Teacher union warns of 'chaos' over failure to fill posts [IrishTimes]
- Published: 21 August 2010
THE DEPARTMENT of Education will step up efforts next week to avert threatened “chaos’’ in second-level schools this autumn.
But the second-level teaching unions – which rejected the Croke Park public service reform deal – remain strongly opposed to the revised teaching contract.
They also claim that the easing of the promotions embargo on schools does not go far enough.
Peter MacMenamin, general secretary of the Teachers Union of Ireland (TUI), has warned of “potential chaos’’ in schools from next month, with hundreds of key middle-management posts left unfilled.
Yesterday, Department of Education officials held separate talks with the two teaching unions which rejected the deal – the TUI and the Association of Secondary Teachers Ireland (ASTI).
Full Story: www.irishtimes.com
Tánaiste announces training providers approved for additional €12m under Labour Market Activation Fund [education.ie]
- Published: 20 August 2010
The Tánaiste and Minister for Education and Skills, Ms. Mary Coughlan TD, today, announced details of the training providers which have been approved for an additional €12 million under the Labour Market Activation Fund.
The additional funding will support education and training programmes for some 5,400 additional unemployed people and will bring the total number of participant places supported by the Fund to almost 12,000 this year.
The Labour Market Activation Fund, launched by the Tánaiste in March, is designed to assist in the creation of innovative training and education provision by private, not-for-profit and public sector providers.
It is targeted at specific priority groups among the unemployed, namely the low skilled, and those formerly employed in declining sectors - construction, retail and manufacturing sectors – with particular emphasis on the under 35s and the long-term unemployed.
Following an open tender competition in which 370 tenders were received, contracts were initially awarded to 26 organisations across the private, not-for-profit and public sectors to support specific training and education programmes for the priority groups.
The Tánaiste said, 'I now intend to offer funding to 33 additional projects from a range of private and public training and education providers.
'This will bring to almost 60 the number of projects throughout the country being supported by the Labour Market Activation Fund in 2010.
Full Story: www.education.ie
Longford parents "pushed to brink" as back to school costs mount up [longfordleader.ie]
- Published: 20 August 2010
James Connors, whose daughter Anna attends Ballinalee's Scoil Samhthann said he could not be sure exactly how much he was expected to fork out ahead of the new school term.
Standing in the Leader's offices last Friday evening, Mr Connors said the added spectre of further hikes in next December's budget had only added to the sense of desperation among parents.
Tánaiste congratulates students on 2010 Leaving Certificate results [education.ie]
- Published: 18 August 2010
'Students across the country getting their results today should be proud of their achievements in the Leaving Certificate examinations, and look forward to the future with confidence' - Tánaiste
The Tánaiste and Minister for Education and Skills, Mary Coughlan TD, today congratulated students, parents and teachers following the release of the Leaving Certificate examination results for 2010.
'Students across the country getting their results today should be proud of their achievements in the Leaving Certificate examinations, and look forward to the future with confidence', said the Tánaiste.
57,839 Leaving Certificate candidates will get their results this morning.
Of these, 51,279 are school-leavers, 3,737 are external candidates and 2,823 are repeat candidates.
Full Story: www.education.ie
After school programme recognises first graduates [waterford-news.com]
- Published: 17 August 2010
THE first graduates of a training programme for volunteers to work in after school and homework clubs were awarded their certificates recently from WIT.
The course came about when the Waterford School Completion Programme, SCP Na Siúire, the Traveller Youth Project and Youthreach Subla Centre identified a need to recruit and train volunteers within their communities to work with children and young people throughout the city.
The proposal was to design an accredited after school educational training programme in conjunction with the relevant parties and to be facilitated in WIT. Participants received a Foundation Certificate covering their participation and attendance and work experience.
Full Story: www.waterford-news.com
