Diary of a schoolteacher: How a chess match made me and my students mates [Independent.ie]
- Published: 16 February 2011
'Well, lads," I called over my shoulder while motoring along the highway, "we're going to see how the other half lives!"
It was a couple years ago and for some reason the deputy principal, that under-qualified but overworked flunkey, had designated me chess teacher.
All those Tuesday lunch breaks when I had conveniently doubled-up corridor duty with chess class had set us on the road to round one of the ESB Chess Competition.
Yes, the ESB; they're not just all about bills and blokes eating breakfast rolls while reading the Daily Star in a van all morning. They also play their part promoting the intellectual and noble game of chess.
Anyway, the ESB were running an inter-schools tournament and plain old St Wayne's was pitched against the crenellated aristocracy of Sterling Park, my name for a well-known posh school that produces barristers, politicians and engineers from the sons of barristers, politicians and engineers.
I had four fantastic young men, drawn from third and fifth year, all enthusiastic and chatting away unreservedly with me on the two-hour trip to the mighty Sterling Park.
Needless to say, my team were drawn from the ranks of tilers, odd-job men and the unemployed, nothing of which meant that they weren't decent chess players.
Eventually we arrived at the gates of the castle and its glorious grounds, the driveway stretching and turning towards the castle. I stopped the car so they could look, expecting to hear groans of resentment.
Full Story: www.independent.ie
Anger over proposal to charge for oral Irish [Independent.ie]
- Published: 16 February 2011
PARENTS groups are angry over plans to charge students who want to take optional oral Irish in the Junior Cert.
The Department of Education and Skills will not pay any money to cover the cost of exam-iners even though it wants more schools to offer the oral test.
However, at talks with unions and managers last week, officials suggested schools could charge up to €10 per student.
But there are fears that if the principle of payment is accepted, students would be asked to pay extra for other optional parts of exams such as orals in French, German and Italian.
The oral fee would be in addition to the €103 charge that students already have to pay for sitting the Junior Cert.
The additional charge would be used to pay teachers to carry out the orals in their own schools or in schools nearby.
But last night the president of the National Parents' Council (post primary) Tommy Walshe said that charging extra for the orals was not acceptable.
Full Story: www.independent.ie
Kids’ cycling programme could end due to lack of funds [westmeathexaminer.ie]
- Published: 16 February 2011
A cycling programme aimed at educating young people with regard to healthy lifestyle skills which started in 2006, may not be able to continue due to a lack of funding.
The Cycle Safe programme offered by Westmeath Sports Partnership in conjunction with the HSE and Westmeath County Council, has hit a brick wall with funding for the programme which is offered to fifth and sixth year primary school pupils across Westmeath.
Over the last five years the programme has been delivered to primary schools across the county resulting in a total of 1700 children being trained. However looking ahead to this year’s training schedule, the Cycle Safe Programme faces a major hurdle, in that their Cyclesafe van, a 01 registered vehicle purchased in 2006, is in need of replacement.
Full Story: www.westmeathexaminer.ie
YouTube Newstalk YouTube digital debate receives over 1,700 questions & almost 20,000 vote [newstalk.ie]
- Published: 16 February 2011
The first phase of the Newstalk YouTube digital debate has now ended and we have received more than 1,700 questions and almost 20,000 votes. Now, it is over to the party leaders.
The 10 most popular questions have been sent to the party leaders who will record a short video response to each.
These video responses will be uploaded on the You Tube channel hosting the digital debate on Friday February 18th and the public will have an opportunity to vote on the best answers between then and February 24th.
Below is the list of the Top 10 most popular questions
ECONOMY
Would it not be wise to bring various economists to the cabinet? People with real financial know-how. Also, why not have politicians appointed to ministerial jobs according to their qualifications?
What is your party going to do about the millions of euros of oil and natural gas that we currently give away 100% tax free to global corporations?
JOBS
Everyday we are seeing successful businesses close due to extortionate rent rates that are non negotiable due to clauses in leases. How will your government tackle this issue, both to maintain existing business and encourage new business?
Ireland has the best wind resources in the EU, yet state development in this sector has been terrible. With the resources naturally available to us we could resurrect our construction industry and become a major energy exporter. Why not support this?
Full Story: www.newstalk.ie
Education Issues for Party Political Canvassers
- Published: 16 February 2011
Important Education Issues Urgently Needing Debate
Education seems to have slipped off the election agenda
• Capitation Grant reduction:
o Primary schools already dependant on fund raising
o Grant for operational costs to be cut by a further 5%
• General Allocation of Special Education Needs Resources:
o Review completed, but not published. Because of increased enrolment in most schools and corresponding increase in numbers of children with SEN – if the DES applied the existing ratio of support services per school it would require additional teachers and SNAs – review must be published
• Class size:
o Average class size 28 – largest in Europe
• Cap on Special Needs Assistants:
o Number of children with SEN increasing as population also increases
o Cap on SNAs will result in more children being unable to attend mainstream schools
• Moratorium on permanent teaching posts:
o Permanent teaching positions being appointed as temporary teachers only – questionable practice under employment law – undermining teaching profession leaving schools in a state of uncertainty
• Dismantling of In School Management structure:
o Assistant Principals and Special Duties Teachers not being replaced – key in-school management capacity being taken out of schools
• School Buildings:
o Millions of euros wasted on renting prefab classrooms – need for an effective strategy to spend budget available – does the DES need to be involved in the minutia of prioritizing and sanctioning school building projects – outsource?
• Reduction in numbers of English as an Additional Language (EAL) teachers:
o Contrary to popular belief, the vast majority of immigrant families with school going children have not repatriated – the impact of losing EAL teachers on the other children in class will negatively affect efforts to improve literacy standards in schools
• Reduction of supports for Traveller education:
o The integration of traveller children into mainstream classes present many challenges for schools – to remove resource teachers for traveller children and visiting teacher service for travellers children will undo much of what has been achieved in recent years
• School transport:
o Bus Eireann transport in rural areas no longer freely available
o Schools that have amalgamated – school transport provided to facilitate the amalgamation now being withdrawn
