Religion class must be easy to opt out of, says report [Independent.ie]
- Published: 25 May 2011
RELIGION classes in church-run schools should be confined to the beginning or end of the day to make it easier for pupils to opt out, a new report states.
Changes to education legislation to ensure that schools avoid any inadvertent indoctrination or proselytism -- attempts to convert people to another point of view -- are also sought.
They are among 13 recommendations the Irish Human Rights Commission (IHRC) has made to Government to reduce the stronghold of religion on education.
The commission warns that change must start soon if the Government is to escape a rebuke when the United Nations reviews the country's human rights record later this year.
The IHRC report, 'Religion and Education: A Human Rights Perspective', is concerned that education systems must meet the rights of parents and children of the majority Roman Catholic religion, those of minority religions, and also those with no faiths.
Full Story: www.independent.ie
In my opinion: It's time to re-imagine the ways we teach our children [Independent.ie]
- Published: 25 May 2011
By now, calls to bring second-level education in line with the needs of 21st century Ireland are old hat. Criticisms from industry, third-level and others have been gathering strength since the mid-2000s. Last week at the Smart Futures Seminar, major employers such as Google and Microsoft declared Irish education 'not fit for purpose'.
Most commentators agree that our second-level system needs a more relevant curriculum, a more learner-centred approach and greater emphasis on critical thinking and other 21st century skills.
We need all of this -- not in order to 'produce' young people with skills to serve the needs of industry -- but so that all young people develop the skills and confidence they need to live and learn in a rapidly changing, information-rich society.
Earlier this month, Educate Together, with the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) and the University of Limerick, held a conference entitled 'Re-imagining Learning'. There was a focus on curriculum integration, as this has emerged as a key means by which learning can be made more relevant at this crucial stage.
Full Story: www.independent.ie
Diary of a schoolteacher: I spy with my little eye... all sort of shenanigans [Independent.ie]
- Published: 25 May 2011
I pop outside for a bit of sunshine when I spot the deputy principal getting into his car. After a minute he's still in the car and, consumed by curiosity, I go over and look in the passenger window. He looks up as I tap on it, so I get in.
He's tucking into an egg sandwich and drinking some kind of cold pea soup concoction that smells like damp socks as I squeeze into the cramped space of his newspaper-strewn Corsa. I note the binoculars around his neck. "I'm sure you're wondering what I'm doing here, Grade," he guffaws.
I tell him that I am. Swallowing bread as egg drops on to his lap unnoticed, he explains: "Well, this is where I keep an eye on things. All the action goes on here and I get to record it ... look!"
At that moment Kurt Moobs appears from inside, with a few nails clenched in his teeth and carrying a hammer. Looking furtively around but not noticing the DP and me in the little purple car, Kurt neatly drives a nail into the rear passenger tyre of a VW Golf. I glance at the DP and he whispers "Wait".
Full Story: www.independent.ie
Focus on the task, not yourself. . . [Independent.ie]
- Published: 25 May 2011
Michael Hogan, psychologist at NUI Galway, says students perform better when they focus on the task rather than themselves.
"Research suggests that when people are task-focused they are happier and perform better.
"Focus on what you are doing -- drawing out your timetable, arranging your books on the desk, the flow of ideas in your history textbook, your summary notes of the historical facts, the interesting step in the mathematical equation, the clever solution to the physics problem.
It's time to re-imagine the ways we teach our children [Independent.ie]
- Published: 25 May 2011
By now, calls to bring second-level education in line with the needs of 21st century Ireland are old hat. Criticisms from industry, third-level and others have been gathering strength since the mid-2000s. Last week at the Smart Futures Seminar, major employers such as Google and Microsoft declared Irish education 'not fit for purpose'.
Most commentators agree that our second-level system needs a more relevant curriculum, a more learner-centred approach and greater emphasis on critical thinking and other 21st century skills.
We need all of this -- not in order to 'produce' young people with skills to serve the needs of industry -- but so that all young people develop the skills and confidence they need to live and learn in a rapidly changing, information-rich society.
Earlier this month, Educate Together, with the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) and the University of Limerick, held a conference entitled 'Re-imagining Learning'. There was a focus on curriculum integration, as this has emerged as a key means by which learning can be made more relevant at this crucial stage.
Full Story: www.independent.ie
