Truancy reaches record levels in primary schools [guardian.co.uk]
- Published: 29 March 2011
Truancy in England's state primary schools reached record levels last year, official figures show.
Primary-age pupils missed 0.67% of school sessions due to "unauthorised absence" in 2009-10 – almost a 5% increase on 2008-09, when it stood at 0.64%.
The overall truancy rate for all schools in England dropped marginally to 1.04%, from 1.05% the year before, according to statistics published by the Department for Education.
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Colleges 'obsessed' with rank [independent.ie]
- Published: 29 March 2011
UNIVERSITIES in Ireland and elsewhere are obsessed with international rankings, according to a worldwide study published by an Irish academic.
The study quotes research which shows that some Irish employers are increasingly looking for graduates from particular universities.
Dr Ellen Hazelkorn, from the Dublin Institute of Technology, said that a university's reputation consistently ranks among the top 10 reasons worldwide why employers want to hire graduates.
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HSE will halt childcare role as Fitzgerald sets up new agency [herald.ie]
- Published: 29 March 2011
THE HSE is to be stripped of its childcare role with the setting up of a new national agency dedicated to child protection.
Children's Minister Frances Fitzgerald said the new agency would strip away the "procrastination, the deception and evasion" that allowed abusers to go unpunished.
Ms Fitzgerald added that the country had been shamed by the neglect and violence meted out to children over the decades.
Launching a consultation with youngsters on a five-year national children's strategy, the minister said work will begin immediately on setting up the new body.
Full Story: www.herald.ie
New child protection plans unveiled [Independent.ie]
- Published: 28 March 2011
A new national agency dedicated to child protection will strip away the procrastination, deception and evasion that has allowed abusers to go unpunished, Children's Minister Frances Fitzgerald said.
Ms Fitzgerald said the country had been shamed by the neglect and violence meted out to children over the decades as she launched a consultation with youngsters on a five-year national children's strategy.
The minister said work will begin immediately on setting up the new body, which will remove child protection and welfare services from the Health Service Executive.
"A body dedicated to child protection, a body dedicated to the safety of our children and a body dedicated to stripping away the procrastination, the deception and evasion that has allowed abusers go unpunished," Ms Fitzgerald said.
The minister said the country needed a new start in the area of child protection with higher standards, claiming there had been a lack of action in the past.
And she again reiterated her hope that a Children's Rights referendum would be held this year.
Full Story: www.independent.ie
Forum to examine school patronage [IrishTimes]
- Published: 28 March 2011
Minister for Education Ruairí Quinn has set up an expert group to decide how up to half of all primary schools will be moved away from Catholic Church patronage.
The forum will be chaired by Prof John Coolahan, professor emeritus at NUI Maynooth, and will meet for the first time in May.
Dr Coolahan will be assisted by Fionnuala Kilfeather, former chief executive of the National Parents' Council, and Dr Caroline Hussey, former registrar and deputy president at UCD.
They will advise the Minister on how best it can be ensured that the education system provides a sufficiently diverse number and range of primary schools catering for all religions and none and the practicalities of how transferof patronage should operate for individual primary schools in communities where it is appropriate and necessary.
The current economic climate and the willingness of the Catholic Church to consider divesting patronage will be taken into account.
Full Story: www.irishtimes.com
