Halo of light shines bright [sbpost.ie]
- Published: 28 February 2011
Finding the cash to make ends meet has never been easy for Irish schools, but it’s become even more difficult as parents who would traditionally have helped with fundraising efforts find their ability to do so diminished by job losses, higher taxes and falling wages.
For schools categorised as disadvantaged by the Department of Education, the challenge is even greater.
This category of school was targeted by the ESB for an initiative designed to help schools save money by reducing their energy costs.
Under the Halo programme, the ESB offered eight schools a free energy survey and then carried out the recommended remedial works.
Full Story: www.sbpost.ie
Technology to blame as standards in basic skills fall [Independent.ie]
- Published: 28 February 2011
THE increasing availability of technological aids in mobile phones and music players is having a detrimental effect on teenagers' language and maths skills.
School managers claim the increasing use of mobile phone texting, for example, is eroding standards of spelling and punctuation. In addition, the widespread availability of electronic calculators in phones, watches, music players and computers is eroding students' abilities in the most basic mathematical functions.
"Television and other technology-based entertainment are shortening everyone's attention span," the Joint Managerial Body (JMB), which represents 400 secondary schools, said.
In a submission to the Department of Education the JMB said the technology-driven culture of young people presents serious challenges to language and maths teachers.
Decline
It is fingered as one reason for the sharp decline in reading and maths standards reported in an international OECD study last year. The department has published a plan to improve literacy and numeracy, but the managers criticised the impression given that this was being undertaken to challenge an 'underperforming' workforce.
"If this perception is not actively and immediately refuted by the Minister, the Chief Inspector and Government in general, failure to achieve even the most fundamental reform is guaranteed," it warned.
Full Story: www.independent.ie
Teacher gets €900,000 in paid leave as 14-year case drags on [Independent.ie]
- Published: 28 February 2011
A TEACHER placed on paid leave amid child protection allegations is estimated to have received almost €900,000, as a probe into the claims has dragged on for 14 years.
The teacher is one of 15 receiving full pay while under investigation for the alleged abuse and neglect of primary and secondary school students.
The Irish Independent has learned that the teachers are all on paid administrative leave -- receiving an average salary of €64,000 up until last year. This has since been reduced to €57,000 as a result of cuts.
The average length of time for an investigation to be completed is between three months and seven years. But it has been confirmed that one teacher has been on leave for 14 years and has received an estimated salary of €889,000 during that time.
According to the Department of Education, an inquiry was carried out by the HSE into the case and there was a criminal process.
However, a spokesman has refused to say what the outcome of both probes was and the HSE and gardai have also refused to comment on the case.
Full Story: www.independent.ie
Cap on special needs assistants is unjust says Harkin [advertiser.ie]
- Published: 25 February 2011
The cap on special needs assistants (SNAs) and the withdrawal of the appeals system for parents where special needs assistant hours are cut or discontinued is simply unjust, said Marian Harkin MEP. Ms Harkin has called for SNA hours to be maintained throughout the primary education sector.
“I have, over the past two years, met many families who are distraught about the fact that their son/daughter with special needs is being denied the necessary SNA hours needed to ensure that their children can fully benefit from educational opportunities,” she said.
“We have the situation where special needs children are competing with other children over the hours allocated to schools. Parents often find themselves in a battle of ‘my child needs more help than yours’ and schools are placed in an extremely difficult situation, having to make decisions as to which children will benefit and which do not.
“Up to now, there was an appeals system whereby parents could appeal the decision of a special educational needs organiser (SENO) on the allocation of SNA hours to children, or refusal to grant any hours,” she added. “This facility has been withdrawn and parents feel totally helpless and excluded from the process. Sometimes I hear groups describe themselves as vulnerable and, in truth, not all of their members are. All children with special needs, starting off in primary school and those progressing through the system, are surely among the most vulnerable when they are denied the help and assistance they so desperately need. Their life chances, their opportunities to make progress in education in the world in general are very often determined by their progress, or lack of it, in primary school.
Full Story: www.advertiser.ie
Irish language in decline in Gaeltacht areas [educationmatters.ie]
- Published: 24 February 2011
According to new figues released by COGG, only 1,000 children out of the 9,500 attending Gaeltacht primary schools are native Irish speakers.
The figures were compiled by the state agency COGG (An Chomhairle um Oideachas Gaeltachta agus Gaelscolaíochta), which promotes the educational needs of all Irish schools.
They show also that 70 per cent of Gaeltacht primary schools operate with only three, or fewer, teachers.
"Any discussion of amalgamation of small rural schools, which is being proposed for economic reasons, must bear in mind the language of instruction in schools," COGG chief executive Muireann Ni Mhorain said.
Meanwhile, the increasing demand for all-Irish schools outside Gaeltacht areas is not being met. At present, 28,500 children are attending Irish-medium primary schools but the Department of Education has not sanctioned any new such schools since 2008, when four new ones opened.
Full Story: www.educationmatters.ie
