with difficulties, then league tables will mean something. Not anything terribly important, but 'something'.

Fad

spurious wrote: »

Some have 'entrance tests' to weed out those who will not do well at exams.

Where actual entrance exams not done away with, as in they're simply not allowed anymore.

I heard that anyway.

Delta Kilo

I did an entrance test for my school back in 2003. Nobody was refused to be enrolled, it was just so the school could get an idea of resource teachers, expected standards etc. I'm not sure if my school still does this.

Anyway, it is not the league tables I blame, it is the snobby parents who treat them as bible and use them to pick a school for johnny boy to keep him away from the riff-raff of society that I blame. Really annoying that that is how it is these days.

themont85

They are an indicator of achievment only. I wouldn't take to much head of them but they would serve as a decent indicator of good schools. For instance a school which consistantly is ranked low obviousely has problems(I know it doesn't take into account apprentiships et al but still you would expect a decent chunk go to third level. Also the fact that it doesn't take PLCs into account and foreign universities. For instance in my year in school a guy went abroad(including NIRE) and almost every year one or two do, a guy even a few years younger than me in my school went to a very well known establishment in the US. Look at that guy in Limerick too, the millionaire from the young scientists going to Harvard, I know it is individual brilliance really from him but the fact is the school gets no credit when they helped him obviousely. No disrespect but a person going to a local IT or even Uni here shouldn't be counted above a guy going to an Ivy league school in the States on a table.

I'm waiting for someone to come out with a comprehensive list or grading here like in the UK. Using the third level figures, looking at facilities in schools, parental and student forums, sports, departmental inspection reports and backround in the schools should give a fairly good assesment of schools. Good idea for people who are unemployed actually, the demand for such info is huge going by interest in the tables for some parents.

yurmothrintites

themont85 wrote: »

I'm waiting for someone to come out with a comprehensive list or grading here like in the UK. Using the third level figures, looking at facilities in schools, parental and student forums, sports, departmental inspection reports and backround in the schools should give a fairly good assesment of schools. Good idea for people who are unemployed actually, the demand for such info is huge going by interest in the tables for some parents.

Excellent post themont85. That is exactly what should be included in these tables. The current ones are completely inaccurate and the only success' they see are the pertentage of pupils attending third level, and that statistic does not hold all significance in how 'good' a school is.