Sligo children learn saving is better than illegal money-lending [sligotoday.ie]
- Published: 17 February 2011
Three students of St Edward’s National School in Ballytivnan were recently rewarded for their artistic efforts to get across an important message – saving money is better than illegal borrowing. Paris Sheridan, Ryan Reynolds and Oisin Anderson were the prize winners in the Smart Save poster design competition organised by an action group that works to combat illegal money-lending in Sligo Town.
Communities Against Illegal Money-lending in Sligo (CAILM) comprises a range of organizations who deal with the dire effects of debt and loan sharks in Sligo. Representatives of this group Sligo Credit Union, Sligo Education Centre, MABS and RAPID came together to highlight this issue in primary schools so that children may be encourage to bring the message home and start their own savings habits early. Sligo Credit Union, which visits St Edwards NS every month so children can lodge their pocket money, rewarded the prize winners with a contribution to their Credit Union account and an arts supply voucher was also presented to each winner.
The issue of illegal money-lending is a constant spectre in the lives of low income households in Sligo, and especially when unemployment, dependency and mounting bills are a feature. The illegal money-lenders or loan sharks seem to know the times when struggling parents are most vulnerable such as when there’s back to school, communion, Christmas and new babies to buy for. Their approach is usually friendly and helpful “need a few bob for the new pram?” but behind the smile lies the grim reality – exorbitant interest rates (200%) and non-existent record-keeping that means the client will never be free of the loan shark’s clutches. CAILM members are very aware of the extent of the problem of illegal money-lending and would welcome help in spreading the message that there are alternatives to illegal borrowing.
Full Story: www.sligotoday.ie
Irish parents call for multi-faith schools [irishcentral.com]
- Published: 17 February 2011
Most Irish parents would prefer their children to attend state-run multi faith schools as opposed to church-run schools, according to a new survey from the Irish Primary Principals Network.
As part of the Red C survey, over 300 parents with children aged under 15 years were asked a series of questions regarding religion in primary schools.
Parents were asked whether they would prefer a school managed by and promoting the faith of a particular religion, or a school managed by the state with equal status and opportunity for all religions.
The results of the survey showed that parents voted three-to-one in favor of the state option.
The survey also showed that parents wanted less time spent on learning religion and more time on activities such as physical education.
Full Story: www.irishcentral.com
Accused in Phoebe Prince trial seeks to have charges dropped [irishcentral.com]
- Published: 17 February 2011
Lawyers have filed motions stating the charges against Austin Renaud, 19, for the statutory rape of 15-year-old Phoebe Prince should be dropped.
Renaud's lawyer Terrence Dunphy said, in the first motion, that "the indictment alleges that a sexual act took place but does not define the time, date or place of the alleged sexual assault. The government, due to the untimely death of the young lady, is unable to produce such evidence of sexual assault and will be unable to produce in the future credible, admissible evidence that a sexual act occurred and that the act constituted intercourse and that those actions or events happened within the jurisdiction of this court.”
In the second motion he said there is "credible evidence" of Renaud's remorse at the death of Prince, which was not presented to the grand jury. He added that his client "denied any sexual relationship with Ms. Prince" and that he was "interview without an attorney and with the presence of his parent.”
Dunphy said the motions were filed because "we’re trying to negotiate a settlement.” He also said there was a delay in filing the motions because of the recent transition in the DA's office.
Full Story: www.irishcentral.com
Charges filed over Pheobe Prince suicide [irishecho.com]
- Published: 17 February 2011
Jim Smith March 31, 2010 BOSTON --- Nine teenagers are being criminally charged for their actions leading up to the suicide of 15-year-old Irish high school student Phoebe Prince. “It appears that Phoebe’s death on January 14 followed a torturous day for her, in which she was subjected to verbal harassment and threatened physical abuse,” said Northwestern District Attorney Elizabeth Scheibel at a press conference Monday following completion of her ten week probe into allegations that Prince was bullied for months by a group of students at South Hadley High School in western Massachusetts.
“The investigation revealed relentless activities directed toward Phoebe to make it impossible for her to stay at school,” Scheibel said. “The bullying for her was intolerable.”
Scheibel also revealed that some of the bullying had occurred in front of school staff, who did virtually nothing to stop it. She said that Prince’s mother had spoken to at least two staff members about the bullying, to no avail.
Although she concluded that the inactions of the staff did not rise to the level of criminal conduct, Scheibel called their behavior “troublesome.”
Three of the accused teens are unnamed because of their age. The six who are named include Sean Mulveyhill and Kayla Narey, who are charged with violation of civil rights with bodily injury resulting, criminal harassment, and disturbance of a school assembly. Mulveyhill and another boy, Austin Renaud, are also charged with statutory rape, the circumstances of which Scheibel declined to discuss.
Full Story: www.irishecho.com
In my opinion: Catholic schools are part of the solution, not the problem [Independent.ie]
- Published: 16 February 2011
Catholic Schools Week was recently celebrated throughout Ireland. The 2011 theme, Rooted in Jesus Christ, is inspired by Pope Benedict XVI's Pastoral Letter to the Catholics of Ireland which was published last March.
So what are we celebrating and what is unique about a Catholic school? In our schools pupils learn of the world and themselves in a context shaped and sustained by the extraordinary reality of God who became man in Jesus Christ. Our pupils are invited to engage with Jesus Christ who gives life a new horizon and a definitive direction.
If the Christian faith is about an encounter with the person of Jesus, then our catechesis has to move beyond the "discourse, concepts and rules" of which Pope Benedict XVI has spoken and which has for so often dominated our catechesis, into a catechesis which introduces us more directly into knowledge of Jesus the person.
Accordingly, on January 5 last, Irish bishops published Share the Good News, the first National Directory for Catechesis in Ireland. This directory sets out a 10-year strategy for the Irish church. It has many implications for schools and is receiving the close attention of the school community.
This directory says that parents/guardians hold the key role in the faith formation of their children, supported and aided by the parish and the school. For this reason, in baptism, parents pledge themselves to become their own children's catechists.
Full Story: www.independent.ie
