Row over academic staff [IrishExaminer]
- Published: 12 February 2011
THE Irish Federation of University Teachers (IFUT) has criticised the failure of the Minister for Education to appoint the nominated academic staff representative to the Board of the Higher Education Authority.
Mike Jennings, general secretary of IFUT, said while the board did contain some welcome inclusions, the decision of the minister to proceed with the appointment of a new board appears to contradict statements from Taoiseach Brian Cowen indicating that such appointments were not to be expected.
Coughlan appointee to waive fee [IrishExaminer]
- Published: 12 February 2011
A POLITICAL appointee by Tánaiste Mary Coughlan to a state board has said he will not accept the €8,250 annual fee and suggests others should follow suit. Brendan Byrne, a Fianna Fáil member of Donegal County Council, said he will not be accepting the payment due to him as a member to the Higher Education Authority (HEA) or any expenses for attending meetings.
The appointment of political associates by outgoing ministers ahead of the general election was recently criticised by Fine Gael but Ms Coughlan’s spokesperson refused to comment on the announcement of Mr Byrne as one of eight new HEA appointments.
Mr Byrne is a Donegal South West constituent of the education minister and said he has known her for many years, but he thinks it is populist for other parties to question such appointments.
“Just because you know someone and get appointed to something, it doesn’t mean you don’t have a contribution to make. I feel I have a contribution to make and I am willing to do it for nothing, it’s a personal choice,” he said.
“I’m not naive and I don’t expect anybody to follow me but perhaps others will. It’s time we go back to working for the community and getting Ireland back together and that’s my motivation,” said Mr Byrne.
He said his St Patrick’s Day trip to Chicago and New York while he was mayor of Donegal last year saved the county council around €10,000 as he paid for the trip himself. The cost of attending HEA meetings in Dublin may be up to €70 in train fares every time, but he said he wants to address issues like low college attendance rates from areas like west Donegal and ways distance learning can be provided for second-chance students.
Full Story: www.irishexaminer.com
Fine Gael's optional Irish plan gets 'no' vote - Independent.ie
- Published: 12 February 2011
YOUNG people have given Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny's plan for optional Irish in the Leaving Cert the thumbs down, writes John Walshe
An MRBI poll of 1,000 people aged 16 and over showed 61pc are in favour of compulsory Irish up to the Leaving Cert. Almost two-thirds of those polled also felt that more subjects should be taught through Irish in primary schools to encourage children to use the language more often.
Plans for super school scrapped due to ‘no funds’ [belfasttelegraph.co.uk]
- Published: 11 February 2011
Plans for a new south Belfast school have been scrapped because the Department of Education stated ‘there is no funding from central government’.
Blythefield, Donegall Road and Faye Street primary schools, all of which have spiralling costs and falling pupil numbers, were to be amalgamated at this new inner south Belfast primary school.
The local community, Belfast Education and Library Board (BELB), and the primary schools involved were all supportive of the plan for an integrated primary school which the board says would have offered a saving of £1,000 per pupil.
A site for the school has been approved on Belfast City Hospital grounds and the BELB has applied for funding for a full planning application for the site.
UUP MLA Michael McGimpsey said he had been “tirelessly working to gain the support” for the new school for the past number of years but added: “Despite requesting to meet with the Education Minister Caitriona Ruane, she refuses to discuss the proposals or provide a commitment from the Department to fund the scheme.
I am deeply frustrated that despite the fact a new school would greatly improve the educational prospects of children from deprived areas in inner South as well as substantially saving the Board thousands of pounds maintaining the 3 existing schools, the Department will not listen to the community who only wish to provide a better future for their children.
A BELB spokesperson said: “The Board has been working with the three schools, the local community, councillors and the Department of Education to secure approval for a new controlled primary school in South Belfast through an area-based, planning approach.
Full Story: www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk
Gove 'must think again on schools' [belfasttelegraph.co.uk]
- Published: 11 February 2011
The Education Secretary was told he must reconsider his decision to scrap the £55 billion Building Schools for the Future (BSF) scheme in each of the six authorities after Mr Justice Holman ruled that Mr Gove had unlawfully failed to consult them before imposing the cuts.
In five of the cases the failure was "so unfair as to amount to an abuse of power", the judge said.
The judgment leaves it doubtful that other local authorities will be able to seek a judicial review of BSF on similar grounds, after Mr Justice Holman said it was his view that it was "far too late" for them to apply. In this case, the judge said, "fortune has favoured the brave".
But the decision could leave the door open for those affected by other central or local government spending cuts to apply for a judicial review because they believe they have not been consulted.
Raising a Commons point of order moments after the court's ruling on Friday morning, shadow education minister Iain Wright said the decision had "grave implications" for the Department for Education, and called Mr Gove's "competency" into question.
The DfE insisted it had won the case on "substantive points" but the minister will look again at BSF projects in these areas, it said, and added that any final decision will lie with Mr Gove.
Full Story: www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk
