We must protect education in our rural communities [belfasttelegraph.co.uk]
- Published: 26 October 2011
The heart and soul of the rural community lies in its schools. When schools come under threat, the very community itself is threatened.
The threat of school closure casts a shadow over the whole community. The local school is the place where generations of the same family have been educated.
Rural schools are places that identify a community; they are places were the community is nurtured.
When rural schools are threatened with closure, the community feels the pain. Parents, teachers and pupils are placed in a vulnerable position as they face uncertainty.
Full Story: www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk
Most of Special Needs Assistants 'assigned to schools' [eecho.ie]
- Published: 26 October 2011
The Taoiseach Enda Kenny has said hundreds of Special Needs Assistants held back by the Education Minister are now being assigned to children in schools.
Some 475 assistants were not assigned for the start of the school year and were being kept for emergencies.
However, after dozens of protests about the cutbacks in recent weeks, Mr Kenny said the extra SNAs are now being put into the system.
Full Story: www.eecho.ie
Staffing cuts at Gaelscoil 'an extremely hard blow' [sligochampion.ie]
- Published: 26 October 2011
MEMBERS of the Borough Council have backed the bid to prevent the loss of two permanent teachers from Gaelscoil Chnoc na Re at the St. Mary's football club, Ballydoogan.
Councillors suspended standing orders at the General Purposes (Planning) meeting to discuss the issue and unanimously adopted a motion extending the Council's solidarity and support to the staff and school community of the Gaelscoil.
The loss of the two permanent teachers is a result of a decision by the Department of Education and Skills to end the favourable pupilteacher ratio in small and developing gaelscoileanna, something Councillor David Cawley, a parent of a pupil at the school. He described the decision as "an extremely hard blow."
Full Story: www.sligochampion.ie
O’Dowd welcomes updated research on bullying in schools [sinnfein.ie]
- Published: 26 October 2011
Education Minister, John O’Dowd, today spoke of how schools and communities must work together to tackle bullying.
The Minister commented: “Bullying is unacceptable in our schools, in any form and for any reason. Bullying can have serious consequences for our pupils, thwarting their experience of education. The physical and emotional distress caused by bullying can lead to underachievement, poor attendance and mental health problems with terrible consequences such as eating disorders, self-harm and at worst, suicide.
“This research provides us with further insight into the nature and extent of bullying in our schools and my Department will study the evidence and give careful consideration to the recommendations within the report. I am committed to tackling this issue and to working with schools to find measures to prevent, and deal with, bullying so that our children can feel safe and secure in their school environment.”
Full Story: www.sinnfein.ie
SOD TURNED ON NEW DROGHEDA SCHOOL [drogheda-independent.ie]
- Published: 26 October 2011
THE first sod has been turned on a new €3.3m primary school on the Ballymakenny Road and work on the new building got underway on Monday morning.
The new 16 classroom school will cater for up to 480 pupils and is being built through a unique partnership between Louth Local Authorities and the Department of Education and Skills and is expected to be open fro the new school year in September 2012.
Scoil Oilibhéir Naofa Drogheda is currently operating from pre-fabricated classrooms at the location of the new education campus.
Full Story: www.drogheda-independent.ie
