IPPN

Class overcrowding lessened by smaller schools [clarepeople.com]

Published: 13 September 2010

Just over a quarter of Clare school children are in classes of more than 30 pupils. The average class size in Clare is 23.3 pupils, less than the national average of 24.12 however. The low average class size in the county is attributed to the number of small rural schools, and the 15 per cent of pupils being educated in primary school classes of 20 pupils and less. The majority of the 13,062 national school children in Clare - 59 per cent - are in classes or between 20 to 29 pupils, with 26 per cent in classes of 30 and more. According to the primary teacher’s union, the INTO, the problem of overcrowded classes is getting worse, particularly in urban areas.

Claire Gallagher

Full Story: www.clarepeople.com

Principals fear winter of discontent over duties [IrishExaminer]

Published: 10 September 2010

SCHOOL principals fear a winter of discontent for the country’s 730 second-level schools if teacher unions do not lift industrial action in their continuing opposition to the Croke Park pay deal.

The first of two crucial meetings of the second-level unions takes place tomorrow. Ahead of these meetings the National Association of Principals and Deputy Principals (NAPD) said it would be very helpful to keep schools running properly if they agree to suspend a number of directives in place since the last school year.

There is an order in place by the Association of Secondary Teachers Ireland (ASTI) and Teachers’ Union of Ireland (TUI) that members must not take on duties of middle management positions left vacant because of a ban on promotions.

Full Story: www.irishexaminer.com

Kilkenny children to learn craft skills in the classroom [advertiser.ie]

Published: 10 September 2010

Knitting, sewing, woodwork and metalwork are some of the new craft skills that are to be introduced to the primary school curriculum in a new venture announced by the Crafts Council of Ireland.(CCoI).

The CCOI has announced details of its restructured primary schools craft programme aimed at teaching children a wide range of skills.

The CRAFTed: Learning Skills for Life Primary School Programme, undertaken in partnership with Education Centres in six regions across the country and the National Museum of Ireland, will take place during the 2010/11 academic year.

It was officially launched by the Minister for Education and Skills, Mary Coughlan, in Kilkenny Education Centre on Tuesday last.

The programme gives primary school children and teachers an exciting opportunity to explore their creativity and learn new skills by working collaboratively with professional craftspeople.

Over 900 pupils in 36 schools right across the country — including Kilkenny — will be participating in the CRAFTed programme.

Announcing the details of the programme Louise Allen, education and awareness manager of the Crafts Council of Ireland, said craft processes provide a unique opportunity for learning in a range of subject areas through hands-on experience.

Full Story: www.advertiser.ie

Tánaiste defends Irish record on educational spend [advertiser.ie]

Published: 10 September 2010

The Tanaiste and Minister for Education and Skills, Mary Coughlan was in Kilkenny this week where she defended the government’s record on spending on education.

The government was slammed in a recent OECD report published this week which stated that the Irish government ranked 29th out of 33 countries for their investment in education amounting to just 4.7 per cent of the GDP.

“The government spend on education in this country is above average when taken in context,” the Tanaiste told the Kilkenny Advertiser.

“And although we are in very difficult economic times, my department continues to invest in special education, replacement of teachers and in capital programmes, ie school buildings. We have also invested heavily in capital technology and I know that other ministerial colleagues of mine have had to give up a lot in their departments in order for the government to be able to do this. We have to look at the positives in times like these. In Ireland our literacy levels are very good and because of our significant investment we offer a broad variety of curriculum choices to students unlike the UK where my ministerial counterpart has been criticised for having a too-focussed education system.”

Full Story: www.advertiser.ie

Children 'should learn how to talk about cyber-bullying' [schooldays.ie]

Published: 10 September 2010

Primary and secondary school children have been encouraged to talk about cyber-bullies so that they do not face problems of depression.

Carphone Warehouse has teamed up with Professor Mona O'Moore of the Anti-Bullying Centre in Trinity College to alert parents to the growing problem of cyber-bullying.

Speaking with the Herald, Professor O'Moore said: "Parents can make a difference by looking out for the signs of cyber-bullying such as a child becoming withdrawn, moody or depressed."

She added that reassuring children that there is no shame in being bullied and encouraging them to talk about their problems could help.

Full Story: www.schooldays.ie