Pupils return to new school [theecho.ie]
- Published: 02 September 2010
PUPILS AT Screen NS begin their school year today (Wednesday) in a new state-of-the-art building, having spent the second half of last year at the Shelmalier GAA club’s sports’ complex.
The schools 126 pupils moved into the new sports’ complex in February while major works were being carried out at their school by Mythen Bros. Construction.
Three makeshift classrooms were arranged in the upstairs hall, which was revamped to ensure pupils and teachers wouldn’t have to shout over one another.
The ceilings were lowered and the walls properly insulated, with partitions separating the classes. The two infant classes were located downstairs in the dressing-rooms. Local people helped out greatly in the move.
Full Story: www.theecho.ie
Leitrim sees 14% jump in numbers of overcrowded classes [oceanfm.ie]
- Published: 02 September 2010
23% of primary school children in Leitrim are in classes of 30 or more- that’s a 14% jump in the last year and also above the national average.
According to the Irish Independent 1 in 5 pupils, almost 107,000 are now in overcrowded class rooms.
The number of students in Leitrim who are in overcrowded class rooms is above the national average.
According to the latest figures 23% of primary school children in Leitrim are in classes of over 30 pupils.
That’s a 14% increase in the last year and 2% higher than the national average.
The dramatic jump is mainly due to teacher cutbacks in 2008.
Sligo and Donegal both witnessed much smaller increases at about 2%.
Full Story: www.oceanfm.ie
Classes of 30 or more pupils rise by 15% [IrishExaminer]
- Published: 02 September 2010
THE number of children in primary classes of 30 pupils or more rose by 15% last year.
Almost 22% of the 490,000 children attending the country’s 3,165 mainstream primary schools, up from 19% of pupils a year earlier, were in classes of that size. The actual number is just under 107,000, compared to less than 93,000 when the figures were last compiled in September 2008, although the overall primary school population is up just 1.5%.
The data released by the Department of Education reflects changes to school staffing last autumn which meant a classroom teacher can only be appointed for every 28 children, instead of every 27 the previous year.
Full Story: www.irishexaminer.com
Greater vigilance urged on cyber-bully problem [IrishTimes]
- Published: 02 September 2010
A LEADING anti-bullying expert has urged greater vigilance from parents and schools about the growing problem of cyber-bullying, most of which occurs via mobile phone.
Prof Mona O’Moore of the Anti-Bullying Centre at Trinity College Dublin warned that cyber-bullying “must not be treated lightly”, as it can destroy a child or teenager’s social and emotional life.
It could also cause children to dislike school, underperform academically and, in the worst cases, it could lead to self-harm and suicide, she said.
A recent study showed one in four girls and one in six boys here had been involved in cyber-bullying, either as a victim, bully or both.
Most cyber-bullying (57 per cent) is carried out via mobile phone.
Text-messaging is the most common form, with almost one in three girls and 22 per cent of boys reporting having received nasty text messages in and out of school.
Full Story: www.irishtimes.com
Number of pupils in classes of 30 or more on increase [IrishTimes]
- Published: 02 September 2010
IRISH PRIMARY schools are still among the most overcrowded in Europe, with Department of Education figures showing that over 106,000 pupils are in classes of 30 or more, up from 93,000 last year.
This means that one in five primary schoolchildren are in classes of 30 pupils or over. The figures also show that some 8,000 children are still being educated in classrooms of 35 pupils or more.
Overall, the figures reveal the Republic has the second-highest average class size in the EU.
Full Story: www.irishtimes.com
