Three cases of TB found in Cork school [IrishTimes]
- Published: 23 August 2010
FINE GAEL has called for an urgent review of tuberculosis (TB) services in the Republic following the identification of three known cases of the disease at a primary school in Ballintemple in the suburbs of Cork city.
Screening is to get under way at St Finbarr’s Hospital in Cork today following the confirmation of three cases of TB at Ballintemple National School.
The outbreak was identified on August 10th and parents were notified by letter two days later. Following a risk assessment it was decided that all 220 pupils at the school be screened as a precautionary measure.
Local Fine Gael TD Deirdre Clune, and the party’s deputy leader and health spokesman James Reilly TD, said Minister for Health Mary Harney should act immediately.
Full Story: www.irishtimes.com
School grants delay will plunge families into debt [Independent.ie]
- Published: 23 August 2010
TENS of thousands of families will be plunged into debt because of delays in crucial back-to-school payments.
Health Service Executive (HSE) staff are working around the clock to process 1,000 grant applications a day.
But with the new school term only days away, and many more late applications expected, a massive 33,192 forms lie unopened.
Parents are being forced to take out credit union loans -- and some are even turning to money lenders -- to help meet the costs of new uniforms and school shoes.
The HSE admitted that some families would not receive any money until after schools re-opened.
The Limerick, Clare and north Tipperary region is the worst blackspot, where no decision has been made on almost half of all applications for the grants.
Full Story: www.independent.ie
Mum tells of panic as application refused [Independent.ie]
- Published: 23 August 2010
EVERY parent's nightmare is to see their child being picked on for being different.
Kilkenny mother-of-four Carol Cody is panicking that her children will not have a proper school uniform or new shoes as the school term looms.
The hard-working parent applied for the Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance (BTSCFA) at the beginning of the summer.
But she only got a reply last week, turning down her request -- which Carol blames on her efforts to earn a living for her family.
"I do four nights a week in Supervalu but I do under 20 hours. They tell you to go and earn, but when you work a couple of hours a week it's not worth it.
Full Story: www.independent.ie
Taking baby steps at the start of an educational journey [sbpost.ie]
- Published: 22 August 2010
‘‘It’s massively scary entrusting them to someone else on the first day," said Sandra Horgan, a mother-of-two from Lucan.
In the weeks to come, many parents will share Horgan’s nervousness as their little ones make their debuts at one of the 3,200 or so primary schools around the country.
Legally, children in Ireland must enter the education system - either in a school setting or through formal homeschooling - from the age of six.
However, the vast majority of children start school at either four or five years of age. In order to start primary school in September of a given year, your child must have already turned four by that point in the year.
The Department of Education recommends that parents who wish to enrol their child in primary school should first check the list of primary schools in their area, and then contact the school of their choice to see if there is a place available.
Given the demand for places, most schools will allocate places according to their admissions policy.
However, just how this system works will vary from school to school.
Full Story: www.sbpost.ie
Call for Coughlan to tackle issue of excessively heavy schoolbags [IrishTimes]
- Published: 21 August 2010
THE CHIROPRACTORS’ Association of Ireland has called on the Minister for Education, Mary Coughlan, to address the “unnecessary damage” being caused to children’s backs because of excessively heavy schoolbags.
“Heavily laden schoolbags place stress on growing spines and can lead to long-term back problems. If measures are not taken soon, the situation will reach a critical point,” Dr Attracta Farrell, the president of the association, said yesterday.
She referred to a 13-year-old girl she recently diagnosed with scoliosis as a result of the heavy schoolbag she was carrying. Scoliosis is a medical condition affecting the spinal cord and can, in severe instances, cause diminished lung capacity, putting pressure on the heart, she said.
The association recommends that a growing child should carry no more than 10 per cent of their body weight in their backpack. This amounts to about 4-5kg per 40-50kg student.
Full Story: www.irishtimes.com
