End transfer chaos of postcode lottery [belfasttelegraph.co.uk]
- Published: 09 October 2010
This newspaper - backed up by thousands of parents - has repeatedly urged Education Minister, Caitriona Ruane, and her Executive colleagues to sort out the chaos surrounding the transfer procedure to second-level education.
Sadly, the issue remains unresolved and pupils and parents throughout the province will again begin the process of sitting selection tests in a few weeks time with all the attendant stress.
As we report today, pupils wishing to attend grammar schools in the province may well face disappointment depending - not on their grades or marks as should be the case - but on where they live. Essentially a postcode lottery could determine if they are admitted to the school of their choice. Some schools in Belfast only accepted pupils who achieved the highest grades or marks this year while others in places like Londonderry, Omagh and Armagh were willing to take pupils with much lower achievement.
Full Story: www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk
Schools positive about working together through shared project [impartialreporter.com]
- Published: 08 October 2010
Progress reports provided by five participating school principals gave a flavour of the achievements of the Fermanagh Trust Shared Education Programme in its first year.
Representing the primary and post primary sector, they shared their experiences last Thursday afternoon as an independent report - reviewing the first year of the FTSEP - was launched at the Lough Erne Resort Hotel in Enniskillen.
The positive impact the ground-breaking pilot initiative has had on almost 1,900 participating pupils and 50 schools throughout Fermanagh since its outset in September 2009 was discussed by a number of speakers.
And with almost 104,000 hours of shared education having taken place during the first year, the overriding finding of the report was that the FTSEP had resulted in a significant level of cross-community contact between schools and pupils in Fermanagh.
Cross-border contact was delivered in some of the partnerships with the Programme including three schools from the Republic of Ireland.
98% of participating primary school teachers and pupils felt that the Programme resulted in greater opportunities for inter-sector sharing and collaboration. 100% of participating post-primary pupils felt that the Programme helped to reduce fear, suspicion and mistrust of the other community – in fact 62% felt this was either fully or mostly achieved.
Full Story: www.impartialreporter.com
Experts question value of homework for school kids in Ireland [schooldays.ie]
- Published: 08 October 2010
The importance of giving primary and secondary school children homework has been questioned by education experts.
Yesterday (October 7th 2010), the Irish Primary Principals' Network (IPPN) stated that there were "serious concerns" about giving young children homework.
Members of the IPPN were speaking at the Oireachtas Committee on Education meeting and said that there were a number of negative elements associated with giving work for kids to do at home.
Director of the group Sean Cottrell suggested that it reduced the amount of quality time parents were able to spend with their youngsters and caused a lot of stress between them.
He stated that effective teaching during school hours was much more important.
Earlier this month, the Galway Advertiser advised parents to help their kids with homework.
Full Story: www.schooldays.ie
School homework has 'no real benefit' [rte.ie]
- Published: 08 October 2010
There is little evidence to suggest that school homework in its current form has any real benefit, according to a primary school principals' group.
In a submission paper to the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Curriculum Reform, The Irish Primary Principals Network says the role of homework in the education system 'requires serious research and analysis.'
IPPN says that principals and teachers have serious concerns about the impact of homework.
The Network has highlighted nine areas of concern in its submission paper to the committee.
It says 'effective teaching in the classroom, which differentiates both children's learning styles and learning abilities far outweighs any value of homework.'
Full Story: www.rte.ie
Common sense on education [Independent.ie]
- Published: 08 October 2010
WHAT a fascinating proposition: homework is of no real benefit to the primary school pupil. The arguments put forward by the Irish Primary Principals Network (IPPN), which represents nine out of 10 primary schools, have a ring of common sense and show a practical insight into modern Irish home life.
The suggestion is that good teaching in the classroom ought to preclude a homework load which creates stress between children and their parents and reduces the amount of quality time they can share.
The study shows that some parents feel embarrassed and inadequate when they find they are unable to help their child with a problem. Often the homework is set at a level too high for an individual child. What feelings of lonely helplessness must that induce, whereas, in the classroom, an understanding teacher can nurture and reassure a child of limited ability.
The principals found that inexperienced teachers frequently over-prescribe homework. Some teachers do so because they believe parents expect it and some parents believe that a lot of homework is the sign of a good teacher.
Full Story: www.independent.ie
