Catholic partnership sets out markers on what changes it may find acceptable [IrishTimes]
- Published: 07 April 2011
ANALYSIS: The Catholic Church will not give up control of primary schools easily
THE 8,000-WORD position paper prepared by the Catholic Schools Partnership is an impressive document which outlines in a measured way the contribution made by Catholic schools to Irish society.
The partnership unveiled the document in St Patrick’s National School in Diswellstown, west Dublin. With 45 nationalities and children of all faiths and none, it’s the kind of school which represents the new, inclusive face of Catholic education in modern Ireland.
Full Story: www.irishtimes.com
Schools say changes must be voluntary [IrishTimes]
- Published: 07 April 2011
CATHOLIC SCHOOLS will resist any moves to impose changes in patronage against their will and without the agreement of parents and the wider school community.
In a position paper published yesterday, the Catholic Schools Partnership said the process of transferring some Catholic schools to other patrons must not be rushed since this would draw hostility and resentment.
The partnership – a group providing support for all partners in the Republic’s Catholic schools – called for a lengthy period of consultation and said changes should only be considered after a series of pilot studies were assessed.
By contrast, Minister for Education Ruairí Quinn envisages a speedy timetable, where the process could begin by January. The Minister envisages that 50 per cent of the church’s 3,000 primary schools could be transferred to other patrons.
Full Story: www.irishtimes.com
Catholic group plays down school patronage reports [IrishExaminer]
- Published: 07 April 2011
CATHOLIC Church representatives have said reports that up to 50% of Catholic schools will be transferred to other patrons under a new Government initiative are "way over the top".
The Catholic Schools Partnership (CSP) expressed concern yesterday that reports of the 50% figure had raised fears that some Catholic schools might be forced to relinquish patronage against their will.The CSP — which was established jointly by the Irish Bishops’ Conference and the Conference of Religious in Ireland — described the 50% figure which has been mentioned by Education Minister Ruairi Quinn as "way over the top."
Full Story: www.examiner.ie
Sacrament preparation may move out of school [Independent.ie]
- Published: 07 April 2011
PARENTS could end up taking responsibility for preparing their children for sacraments such as Confirmation outside school hours.
In a ground-breaking move, the Catholic Church has softened its view that the religious instruction of pupils must be part of the school curriculum.
A church education body is suggesting that faith formation of young children could take place within the parish, but outside the school day.
It represents a significant shift in Catholic Church thinking as work gets under way on how to transfer some of the 92pc of primary schools under its control to other patron bodies.
Up to now, the church has held to the principle that pupils must be taught faith formation during school hours and that parents' rights in that regard would have to be respected in any handover.
Full Story: www.independent.ie
Why too much praise may harm our kids [Independent.ie]
- Published: 07 April 2011
We're all guilty of it. "Wow! That picture is brilliant! You're so clever! You're such a great speller! You're so good at maths!"
Self-esteem is everything these days, so we all fall over ourselves trying to convince our kids that they can do no wrong. Success, we understand, will follow as night follows day.
But new research shows that the wrong kind of praise will actually set your child back. It can demoralise them and give them a fear of failure. Nurture Shock by science journalists Po Bronson and Ashley Merryman suggests that when it comes to rearing children, much of the accepted wisdom is backfiring.
"We tell kids 'you're so smart' or 'you're so clever' after a single test," says Merryman, discussing the inverse power of praise. "But what happens tomorrow when they don't get a perfect mark? 'I'm sorry, I guess you're not so clever after all'. We think that building self-esteem leads to more achievement, but what it actually does is it gets kids so attached to these labels that they don't want to do anything that would jeopardise them."
Full Story: www.independent.ie
