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My wife (The good lady data scientist her indoors) has done an analysis of Ireland's peformance in the most recent PISA results. They do not bode well for the future of our country and highlight, what I believe, should be *our* election issue. 1/n #edchatie
She compared Irish PISA results in maths with those of countries with similar populations/GDPs. The graph here showing Ireland firmly mid-table. Not great. Not bad. but we're doing okay, it looks like. 2/n #edchatie #GE2020 
But she then looked further into the situation, specifically state expenditure on education. Let's look at it from a neoliberal, transactional, money-focused basis. Expenditure per student as a % of GDP per capita. 3/n #edchatie #GE2020
This looks bad. We're bottom of the pile. We're spending a pittance. The drop-off in spending since 2009 has been shocking. I don't know how principals, teachers and SNAs are managing to keep our heads above water. It gets worse. 4/n #edchatie #GE2020
The total government expenditure on education is horrific. "Be like Finland, be like Finland..." We don't spend like Finland. Again, look at the drop since 2009. Our children are being massively let down. Teachers and SNAs are under huge pressure but are somehow delivering. 5/n
Let's look at how our children are faring. There has been no increase in how many of our students are top performers. We should be happy about that in the circumstances. 6/n #edchatie #GE2020
There has been a decrease in how many of our students are performing at a lower standard. We should be very happy about this. 7/n #edchatie #GE2020
We are - somehow - managing to tread water. We aren't improving and we aren't falling behind. 8/n #edchatie #GE2020
Teachers are, however, run ragged. The numbers of people entering teaching is staggeringly low. It is nigh on impossible to get qualified teachers in a vast number of subjects. As experienced teachers retire out of the system our schools and children will suffer. 9/n #edchatie
New model this and new model that - initiatives to take even more money out of our system. The education system is creaking. It is only being held together by the excellent work by the staff on the ground. Remove those staff and it will collapse. 10/n #edchatie #GE2020
We can do something about this before the collapse happens. More money for resources. More teachers. Smaller pupil-teacher ratio. Holistic Special Education supports. Better pay for teachers. More management positions. More time for management tasks. 11/n #GE2020 #edchatie
#edchatie
We are not resource rich. We *think* we're people rich. We need the best education system in the world. We may have the best teachers in the world but we definitely don't have the best education system. 12/n #edchatie #GE2020
The under-resourcing of our school system puts *everyone* under huge strain. Teachers struggle with workload and new, "devolved responsibilities", we somehow have to fit into our school day along with innovative and all-encompassing lessons. 13/n #edchatie #GE2020
Our cohort of children are presenting with ever-increasing range and severity of mental health issues. Schools - as the front line - are expected to deal with these as our mental health services are also on their knees. #edchatie #GE2020 14/n
14/n
Please make education spending a core election issue for you. Not just "net spend" but ensuring that funding is increased for each and every person. Not "more teachers" but a better pupil-teacher ratio. Not "more SNAs" but more SNAs for more children. 15/n #edchatie
Ireland is a rich, rich, rich nation. We *can* afford to have an education system that reflects this. Our children need us to have an education system that reflects this. Ireland in 20 years time needs us to have that education system now. #edchatie #GE2020 16/16
16/16
(cc @istone_irene @aoibhinn_ni_s @marycarty @astiunion @TUIunion @INTOnews @SNAsSpeakOut @kevinsullivan79 @peter_lydon @levdavidovic ) #edchatie #GE2020
Here is the GNI data on education spend. Graph directly from the World Bank. We spend a pittance and this pittance is a much smaller pittance now than the pittance we spent a decade ago. #edchatie #GE2020
Herself said I could say this: Thanks to @datapuffin for the graphs and insight!
