Traveller wins discrimination case over school's 'father rule' [IrishTimes]
- Published: 10 December 2010
IN A case that could have widespread implications for schools’ admission policies, the Equality Tribunal has ruled that the Christian Brothers High School in Clonmel indirectly discriminated against Travellers.
The Co Tipperary school operated a policy of prioritising applicants on three grounds: being a Roman Catholic, attending a local feeder school and having or having had a brother or father attend the school.
The tribunal found that giving priority to those who had a father in the school was indirectly discriminatory as very few Travellers of that generation had attended secondary school. Many schools have a “father rule”, giving places to the children of past pupils.
John Stokes, whose mother Mary took the case on his behalf through the Irish Traveller Movement (ITM) independent law centre, was the eldest son of the family and a pupil in the local feeder primary school. He applied to the school in November 2009 and the family was told the number of applicants exceeded the number of places. The school’s enrolment policy was outlined.
As a Roman Catholic and a pupil of the feeder school, John met two of the three criteria, but failed to get a place in the school. It was pointed out he could not meet the third criterion because as the eldest child he could not have a brother in the school, and as the first male in his family to progress to secondary school he could not have had a parent who attended the school.
Full Story: www.irishtimes.com
Loss of 50 teachers ‘a threat to viability’ of Gaelscoils [IrishExaminer]
- Published: 10 December 2010
Many of the schools will lose two teachers and Gaelscoileanna, which represents all-Irish schools outside the Gaeltacht, said it will put Irish language schools under serious threat. The extra teaching posts apply to Gaelscoils with between 76 and 257 pupils, meaning, for example, that a Gaelscoil needs 153 children to appoint a sixth teacher but an ordinary primary school needs 173. Almost 150 primary schools outside the Gaeltacht teach entirely through Irish, and the number of pupils attending them has grown by over 10,000 to more than 31,000 in a decade.
"These favourable arrangements were to help develop our schools which usually start out very small and are usually in unsuitable accommodation for the first five to 10 years," said Gaelscoileanna president, Micheál Ó Broin.
Full Story: www.irishexaminer.com
FETAC puts hold on Fás certs pending audit [IrishExaminer]
- Published: 10 December 2010
The Further Education and Training Awards Council (FETAC) is visiting all 17 Fás centres that request certificates. It has already visited six.
The stay on all certificates, apart from apprenticeships and construction related courses. emerged following a response to a Parliamentary Question asked of Tánaiste and Education Minister Mary Coughlan by Fine Gael Education spokesman Fergus O’Dowd last night.
He asked Ms Coughlan why FETAC was carrying out audits at some Fás centres and "the precise number of individual cases which were the subject of the recent Fás communication to FETAC regarding certification queries from the north-east".
In her response Ms Coughlan said that during the implementation of a new Training Standards System in the northeast, "significant processing issues in respect of a small number of courses were identified by Fás giving rise to errors on certificate requests for 53 learners on six courses". "No certificates had issued to learners," she said. "However, as a result of these issues, Fás decided to undertake a more detailed review. FETAC are now conducting an examination of the issues with Fás, involving visits to all Fás centres that request certificates from FETAC."
Full Story: www.irishexaminer.com
Tánaiste unveils plans for new multi-million euro Monaghan Education Campus [education.ie]
- Published: 10 December 2010
The Tánaiste and Minister for Education and Skills, Mary Coughlan TD, today unveiled plans for the new Monaghan Education Campus during an event at the Hillgrove Hotel, Monaghan Town, Co Monaghan.
The new Education Campus will be built on the site of the former Military Barracks in Monaghan Town and will comprise a new primary school, post-primary school and Institute of Further Education.
A new 16-classroom primary school will be built for Gaelscoil Ultain.
Gaelscoil Ultain had 20 pupils when it first opened in 1987, and now caters for over 220 pupils.
A new 400-pupil post-primary school will be built at the former barracks for Coláiste Oiriall.
Coláiste Oiriall caters for students in the immediate Monaghan area and also from Crossmaglen, Co Armagh and Cookstown in Co Tyrone.
The Monaghan Institute of Further Education and Training (MIFET) will also have a presence in the campus, with a 700-student Institute bringing MIFET'S five locations in Monaghan together in the one campus.
Speaking at the Hillgrove Hotel today, the Tánaiste said: "This is a wonderful example of using our resources creatively and developing first-class educational institutions without having to purchase new sites.
Full Story: www.education.ie
Report: General Election may be delayed until March [IrishExaminer]
- Published: 09 December 2010
It was reported there was a furious row at Cabinet last Tuesday when the Greens were told there would not be time for climate change and political donation laws to be enacted.
Labour leader Eamon Gilmore has challenged the Tánaiste to say if the election - initially called by the Greens for the end of January - would now be delayed.
Meanwhile, there are divisions emerging within Fianna Fáil over who should lead the party to the polls.
Full Story: www.irishexaminer.com
