Schools' clean sweep at awards [impartial reporter.com]
- Published: 10 June 2010
Two Fermanagh schools are celebrating their success in separate award ceremonies.
Jones Memorial Primary, Enniskillen, is simply the 'Best of the Best'. On Tuesday, it was once again crowned the overall winner in the 2010 SuperValu Best Kept School Awards, organised annually by the Northern Ireland Amenity Council (NIAC) and sponsored by SuperValu.
And St. Columban's Primary School at Garrison Road, Belcoo, won a distinction award in the category for "Outstanding School Team of the Year".
Full Story: www.impartialreporter.com
Head teacher slates school board [inishowennews.com]
- Published: 10 June 2010
AN Inisowen primary school headmaster has launched a scathing attack on the members of his Board of Management, who, he alleges, have "willfully wasted tens of thousands of euro in the last year". Gerard McGeehan, principal of Scoil Eoghain, Moville, said he was "disgusted and astonished" at the board, which, he claimed, had squandered taxpayers' money in the middle of the recession.
Mr McGeehan made the allegations in a recent letter to local parents. The letter was given to some 200 pupils in the school, who were told to give it to their parents.
Full Story: www.inishowennews.com
Primary School Principal…A Job With No Takers
- Published: 10 June 2010
Fifteen schools without a Principal due to lack of interest
One in four primary schools in the last two years did not have a permanent appointed Principal. In the last 6 months, fifteen schools needed to advertise for a Principal at least twice, and many of these schools are still operating with only an Acting Principal. Schools in Kerry, Clare and Galway have recently advertised Principalship vacancies for the third time according to figures released from EducationPosts.ie.
Boards of Management are finding it increasingly difficult to attract high calibre replacements. There is a solution to this problem according to IPPN President, Pat Goff. ‘Department of Education & Skills must move to create a 7-year contract for primary school Principals with an option to renew, pending satisfactory performance. This will lead to a greater level of interest among teachers, as it will dispel the notion that becoming a Principal is the beginning of a lifelong sentence’ continued Mr Goff.
‘While poor level of remuneration is one reason why teachers are shunning the role of Principal’ stated Seán Cottrell, Director of IPPN. ‘Research shows that most teachers aspire towards the position because they want to make a real difference to children’s’ lives. However, constraints such as lack of autonomy, the dual role of teacher and manager, volume of legislation and a huge increase in workload are making this once sought after position highly unattractive’ continued Mr Cottrell.
ENDS
'No funds' to make Chinese a Leaving subject [Independent.ie]
- Published: 10 June 2010
EDUCATION Minister Mary Coughlan has ruled out making Chinese a Leaving Cert subject due to budgetary pressures.
Despite research showing that one-third of employers want Irish students to learn Chinese, Ms Coughlan said the current "difficult budgetary context" does not allow for a new subject to be added.
Ms Coughlan said she was aware of comments made by Foreign Affairs Minister Micheal Martin last month, when he said that Chinese should be an option on the Leaving Cert curriculum.
During a trade mission to Shanghai, Mr Martin emphasised the importance of the Chinese language in promoting trade and development between Ireland and China as part of the Asia Strategy.
Full Story: www.independent.ie
Maths teachers 'not fully qualified' in subject [Independent.ie]
- Published: 10 June 2010
ALMOST 2,000 maths teachers are not fully qualified to teach the subject, new figures reveal.
The disclosure came as 116,000 students began the Junior and Leaving Cert exams yesterday, with initial reaction to the opening English papers in both tests being generally favourable.
Tomorrow, the students turn their attention to maths, which is the subject of yet another report prepared by a group of experts.
In it, they express serious concern over the huge numbers of maths teachers who did not take maths as a major subject for their degree.
Full Story: www.independent.ie
