Primary school transport charges set to double [IrishExaminer]
- Published: 07 November 2011
SCHOOL transport charges for primary school children will be doubled in the budget under plans being considered by the Government.
Annual charges are set to rise from €50 to €100 for individual children. The maximum charge where more than one child from a family uses transport services will also double from €110 to €220.
Rural families will be hit hardest by the measures, which will only scrape an estimated €2 million off the annual €178m school transport costs met by the Department of Education.
Junior Education Minister Ciaran Cannon faced a backlash from parents earlier this year when he drove ahead with the previous administration’s plans to introduce primary school transport charges and cut back on routes.
Full Story: www.examiner.ie
Cuts to teacher numbers just the latest broken promise from FG/Labour [fiannafail.ie]
- Published: 07 November 2011
Fianna Fáil Education Spokesperson Brendan Smith has said the Government’s pledge to protect front-line education services is the latest election promise to be discarded. It joins a long list of cynical u-turns from Fine Gael and Labour who now appear set to cut teacher numbers and increase class sizes.
“There is no excuse for cutting teacher numbers,” said Deputy Smith. “The National Recovery Plan published by the previous Government in November 2010 outlined an overall increase of 2,500 in the numbers working in education over a four year period from 2011 to 2014. The allocation for the Department of Education was maintained to allow it to protect class sizes. Fine Gael and Labour have chosen to scrap this plan and seem to have instead opted to significantly reduce teacher numbers.
“Labour and Fine Gael themselves committed to protecting front-line education services in the Programme for Government. This commitment was made following a full examination of the books at the Department of Finance and in the full knowledge of the fiscal situation. They could not have been clearer in their understanding of the financial situation or the promises they made.
Full Story: www.fiannafail.ie
Minister Quinn welcomes global delegates to major Asia-Europe Educational Conference [education.ie]
- Published: 07 November 2011
The Minister for Education and Skills, Ruairí Quinn T.D., today welcomed delegates to the 10th Asia-Europe Classroom Network Conference (AEC-NET), which is being held in Ireland for the first time.
The conference – which is being attended by over 100 teachers and educationalists from over 30 countries across Asia and Europe – will run until Friday at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Dundalk.
It is organised jointly by the Asia Europe Foundation (ASEF) and Co. Louth VEC, supported by the Department of Education and Skills.
The Asia-Europe Classroom is a programme (managed by ASEF) which brings together secondary and high schools in Asia and Europe.
It is a cyber-classroom shared by students and teachers to build networks and partnerships while implementing common online projects and participating in face-to-face exchanges.
Full Story: www.education.ie
Union condemns proposal to cut teacher numbers [IrishExaminer]
- Published: 06 November 2011
A report in today's Sunday Times said that the Education Minister Ruairi Quinn and Public Expenditure Minister Brendan Howlin are in discussions to cut the number of teachers at primary and secondary level by between 1,500-2,000.
It is believed the cuts will mean secondary schools will have an average of 20 students per teacher, while the primary school ratio will be pushed to at least 28 students per teacher by September next year.
Full Story: www.examiner.ie
Occupy protest holds maths class in bank [IrishExaminer]
- Published: 04 November 2011
A MOCK maths class, as a symbol of the absurdity of mammoth sums of money being paid to bail out the banks, was held in a Cork branch of AIB by the city’s Occupy protesters.
To the shock and surprise of staff and customers, a group of about 20 children and adults entered the South Mall branch at about 11am and began holding a class in the middle of the bank.
In what was a daring escapade filmed by local students, the children sat on the floor in front of a whiteboard as a teacher attempted to explain the figures behind the bailout.
After about a half an hour, the protesters were told they had "made their point" and were asked to move on.
Full Story: www.examiner.ie
