80% of Travellers fail to finish schooling [IrishTimes]
- Published: 24 June 2010
JUST 102 Travellers completed the Leaving Cert cycle in 2008 and four out of five Traveller children leave school before completing their second-level education, a new report has found.
The “Teach” report on the progression of Travellers through the Irish education system found that, despite a high rate of enrolment in primary school and a high transfer rate between primary and secondary education, more than 80 per cent of Travellers do not complete their second-level education.
Researcher Dr Niamh Hourigan of the department of sociology in UCC said Travellers face a huge cultural clash with their settled counterparts between the ages of 15 and 19. While the settled community begins to prioritise career at this point, the Traveller community prioritises marriage with the result that many leave school.
Full Story: www.irishtimes.com
Tánaiste looks forward to implementation of Summer Works Scheme [education.ie]
- Published: 24 June 2010
"Record amount of projects approved under SWS 2010" - Tánaiste
The Tánaiste and Minister for Education and Skills, Mary Coughlan, T.D., today remarked on the significant scale of works which will be carried out on the existing school building stock in the coming eight weeks.
"1568 projects are due to go on site over the course of the Summer to carry out much-needed work to existing school buildings. Almost €132m worth of works have been approved by my Department under this year's Summer Works Scheme," she said.
This is a record amount of money to be approved and is the highest annual amount since the scheme was first introduced in 2004.
"In light of the value for money currently available in the construction market, we have been able to approve a record number of projects this year, which will allow schools to carry out significant upgrades to the fabric of their existing buildings," said the Tánaiste.
Full Story: www.education.ie
Pupils to take new school campaign to Stormont [lisburntoday.co.uk]
- Published: 24 June 2010
STAFF and pupils from Scoil na Fuiseoige are set to descend on Stormont on Monday to deliver the message "we need our new school" after fears emerged this week that a desperately needed new building will not now be started within this financial year.
Education Minister Caitriona Ruane was due to deliver a statement in the Assembly this week on plans for new schools with poor accommodation which are under threat because of a shortage of capital funding.
She was held up but in a statement apologising for the delay, the Minister said she wanted work on 10 new school builds to begin before the end of the financial year but could only do this if she receives extra money.
This has led to fears at Scoil na Fuiseoige in Twinbrook, which has been waiting for 13 years for a new building and currently relies on mobile classrooms for its 116 pupils.
Full Story: www.lisburntoday.co.uk
Lack of disabled access means boy [impartialreporter.com]
- Published: 24 June 2010
BEN Thompson can play football, dribble a basketball and shoot an arrow, but he can't go to a basic school open day. A complete lack of disabled facilities at Portora Royal School means the wheelchair-bound boy can not visit the campus on Monday alongside his P6 classmates.
The school's headmaster has blamed insufficient funding from the Department of Education for the situation.
Ben, 10, has always dreamed of attending the historic school, following in his father David's footsteps.
For the past six months the Ballinamallard pupil has been preparing for its entrance exam and proudly telling everybody 'I'm going to Portora so I am'.
Full Story: www.impartialreporter.com
It's tough at the top -- why schools can't get a head [Independent.ie]
- Published: 23 June 2010
It is the job that few people seem to want. Irish primary schools are finding it increasingly difficult to find principals.
Longer working hours, increased bureaucracy and poor rewards are thought to be the main causes of the poor take-up of jobs.
Principals have stepped down at one quarter of all Irish primary schools over the past two years, and boards of management are now struggling to fill the positions.
"A few years ago a school could expect an average of five or six applicants for a principal's job,'' said Sean Cottrell, Director of the Irish Primary Principals' Network (IPPN). "Now some schools are lucky if they get two applicants, and posts are remaining unfilled.''
Under the current system there may be little incentive for a rank-and-file teacher to become a head.
Full Story: www.independent.ie
