Your anxiety must be secondary [Independent.ie]
- Published: 23 May 2011
I had a foretaste of the future the other week. Exam time rolled around to our house for the first time. No, I don't have any candidates for Junior or Leaving Certificate yet; I had a child doing an entrance exam for secondary school.
Those of you who are hardened veterans of parenting through the state exams can scoff; those of you whose children are still safely ensconced in primary school need to just wait until it is your turn and then you can decide to deride me or not.
When I think it through a little bit more, I believe the reason for my anxiety wasn't the exam per se; it was the fact that it represented irrefutable proof that my son is on the verge of moving into secondary school. It made the new school, with its unfamiliar hallways, rooms, sounds and smells, too tangible and real.
I think my son has had a great time in primary school and I wonder is he about to be thrown to the proverbial lions in bigger, brasher, harsher secondary school. Will he cope with the new social mix? Will he cope with the new subjects and so many different teachers? Will he settle in?
Full Story: www.independent.ie
Further 125 school language support posts axed [IrishExaminer]
- Published: 21 May 2011
ANOTHER 125 teaching posts for newcomer children who need to learn English are to be axed from September.
The move comes on top of 125 language support teacher cuts already announced in last December’s budget as part of a phased reduction in their numbers.
While it was planned to reduce the total number of these jobs from 1,400 to 900 over four years, half those cuts will now take effect from September.
A Department of Education spokesperson said the cuts, which will mainly affect primary schools, are being speeded up to meet an unexpected rise in teacher numbers needed at second level.
Around 160 more teachers than was allowed for in the 2011 budget are to be approved for the country’s 730 second-level schools, based on analysis of the numbers in classes during the current school year. The remaining 35 posts are expected to be found by achieving efficiencies in other schools programmes without having to introduce further widespread cuts.
Full Story: www.examiner.ie
Cut of 250 language support teachers [IrishTimes]
- Published: 21 May 2011
SCHOOLS ARE set to lose 250 language support teachers under new cutbacks indicated by the Department of Education last night.
The move will affect teaching support for immigrant children, many of them struggling to cope with only meagre English languages skills.
Most of the reduction will be at primary level as abourt 80 per cent of the language posts are in primary schools.
The surprise move – endorsed by Minister for Education Ruairí Quinn – has already drawn a strong response; the Irish National Teachers Organisation (INTO) described it as an “attack on disadvantaged and marginalised children’’.
The Department of Education says it has had to make the “difficult decision’’ to cut the number of language support teachers in order to meet the needs of the rising numbers of students remaining in education.
The number of job losses next September is double the number envisaged by the last government, who planned a phased reduction of 500 language support teachers over four years – 125 per year.
Last night a Department of Education spokesperson said it was “necessary to speed up this process’’. The department says it needs to “free up” teaching posts to cater for the increase in the numbers of students staying in the education system as a whole.
Full Story: www.irishtimes.com
DES makes “difficult decision” [education.ie]
- Published: 21 May 2011
In a surprise revelation on May 20, schools were notified that 250 language support posts are to be removed from the system from September 2011.
This level of job losses next September is double the number envisaged by the previous government, which had planned a phased reduction of 500 language support teachers over four years – 125 per year.
The cutback will affect teaching support for immigrant children (many of whom have scant English), particularly at primary level where 80 per cent of the language posts exist.
At present there are about 1,400 language support posts - 1,125 at primary level and 275 at second level.
These posts are in addition to mainstream classroom teachers. They allow schools to withdraw pupils from mainstream classes for varying amounts of time, so that the support teacher can focus on teaching them English.
The Irish National Teachers Organisation (INTO) described the cut as an “attack on disadvantaged and marginalised children’’.
Full Story: www.educationmatters.ie
Parents are invited to attend national conference [educationmatters.ie]
- Published: 20 May 2011
EVENT: National Parents Council Primary Education Conference 2011
DATE: Sat, 11 June 2011
VENUE: National College of Ireland, Mayor Street, Dublin 1
KEYNOTE SPEAKER: Neil Griffiths from Corner to Learn
'Your Child needs you' is the title of this year’s conference. It will look at the issue of parental involvement in children’s learning, including the most effective ways for parents to get involved in their child’s life in school.
For the second year running, the keynote speaker will be Neil Griffiths, whose talk at the 2010 conference attracted overwhelming positive feedback.
The conference will be held in the National College of Ireland, James St, Dublin 1 - close to the IFSC and easily accessible by train and LUAS.
Full Story: www.educationmatters.ie
