Ministers face Sats scrap pressure [newsletter.co.uk]
- Published: 03 August 2010
More than a third of pupils also left primary school without a proper grasp of the basics in reading, writing and maths, National Curriculum test results revealed.
But youngsters are getting better overall at English and maths.
The Government was forced to disregard results in more than 20 local authorities, which were rendered "statistically unrepresentative" by a boycott which saw tens of thousands of children not sitting the tests.
Full Story: www.newsletter.co.uk
Church welcomes patronage report [IrishTimes]
- Published: 03 August 2010
The Catholic Bishops have welcomed a report published today that examines the possibility of the church divesting itself of patronage of some primary schools.
They said the Catholic Church in Ireland “does not see itself in the future as the sole or dominant provider of schools”.
Tánaiste and Minister for Education Mary Coughlan published the outcome of work undertaken by her Department, at the request of the church, to identify areas that may offer potential for the church to divest its patronage of certain primary schools.
Areas examined included Arklow, Co Wicklow; Athlone, Co Westmeath; Ballinasloe, Co Galway; Birr, Co Offaly; Killarney, Co Kerry; Tramore, Co Waterford; Dublin 4, 6 and 8; Portmarnock/Malahide, Co Dublin and Whitehall, Dublin.
Full Story: www.irishtimes.com
Anger at State's silence on 'brain drain' [Independent.ie]
- Published: 03 August 2010
THE Government has been accused of presiding over a graduate "brain drain".
Unemployment among graduates has almost trebled in the past two years, and student leaders say more and more college leavers are being forced to quit the country.
Central Statistics Office (CSO) figures reveal there were 68,600 unemployed graduates in March, compared with 25,400 at the same time in 2008.
The jobs problem is greater for males, who account for 60pc of out-of-work graduates, up from 56pc two years ago.
The Economic and Social Research Institute recently warned that 200,000 people may be forced to emigrate between now and 2015 if unemployment is not addressed.
And the Union of Students in Ireland (USI) says many of these will be highly skilled graduates.
USI president Gary Redmond said it was ironic the Jeanie Johnston famine ship was docked in Dublin's IFSC, the area that was once the heart of Ireland's Celtic Tiger economy.
Full Story: www.independent.ie
Publication of detail on areas for possible divesting of catholic primary school patronage [education.ie]
- Published: 03 August 2010
The Tánaiste and Minister for Education and Skills, Mary Coughlan, TD, today published the outcome of work undertaken by her Department, at the request of the Catholic Church, to identify areas that may offer potential for the church to divest its patronage of certain primary schools.
The possibility of the Catholic Church divesting itself of certain primary schools was raised by the church with the Tánaiste's predecessor as Minister for Education and discussed at a meeting in November 2009 with senior representatives of the church.
At the request of those senior representatives, the Department undertook to identify possible areas where the demographics and existing school configuration was such that there might be potential for the Catholic Church to consider divesting patronage.
The Tánaiste and Minister for Education and Skills has today made this information available on the website of her Department.
Full Story: www.education.ie
Foilsiú sonraí faoi ceantair inarbh fhéidir pátrúnacht Chaitliceach bunscoileanna a dhífheistiú [education.ie]
- Published: 03 August 2010
Inniu, d'fhoilsigh an Tánaiste agus Aire Oideachais agus Scileanna, Mary Coughlan TD, torthaí oibre a raibh gafa de láimh ag a Roinnse, ar iarratas na hEaglaise Caitlic, chun ceantair a shainaithint ina bhfuil féidearthacht ann go bhféadfadh an Eaglais a pátrúnacht ar bhunscoileanna áirithe a dhífheistiú.
D'ardaigh an Eaglais Chaitliceach an cheist i dtaobh na féidearthachta go ndífheisteodh an Eaglais a pátrúnacht ar bhunscoileanna áirithe le réamhtheachtaí an Tánaiste mar Aire Oideachais agus pléadh an cheist sin ag cruinniú i Samhain 2009 le hionadaithe sinsearacha de chuid na hEaglaise.
Ar iarratas na n-ionadaithe sinsearacha seo, gheall an Roinn go sainaithneodh sí ceantair ina bhféadfadh an déimeagrafaic agus foirmíocht na scoileanna mar a bhí sí bheith de shaghas a chruthódh féidearthacht go machnódh an Eaglais Chaitliceach dífheistiú a pátrúnachta.
Tá an t-eolas seo curtha ar fáil inniu ag an Tánaiste agus Aire Oideachais agus Scileanna ar shuíomh gréasáin a Roinne.
Full Story: www.education.ie
