Health Minister gives go-ahead for pilot scheme at Claddagh school [advertiser.ie]
- Published: 17 June 2010
A pilot speech therapy programme has been given the green light at Claddagh primary school following Health Minister Mary Harney’s visit to the premises recently.
In what has been described as an “exciting shift in policy”, the HSE will provide funding for a speech therapist to work at the city school on a pilot basis for two years.
During her visit, Deputy Harney was given a tour of the school’s facilities for children with special needs and also held discussions with principal Brendan Forde and other staff members.
“It is a very exciting shift in policy that Minister Harney decided, after discussions with myself and other staff involved in the provision of supports to the children with special needs, including autism, within the school, that it would be most beneficial, on a pilot basis, to attend to the core need of speech therapy,” he said.
Full Story: www.advertiser.ie
Irish schools that are crossing the digital divide [siliconrepublic.com]
- Published: 17 June 2010
Clever use of ICT in Irish classrooms could help beat the effects of looming cutbacks for schools.
As the kids from St Fintina’s VEC secondary school in Longwood, Co Meath amble into their classrooms on a sunny Wednesday morning it’s hard not to imagine the thoughts flowing through their minds – anticipation of the summer ahead, trepidation at the exams they face. We are visiting Ireland’s first virtual learning environment where three students who wanted to study chemistry but couldn’t because of cutbacks were faced with the prospect of having to switch to a new school.
Thanks to the initiative of school principal Tom Stack and the support of the local VEC, Microsoft and Dell, the fifth-year students – Ciara McDonald, Ben Nock and Rachel Ennis – have been able to stay in their school and, in doing so, are in the vanguard of a new movement in Irish education.
Local school first to be awarded a health flag [dundalkdemocrat.ie]
- Published: 16 June 2010
According to the HSE, health promoting schools lead to better learning results for students, increased self-esteem, and a lowered incidence of bullying.
Beauty of science gets new wings [Independent.ie]
- Published: 16 June 2010
TWELVE Irish primary schools are taking part in a €4.3m European wide science and maths project. The aim of the Fibonacci Project is to help develop a strategy for scientific literacy and awareness for primary schools across Europe.
Pictured at the launch of the project are Roisin Ni Bhroin, a 6th class teacher at St Paul's school, Dublin, and Valerie Kavanagh, a 2nd class teacher at St Martin de Porres school, Tallaght.
Dr Cliona Murphy and Dr Janet Varley from the Centre for the Advancement of Science and Mathematics Teaching and Learning at St Patrick's College, Drumcondra, will coordinate the project in Ireland. The centre writes the award-winning weekly 'Eureka' science supplement for the Irish Independent.
Full Story: www.independent.ie
Schools win fight to keep librarians [IrishExaminer]
- Published: 16 June 2010
STUDENTS at 30 disadvantaged schools will still have staffed libraries when they return in September after a Department of Finance row-back on plans to cut librarian posts.
The contracts of at least 21 librarians were not going to be renewed later this year as part of the public service recruitment ban, but the Department of Education has secured a reprieve.
They were part of a project aimed at improving literacy skills in the most disadvantaged communities, with major investment in books and literacy software over the past few years.
Full Story: www.irishexaminer.com
