Education Cutbacks to Hit The Most Vulnerable
- Published: 25 January 2011
Recent education cutbacks are targeting the disadvantaged in our society most. Teachers working with Traveller children, co-ordinators for disadvantaged schools in rural areas and many of the teachers who taught English to the immigrant population are being withdrawn by the Department of Education and Skills in a cost-cutting exercise that will save nothing in the long-term.
Literacy and Numeracy - Average is Simply not Good Enough
- Published: 25 January 2011
Three out of four primary school Principals would like to see a re-structuring of the primary school curriculum to further support literacy and numeracy in the classroom. This is according to an Irish Primary Principals’ Network (IPPN) survey of over 800 Principals.
Gate crashing the school network [IrishTimes]
- Published: 25 January 2011
Where will you find the best parenting advice, gossip, information and friendship? There’s no need to go back to school – it’s the school gates where all the action happens, writes SHEILA WAYMAN
WHEN MY eldest child started school, I worked full-time outside the home and while I did the drop-off, I was rarely able to collect him. For most people in the mornings it is a case of “dump the kids and run”, but the pick-up is a more prolonged and sociable affair.
The odd time I could be there, I found those huddles of other parents at the school gate quite intimidating. I never felt like I belonged in the ranks of “proper mums” who were there day after day, comfortably trading play dates, discussing what they were making for dinner and where they were going for the mid-term break.
I would scan the chattering cliques for a friendly face who might give me a way into conversation or stand apart and feel self-conscious – until the children started to stream out and provide a welcome interruption.
Yet this curious social network of people drawn together by their children fascinated me. Having gone to a junior school in the city centre, where as infants we sat cross-legged on the floor of the corridor outside our classroom waiting for our mothers to come in and retrieve us, I was, believe it or not, in my 30s before I first encountered a lunchtime crowd on a pavement outside a national school. I wondered what on earth all those women were doing.
Full Story: www.irishtimes.com
Finding the muscle to fix our failing education system [IrishTimes]
- Published: 25 January 2011
It is time to stop commissioning reports and tiptoeing around the teacher unions. Ireland is being left behind with an inferior school system and it’s up to the new Minister for Education to stop the decline - urgent action has to be taken, writes ED WALSH
1THE SPENDING MYTH: WHY TEACHER QUALITY AND WORK PRACTICES ARE THE REAL KEY TO BETTER PERFORMANCE
Spending more does not necessarily mean that schools become better; sometimes they become worse. In the past decade, Britain increased school funding by 21 per cent and the US by 37 per cent, yet standards have slipped in both countries.
In Ireland’s case, the result has been even worse. In the past decade, funding per student has been increased in real terms by 61 per cent, yet performance has decreased by 15 per cent.
This disconcerting news was reinforced before Christmas when the international ranking of the reading, mathematics and science skills of Ireland’s 15-year-olds was published. Reading skills dropped from fifth to 17th, the sharpest drop among 39 countries, with one quarter of all 15-year-olds classified as effectively illiterate. This was more politely termed in the report as “below the level of literacy needed to participate effectively in society”.
Irish maths performance also took a dive. Over three years, it went from 16th to 26th, the second largest fall of all countries.
Full Story: www.irishtimes.com
Coughlan accused of 'cynical' new plans for 400 school repairs [Independent.ie]
- Published: 25 January 2011
EDUCATION Minister Mary Coughlan was accused last night of a "cynical political exercise" by announcing nearly 400 school building projects.
The announcement means that 10pc of the country's 4,000 schools will get either an extension, refurbishment or completely new school buildings over the next few years.
Nearly 100 projects are appearing for the first time -- the others had been named previously and are at different stages of the planning process.
Unsuitable
Included in the list for the first time is Gaelscoil Barra in Cabra, Dublin which has been waiting 15 years for a new school building.
But last night principal Sean O Donaile said he would not believe anything until he saw bricks and mortar to replace the totally unsuitable and unhealthy pre-fabs.
The Gaelscoil is one of 102 projects where briefs will be formulated this year and the process of appointing a design team will commence. Around half of the schools have appeared on the list for the first time.
They include a new school for Carrabane, Athenry, Co Galway, a new school for Scoil Naomh Padraig, Celbridge, Co Kildare, a dozen new schools or extensions of refurbishments in Co Cork and an extension of the Educate Together school in Skerries, Co Dublin.
The Tanaiste also announced that 42 schools could progress to planning permission with a view to preparing tender documents for 2011 or 2012.
Full Story: www.independent.ie
