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Irish Examiner view: AI is a challenge in Irish schools — Minister Fianna Meeting Championships Ploughing Norma Gráinne The During Pictures: Ratheniska, People At Laois Aodha/pa Education National Foley Ní Co Tent In Fáil The

Thu, 21 Sep, 2023 - 00:58

Education Minister Norma Foley has halted plans for teacher-based assessment to be incorporated into a new State examinations system, which means that revised curriculums in seven Leaving Certificate subjects will not now be introduced in two years’ time.

This is not the first policy reversal of this type: Earlier this year a plan to examine students in English and Irish at the end of fifth year was also halted.

The plan for teacher-based assessment had met with opposition from the teaching unions, but Ms Foley stated this week that the threat posed by artificial intelligence (AI) was the main reason for the decision to halt assessments, saying: “I am particularly conscious of the more recent accelerated evolution and growth in generative AI and I understand there is a need to explore the opportunities afforded by these developments in an educational context, as well as the challenges they might present.”

The minister’s description of the “opportunities” afforded by AI seems a little generous.

Speaking at the UN this week, Tánaiste Micheál Martin was less equivocal: “In respect of AI, no nation can meet that challenge on its own, it’s very, very important that we would be part of that international collaboration on making sure that AI serves human beings as opposed to controlling human beings into the future.”

Anecdotal evidence from teachers suggests AI is a real and ongoing challenge for many in the classroom, and taking cognisance of its potential for disruption seems a prudent course of action. The problem for many professions, not just teaching, is that AI is evolving, changing and developing all the time — even as we are beginning to recognise the size of that challenge.

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Leo Varadkar's flight sets a bad example

As noted in these pages on Wednesday,

President Michael D Higgins’ savaging of the United Nations while attending the Ploughing Championships was bound to provoke a reaction from the Government. The fact that so many ministers were at the UN headquarters in New York just as the President described that institution as “falling” added to the sense of expectation.

The delicacy of the reaction, when it came, was equally unsurprising. As noted here on Wednesday, politicians are reluctant to engage in public argument with the President, hence Tánaiste Micheál Martin’s bland acknowledgement of the President’s long-running interest in foreign affairs — ‘passionate’ was a judicious choice of words in that context. The Tánaiste also accepted that the UN, like many organisations, could benefit from reform and improvement.

It is perhaps fortunate that the President didn’t comment on Taoiseach ’s extraordinary decision to leave New York for Miami to open an Irish consulate that is already operational, or the criticism emanating from Ratheniska might have been even more pointed.

The Taoiseach defended his decision to go to Miami for less than 24 hours on the basis it would improve the profile of Ireland’s diplomatic presence in Florida. This seems a feeble argument on its own terms: it’s not clear exactly what position the Irish consular office occupies in the Miami media ecosystem, or whether a new premises would make that position more prominent. It is a weaker argument when the carbon cost of the Taoiseach’s flights is taken into consideration. Green Party leader and Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan matched the Tánaiste for verbal delicacy when side-stepping questions on this particular matter, and to give Ryan his due, he travelled from New York to Washington by train while visiting the US this week.

Even in the age of Zoom, there is a value to person-to-person interactions which cannot be denied. For instance, Health Minister Stephen Donnelly is in New York for meetings on future pandemic planning, and there is a strong case for making that journey on the basis that personal relationships forged at such meetings could benefit Ireland in the future if another pandemic strikes.

It is hard to properly quantify what positive benefit the Taoiseach’s side trip to Miami will have had and how to assess his decision to travel there.

It is undeniable, however, that it is a contribution to global warming and a poor example to set for others.

'It's fine for him writing poetry, hardworking people need meat': Healy-Rae hits out at Michael D

Ugly scenes at public protest

There was a demonstration at the gates of Leinster House on Wednesday — not an uncommon occurrence at the national parliament, which is an obvious focus for protest.

People filming events as protestors are detained by gardaí outside Leinster House on Wednesday after the Dáil resumed following the summer break. Picture: Sam Boal/RollingNews

What made Wednesday different was that those in attendance brought a mock gallows and photographs of various politicians with them, such as Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald, Children’s Minister Roderic O’Gorman, and Paul Murphy of People Before Profit, among others.

The protesters shouted various chants against transgender rights, migration, and planned hate speech laws, and called politicians and journalists entering Leinster House “traitors”.

The right to protest is a cornerstone of any free democracy, and citizens are entitled to assemble and make their voices heard on issues of concern to them.

However, brandishing a mock gallows at a demonstration is an explicit threat of violence designed to instil fear in others. Shouting abuse at people entering their place of work in an effort to intimidate them cannot be mistaken for peaceful protest either. Those actions have no place in Irish society.

Displaying mock gallows alongside pictures of people (in this instance, prominent politicians) is an explicit threat of violence that cannot be mistaken for peaceful protest. Picture: Brian Lawless/PA

What happened on Wednesday outside Leinster House was a calculated effort to try to threaten legislators, to debase the political process, and to subvert the democratic operation of the State.

These actions can only be condemned in the strongest possible terms.

Irish Examiner View: Getting in touch with grassroots

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