Our education system should not just create future workers

The controversy over whether Irish eduction is subject to grade inflation is worrying for a number of reasons. Firstly, if Irish degrees become tainted currency internationally, it will have a significant impact on the prospects for future generations. Secondly, the possibility of hefty third level fees being imposed at a time when the degrees themselves are being devalued is unfair. And thirdly, the reality that grades have been inflated calls into question our collective sense of our country's education system. However, the debate this last week has missed some of the more pertinent points. The root cause in the dumbing down of our education system is the nature of that system itself. Our second-level education system does not encourage students to think as individuals nor does it facilitate creative analysis, it just prioritises rote learning. Simply put, our main second-level examination, the Leaving Certificate, does not measure students' knowledge; it simply assesses their ability to pass exams. That's why students and teachers discuss what's "coming up", which poets are worth concentrating on this year and so on. And that's partly why the level of higher grades at Leaving Certificate have increased - teachers and students have fine-tuned the art of passing exams. That of course doesn't mean they are better educated; just better prepared for exams. A larger degree of continuous assessment and much more project work are all important elements in the broadening of our second level education system. At third level, the rapid acceleration of top grades is equally worrying. The pressures of international university league tables has contributed to the temptation to be more generous with the numbers of first-class degrees. The Minister of Education and Science has earned some kudos for his bravery in tackling the issue head on. However, the findings of his hurried review of last week were obvious to anyone who dared to look. The problem is that the only concrete recommendation was to merge a number of existing bodies charged with monitoring quality in the system into one quality assurance body. Part of the problem was that many of the existing bodies were filled with representatives of the third-level sector itself. There's no indication, as yet, that the new quality assurance body will be any different. It's the same failure of regulation which bedogged much of our civic and business life in Ireland. However, the most worrying element of all is that the Minister wants our approach to developing education policy to be "more aligned with industry needs". Although it was the employers' concerns which finally prompted action and whilst education should help to provide the workforce of tomorrow, the view that the goal of education is solely to prepare the student for employment is the same blinkered rationale which sparked the whole problem in the first place. If the end goal of education is to increase grades at Leaving Cert or to create as many first class graduates as possible, then we end up with a system that cuts corners to facilitate that result. If now we plan to view education as solely a means to an employment end, the system will become distorted and twisted to suit those aims only. We don't need degree factories for big business, we need well-rounded, highly-educated individuals who can think for themselves and contribute to our society. It's time to start seeing education as a means of broadening the mind and not just the future bank balance.