Survey to get children’s views on school issues [IrishExaminer]
- Published: 05 August 2010
CHILDREN as young as nine will be asked about how their schools deal with bullying and what they think of their teachers from next month.
Department of Education inspectors are to survey pupils from the coming school year for the first time, as part of the whole-school evaluation (WSE) process which already includes input from parents’ councils.
The wider parent body in each school will also be given confidential questionnaires, seeking their views on school management, discipline, teachers and facilities.
Full Story: www.irishexaminer.com
Parents struggling as cost of education hits €70,000 [Independent.ie]
- Published: 05 August 2010
THE cost of educating a child from primary school to college graduation is hitting the €70,000 mark, a new survey reveals.
It shows that the vast majority of parents are feeling the strain and that many are trying to use limited resources more effectively.
Nine-in-10 will purchase generic or non-branded back-to-school supplies this year, including pencil cases, copybooks, backpacks and lunchtime snacks.
Full Story: www.independent.ie
Hunt for gang after attack on Gaeltacht students [Independent.ie]
- Published: 05 August 2010
GARDAI are investigating an attack on eight teenagers by a gang of youths while attending an Irish language course.
The group of boys, aged 15 and 16, from Co Armagh, were returning to their accommodation in Loughanure, Co Donegal, on Tuesday evening when a gang of up to 25 youths punched and kicked them to the ground in what appeared to be an unprovoked attack.
One of the victims required four stitches to his head after he was struck with a hurley, which had been taken from one of his group and used in the attack.
The others were all treated for bruising and for mild concussion by a nurse at the Irish college, and later by a local GP in Bunbeg.
Full Story: www.independent.ie
Parents pay for education cuts [Independent.ie]
- Published: 05 August 2010
She hasn't been able to budget for the coming school year and says she may have to cut back on the electricity if she doesn't qualify for State support.
Stephanie Valla-Black is an unemployed single-mother with two daughters in primary school and a son in secondary school.
The woman from Mornington in Co Meath says it's mostly the secondary school costs that are keeping her awake at night.
"Even though I'm unemployed and on job-seekers allowance, I'm not guaranteed to get the back to school allowance," she said.
"It's very tough because everything has been cut and they're talking about more cuts down the line.
"I haven't even contemplated what I'm going to do if I don't get the allowance. I don't know how I'm going to pay for my son.
Full Story: www.independent.ie
Tánaiste announces additional €12 million for Labour Market Activation Fund [education.ie]
- Published: 05 August 2010
The Tánaiste and Minister for Education and Skills, Ms. Mary Coughlan, T.D., today, announced her allocation of an additional €12 million to the Labour Market Activation Fund.
The additional funding will support education and training programmes for at least 5,000 additional unemployed people and will bring the total number of participant places supported by the Fund to over 11,000 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.
Full Story: www.education.ie
