School exercise targets "unrealistic" [schooldays.ie]
- Published: 11 May 2011
Minister for Education Ruairi Quinn has stated that a recommendation that schools provide children with 30 minutes of exercise each day is unworkable.
He told the Dail that the length of the school day and the pressure to focus on other areas of the curriculum means that it is "unrealistic" to set a daily requirement for PE, the Irish Times reports.
Any changes to the length of the day to incorporate such a scheme would require significant resources, as well as agreement with teaching unions.
The suggestion was outlined in a report from the National Taskforce on Obesity as one way of tackling the problem in the country's young people, as one in five teenagers is overweight or obese.
Full Story: www.schooldays.ie
I went from zero to hero -- what a turn-up for the books! [Independent.ie]
- Published: 11 May 2011
While I am aware of the importance and privileges involved in being a teacher -- a position that invokes all the magical traditions of inspiring and guiding young people invoked by films such as Dead Poets' Society and Dangerous Minds -- most of the time I'd have to admit that being a teacher doesn't make me feel too sexy.
Nobody ever says, "Oh, you're a teacher, what's that like?" Everyone knows, or think they know, because they once sat in a class room, mostly being bored stupid by someone like me.
Through his job, my best friend from childhood regularly meets up with Alex Ferguson and all the top Premiership soccer stars. Am I jealous? You bet I am.
All this particularly becomes acute when I am 'hailed' on the crowded Main Street with a 'Hey Grade, you w**ker!' or 'Mr Grade! Mr Grade! You're a f***ing queer!' This latest tribute to my professional status was received as I gallantly opened the door of the restaurant to allow Mrs Grade to enter ahead of me, only for the torrent of abuse to flow into the startled dining area.
Full Story: www.independent.ie
Quinn takes €20m from college capital budget [IrishExaminer]
- Published: 11 May 2011
TWO-THIRDS of the €30 million being provide to improve school buildings this summer was earmarked for labour-intensive projects on third-level campuses.
The €20m Education Minister Ruairi Quinn is putting towards the fund — in addition to €41.2m already announced for a summer works scheme six weeks ago — is being diverted from his third-level capital budget. A spokesperson for the minister said the money is being moved from construction projects where progress has been slow.
When a further €10m from the Exchequer is added, it brings the investment in upgrading schools’ electrical, heating, roofs, playgrounds and other non-emergency works in the next few months to more than €70m.
The 230 primary and 144 schools to benefit are in addition to 453 given clearance at the end of March to proceed with planned works. Mr Quinn said yesterday’s announcement will create 2,880 jobs in construction, when a further €10m to be spent next year is included.
Full Story: www.examiner.ie
Course funding in place from previous government [IrishExaminer]
- Published: 11 May 2011
FUNDING for thousands of the 15,900 places on courses being provided for unemployed people was already allocated by the last government.
Almost 6,000 of the education and training places are in third-level colleges for people who lost their jobs in sectors hit worst by the recession.
But this Higher Education Springboard programme was unveiled last December as a €20m three-year scheme and just 2,400 of the positions are as a result of the extra €2.8m now being provided.
The number of places had not previously been announced as proposals for courses were being assessed and Education Minister Ruairi Quinn will open up applications on May 25.
The extra training places have an annual cost of €19m and will cost €11.3m this year with, €8.3m to come from the Exchequer.
Scheme to take funds from other projects [IrishTimes]
- Published: 11 May 2011
PRIORITIES: THE GOVERNMENT’S new jobs initiative will be paid for in part by the reallocation of funding originally earmarked for a number of other projects.
Minister for Education Ruairí Quinn said last night that €20 million out of the €30 million being made available for the school works this year has been realised by a slow down in the third-level capital programme.
The balance of this funding is being made available by the exchequer from the proceeds of the new pension levy.
Minister for Transport Leo Varadkar said money had become available in his department as a result of delays in some projects that did not go ahead this year for contractual reasons rather than as a result of any programmes being cancelled.
He said that one of these projects was the proposed new Marlborough Street bridge.
Mr Varadkar said that the planned delivery of new buses which was scheduled to take place this year was not now going to happen until next year.
Full Story: www.irishtimes.com
