Parents 'should find alternatives to smacking' [schooldays.ie]
- Published: 12 July 2010
Smacking children is not acceptable and parents should look for alternative ways to discipline their children.
This is according to Pip Jaffa, chief executive at the Parents Advice Centre, who said that slapping and hitting youngsters should not be happening.
She noted that there are plenty of ways to show children you are angry with them, such as raising the tone of your voice.
"You have to apply [measures of discipline] depending on the age and stage of the child and whatever the misdemeanour is. It has to be proportionate to whatever the child has done wrong," Ms Jaffa commented.
Full Story: www.schooldays.ie
Schools allowed to fill promotion posts [thecorknews.ie]
- Published: 10 July 2010
Minister Coughlan believes that a number of schools have been more affected by the moratorium than others and while some positions will now be filled, the overall numbers continue to drop. “The impact of the moratorium is uneven across schools,” she insisted.
“For some schools, between this year and the coming school year, the level of retirements will create a significant number of vacancies. The changes that I am now making will allow those schools to fill a limited number of vacancies while the overall number of promotion positions continues to reduce.
“Second level schools will be able to make appointments to vacant Assistant Principal posts where the overall number of posts in a school falls below a certain minimum. The new arrangements will also cover situations where schools have certain vacancies relating to the co-ordination of the delivery of such programmes as Leaving Certificate Applied and Leaving Certificate Vocational Programme.”
Full Story: www.thecorknews.ie
Schools board may axe substitute teachers [belfasttelegraph.co.uk]
- Published: 09 July 2010
An education board may cut all substitute jobs for teachers under £3.6 million cost-saving proposals.
Squeezing three pupils into bus seats designed for two, reducing school maintenance and even cutting book stocks could also be introduced under the plans.
Savings are also to be made in special needs provision at the South Eastern Education and Library Board (SEELB) this financial year.
Arthur McGarrigle, Northern Ireland secretary for the NASUWT union, said the substitute teaching cuts could have a detrimental effect. He said: "Teachers will be coming in with ill-health because they will be scared to take time off as that will inconvenience their colleagues. As a result they will become more ill and will require even more time off than they would have. If someone has the flu and won`t take the time off as it will affect their colleagues, a lot of others will get it."
Full Story: www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk
Parents and Principals Unite To Produce Historic Document
- Published: 09 July 2010
The Tánaiste and Minster for Education & Skills, Mary Coughlan TD launched ‘Supporting Each Other – a guide to best practice for the effective partnership between Principals and Parent Associations’ on Friday 9th July at Leinster House. The publication was jointly developed by the Irish Primary Principals’ Network (IPPN) and National Parents Council – Primary (NPC–P). The publication charts a collaborative framework for effective partnership between schools and parent associations. It is an historic publication, as it is the first-time that collaboration at this level (between parents and principals) has taken place in the Irish Education System.
Launching the publication, An Tánaiste and Minister for Education and Skills said ’it is vital that there are strong and healthy lines of communication between principals and parent associations. I would like to compliment the very many individuals and groups which made a contribution to this publication which should prove a valuable point of reference. I look forward to establishing how beneficial this document proves to be and how we can continue to build on initiatives such as this in future’.
One of the key recommendations of the publication is that parents should be actively involved in the development of school policies, particularly in the area of school organisation. ‘The forging of strong links at official level between parents and school principals has the potential to effect real change in the Irish educational landscape. A good working relationship between the parents’ association and the school principal ensures a strong school community built on trust and respect’ stated Seán Cottrell, IPPN Director.
Áine Lynch, CEO, NPC-P said ‘effective partnerships between home and school benefit children as they learn more, are better behaved and are happier at school. While the parents are represented on every school Board of Management in the country through the election of two parents’ representatives, in many cases this representation is confined to the margins as they have no function in bringing parent issues to the attention of the Board’.
A joint statement from Áine Lynch, CEO of NPC-P and Seán Cottrell, Director of IPPN, described the document as ‘the culmination of a partnership process between parents and principals which will greatly enhance the quality of education provided to our children’.
ENDS
Autism tutors given 7 years to get primary qualification [IrishExaminer]
- Published: 09 July 2010
TUTORS working at the country’s 13 applied behavioural analysis (ABA) schools will be allowed up to seven years to acquire formal teacher training as part of the Department of Education proposals to transform the schools’ structure.
It emerged this week letters of offer proposing how the Department of Education could take over the schools’ funding, including recognising Saplings School Ltd and Autism Ireland as patrons to the schools, were posted. Cope Foundation’s application to be accredited as a school patron at the Cork ABA School has also been accepted by the department.
The Department of Education are eager for all the ABA schools to have fully trained teachers and not just ABA-trained tutors in place. It’s not yet known how parents will react to these suggestions as the schools are closed and principals have not been in contact with parents to discuss the contents of the letters.
Full Story:www.irishexaminer.com
