Staying the course on what matters most

Over more than two decades of international standardized assessments, Ireland has shown consistently high results in both student achievement and equity. Ireland has gained recognition as a world leader across academic subjects but particularly in literacy, where it scores at the top of the charts globally. It also is notable for achieving these results while spending less per student than many of its peers in the OECD.

But Ireland has not always captured the same attention as other high performers. Several factors—such as under-reporting of its equity outcomes by global news sources, its relatively recent rise to the top of the comparative tables, and the Irish government’s lack of promotion of its successes, domestically and abroad—may account for the relatively low profile of Ireland’s system of education on the global stage.

This report seeks to investigate the factors that underlie Ireland’s success, especially in literacy where it excels, and to draw out lessons for other systems. To do so, the report draws on interviews with teachers, leaders, other stakeholders, and individuals working within the system during a twenty-year span, as well as an analysis of key documents and assessment data.

What has driven Ireland’s strong performance in learning and equity? Stakeholders frequently point out the high cultural value of education in Ireland and suggest that it has provided a foundation for a strong system and one that continues to improve.

They highlight the following key features:

Strong curriculum and assessment: Ireland’s knowledge-rich curriculum and deliberative, deliberative curriculum development process avoids fads and short-term thinking. Curriculum-based assessment with aligned instructional materials (usually common textbooks) reinforces accountability for teaching and learning the curriculum content.

High quality teacher education: Ireland has rigorous teacher education, and admission to teaching degrees is highly competitive. Regardless which institution prospective teachers attend, pedagogical approaches (both general and subject specific) that are taught are regarded as largely consistent.

Collaborative approach to reform: Ireland’s commitment to steady, collaborative change with input from stakeholders has reinforced its strong education foundations. When stakeholders feel invested in the current system they are less likely to pursue innovation for its own sake or change course in pursuit of the next “bright, shiny thing,” as one system leader put it.

The common thread running through these factors is one of quality and consistency. The curriculum is high quality and only changes through careful, collaborative review. It is shared with highly skilled teachers and school leaders trained in a common approach to implementation and who have a common understanding of curriculum, assessment, and pedagogy built through quality teacher education.

The quality and consistency of curriculum and implementation may explain why Ireland’s performance remained stable during the COVID-19 pandemic unlike most other countries. In interviews, system leaders across the country suggested it was Ireland’s strong education foundation, rather than any specific innovation in response to the pandemic, that enabled them to avoid learning loss during this challenging time when schools were physically closed.