Scheme billed as a landmark in child education [Independent.ie]
- Published: 31 August 2010
THE free pre-school year for all children was first outlined in the April 2009 emergency Budget.
It replaced the early childhood supplement which was worth €1,100 and was intended for childcare costs.
The scheme was billed as a landmark development in the provision of early childhood care and education services, an area where Ireland's record was one of the worst in the OECD.
It is expected that 60,000 children -- or 90pc of those in the year before school -- will take part from next month.
Full Story: www.independent.ie
Parents of 130 child truants face fines or prison [Independent.ie]
- Published: 31 August 2010
PARENTS of more than 130 children are facing potential jail sentences or fines before the courts as authorities take a tough stance on serial school truants.
More than 100,000 primary- and secondary-school pupils miss 20 days or more of classes each year, while more than 57,000 are absent each day.
Authorities have been working to stamp out 'chronic absenteeism' where families have been deemed to have turned a blind eye to young people skipping classes.
There are currently 137 cases involving a court summons, with 57 issued since January over children missing high levels of schooling, new figures reveal.
So far this year the courts have meted out 27 convictions, with parents of five children getting custodial sentences.
Full Story: www.independent.ie
Stay Safe lessons still optional in many schools [eircom.net]
- Published: 31 August 2010
As almost 3,300 primary schools reopen this week, children's charity Barnardos said there is no reason why Stay Safe should still be an optional programme for primary schools.
The Department of Education said a survey which 80% of primary schools responded to showed that, while 92% of schools use Stay Safe, 123 were not teaching it last year. Although 76 of these were using an alternative child protection course, the figures suggest around 60 primary schools nationally offer no such classes for their pupils.
Stay Safe is used in the social, personal and health education (SPHE) curriculum to teach children to recognise an unsafe situation and tell an adult about it. They also learn how to respond to unwanted touching and to know it is all right to say "no" if asked to do something wrong or dangerous.
Full Story: news.eircom.net
Few tears for tiny tots on very first day of big school [Independent.ie]
- Published: 31 August 2010
RECORD numbers of pupils are back in primary school this week as enrolments top the 510,000 mark for the first time.
And the upward trend looks set to continue for the foreseeable future with more than 75,000 recorded births in 2008, the highest for more than a century, and a similarly high number in 2009.
In Dublin, there were few tears as 44 children started their first day in Junior Infants at a city centre school.
The two new classes took to the new environment with gusto, Noirin Flynn, the acting principal of the Mater Dei primary school on Basin Lane, said.
Full Story: www.independent.ie
Children roll up with anxious parents as primary schools open for new term [IrishTimes]
- Published: 30 August 2010
JOSHUA TAYLOR (4) was up at 6am yesterday, packing and repacking his bag for his first day of school in Portlaoise. His principal Gerry Breslin was probably more nervous though as he prepared to open the doors of the Educate Together school for the first time.
Some 33 junior infants, senior infants, first and second class students are enrolled in the multidenominational school in the centre of the town.
They are among 510,300 pupils going to primary schools and special schools around the State this week. While tomorrow is the official start to the primary school year, schools were allowed to open yesterday and today. Some schools chose to do this so they could take those days off at a time that suited.
Some 352,800 post-primary pupils are enrolled for this year and they began their return last week. By tomorrow, the State’s 4,025 primary, post-primary and special needs schools will be open for business.
Full Story: www.irishtimes.com
