Teaching unions kick to touch on meetings ban [Independent.ie]
- Published: 26 August 2010
SECONDARY teachers have delayed a decision about lifting directives banning parent-teacher and planning meetings outside of school hours.
An ASTI committee decided to refer the matters to a special meeting on September 11.
The Teachers' Union of Ireland executive will discuss the issues tomorrow.
Both unions had rejected the revised pay deal while primary teachers' union, the INTO, accepted it.
Full Story: www.independent.ie
'Specialised uniforms can defeat the aim of dress codes’ [IrishExaminer]
- Published: 26 August 2010
EXPENSIVE specialised uniforms can defeat the aim of dress codes designed to put all pupils on the same level at school, a parents’ leader claims.
The restrictive choices for parents on what brands and crests they need to have on their children’s uniforms and school sportswear is becoming more of a difficulty, according to National Parents Council-Primary (NPC-P) chief executive Áine Lynch.
As the St Vincent de Paul and children’s welfare organisation Barnardos warned this week that rising costs are creating huge financial pressures for families, she said schools must consult more with parents about their uniforms as well as the cost implications of changing school booklists regularly.
"There can be a big difference in price between a very specialised uniform from a specialist shop and buying generic items from a department store that crests can be sewn onto," Ms Lynch said.
Full Story: www.irishexaminer.com
Some families forced to wait a month to get allowance [IrishExaminer]
- Published: 26 August 2010
MORE than four-in-five of the record 160,000-plus applications for help with the cost of uniforms have been processed but families in some parts of the country must still wait up to a month after applying.
Families have until the end of September to apply to the HSE for the Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance, but up to last Friday there were 10,000 more claims than the same time last year. Almost €59 million had been paid out to 109,500 households in the same time, €5m of it last week alone.
Applications are being finalised in just three days in some regions, such as the east of the country, but a surge in claims in Galway, Mayo and Roscommon in recent weeks meant 7,300 of the 14,500 forms received there were awaiting consideration. The latest indications from the HSE are that it is taking staff between a week and a month to finalise claims there, while an average wait of a month can be expected for those families applying for help in mid-west counties of Clare, Limerick and north Tipperary.
Full Story: www.irishexaminer.com
Coughlan has no plans for guidelines on uniforms [IrishExaminer]
- Published: 26 August 2010
EDUCATION Minister Mary Coughlan has said she has no plans to issue guidelines or direct schools to make uniforms less expensive despite the pressures on some families to meet the costs.
However, the Consumers Association of Ireland (CAI) has called on her department to take a more active role in discouraging policies that make some schools’ uniforms far more expensive than those in others.
The Tánaiste said school uniforms, just like other policy areas, remain the responsibility of those running the country’s 4,000 primary and second-level schools.
"Decisions regarding school uniforms are a matter for the board of management of each individual school. My department has not issued specific guidance on the matter," she said.
Full Story: www.irishexaminer.com
Schools urged to drop costly uniform crests [Herald.ie]
- Published: 26 August 2010
SCHOOLS have been urged to abandon expensive uniforms and take the pressure off cash-strapped parents.
National Consumer Agency chief executive Ann Fitzgerald has called on schools to reduce the need for compulsory crests on uniforms.
She said all schools need to be "sensitive to the monetary pressures" which "prescriptive school uniforms" place on parents.
However, Tanaiste and Education Minister Mary Coughlan has refused to direct the schools to avoid the type of uniform that restricts parents getting the best value.
School uniforms vary from one school to the next. Some have jumpers, tracksuits and jackets which all carry the school crest and can only be bought from one supplier.
Full Story: www.herald.ie
