State paid €530m to private schools in last five years [IrishTimes]
- Published: 14 May 2011
PRIVATE FEE-PAYING schools received more than €530 million in support from the taxpayer in the past five years.
New figures show these schools received €38 million for current funding, €12 million for building projects, €2.6 million for computer supports and €1.2 million for clerical support during this period.
This was over and above the €470 million spent on teachers’ salaries in the same timeframe.
The revelations will increase the pressure on Minister for Education Ruairí Quinn to cut State funding to these schools. During the election campaign, Labour leader Éamon Gilmore signalled some change, expressing concern about a “two-tier” education system. But Mr Quinn has been broadly supportive of present arrangements since taking office.
The figures were revealed in the Dáil this week by Mr Quinn. In the same Dáil answer, he told Independent deputy Maureen O’Sullivan that €6.7 million had been provided from the Dormant Accounts Fund to disadvantaged schools during the same period. Total support for disadvantaged schools from this fund will be only €189,000 this year.
While the €100 million per year for teachers’ salaries has been publicised, the revelation the taxpayer is supporting building projects, computer equipment and other current funding in these schools will generate fresh controversy. The €38 million in current funding is the total under a support scheme for Protestant schools.
Full Story: www.irishtimes.com
SF to take education as North’s ministerial portfolios assigned [IrishExaminer]
- Published: 14 May 2011
SINN Féin will take the education portfolio in the next Northern Ireland Executive.
The DUP will retain the Departments of Finance and Personnel and the UUP has opted for Regional Development.
The ministerial seats are allocated using the d’Hondt procedure based on the number of Assembly seats won. The announcements were made on Twitter.
Former Sinn Féin education minister Caitriona Ruane scrapped the 11-plus during the last mandate but the matter has been controversial, with schools setting independent tests and the DUP opposed to the change.
Regional Development will be the UUP’s only position after it lost a bid to woo former MLA David McClarty back into the party.
Full Story: www.examiner.ie
Ireland’s literacy and numeracy ranking falls [IrishExaminer]
- Published: 14 May 2011
SUCCESS in tackling early school-leaving may be a factor in Ireland’s recent drop in average reading and maths standards.
In a decade from the late 1990s to the late 2000s, the proportion of students who dropped out of school before Leaving Certificate fell from 23% to less than 19%. The most recent statistics, published in yesterday’s Irish Examiner, show that the recession has also kept more students in school.
The number of first years in 2004 who finished school reached a record high of 85.5%, and above-average falls in dropout rates were seen in the most disadvantaged schools.
But Ireland’s global ranking in literacy and numeracy — based on tests between 2000 and 2009 — fell from 15th to 25th in maths and from fifth to 17th in reading. The scores are measured among 15-year-olds in about 30 developed countries as part of the PISA (Programme for International Student Assessment) tests run every three years by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.
Full Story: www.examiner.ie
More students than ever sitting Leaving Certificate [schooldays.ie]
- Published: 13 May 2011
The numbers of students staying on in school to complete their Leaving Certificate exams is at its highest level ever.
This is according to a new report from the Department of Education, which revealed fewer boys are dropping out early, RTE reports.
Analysing those who entered secondary school between 1991 and 2004 and completed their education at this level no later then 2010, it found 88 per cent of students took the Leaving Certificate.
Overall, this is an increase of six per cent in the last eight years, but the statistics show a rise of 12 per cent for males.
Minister for Education Ruairi Quinn suggested extra resources for school completion programmes and issues in the labour market had contributed to the increase.
Full Story: www.schooldays.ie
Minister Quinn welcomes publication of Report on Retention Rates [education.ie]
- Published: 13 May 2011
Highest ever number of students are completing second level
The number of students staying in school to complete their second level education is now at its highest rate ever.
The Minister for Education and Skills, Ruairi Quinn TD, has today welcomed the publication of the "Report on Retention Rates of Pupils in Second Level Schools" conducted by the Department.
It shows that the number of young men staying in secondary school has risen dramatically by 11.4% in 8 years.
The percentage of students who sit the Leaving Cert overall has risen by more than 6% to 87.7% in the same time period.
The report, published on the Department's website, presents the retention rates of pupils who entered the first year of the junior cycle in the years from 1991 to 2004 and completed second level schooling no later than 2010.
Commenting on the report, Minister Quinn said: "I am particularly pleased to see the high number of young men who are now completing their Leaving Cert exams. This is a very welcome development."
82.4% of males are staying on to sit their Leaving Cert, according to today's report, which is a dramatic rise of 11.7% in 8 years. However, a small gap remains between the sexes with 86.5% of females completing second level.
The Minister continued, "It is also heartening to see the average Leaving Certificate retention rate in DEIS schools increased by 5 percentage points from 68.2% to 73.2% for students who entered second level in 2001 to 2004."
"While issues in the labour market have probably had an impact on the improvement in retention overall, measures taken by this department such as the extra resources provided to the 200 second level schools under DEIS and programmes like the School Completion Programme have certainly played their part."
Full Story: www.education.ie
