Cork mother calls for tough laws to tackle bullying [IrishExaminer]
- Published: 10 May 2010
THE mother of a young girl who took her own life after months of bullying has urged the Government to introduce tough laws here to tackle bullying in schools.
Her call comes as new figures show the Department of Education received more than two telephone or written complaints about bullying from parents of primary and secondary school students for every school day last year, or a total of 438.
Worryingly the trend is continuing with 160 complaints already received by the end of April of this year.
Full Story: www.irishexaminer.com
Mother jailed for failing to make son attend school [IrishExaminer]
- Published: 08 May 2010
THE body in charge of school attendance has said it only takes criminal proceedings against parents as a last resort after a mother-of-five was jailed for a month for failing to make her son go to classes.
The Dublin woman in her 30s was sentenced at Tallaght District Court to 30 days in prison – forcing her children into care – after it was heard her 15-year-old son had missed almost 70% of his school days from November 2008 to April this year.
Full Story: www.irishexaminer.com
Lack of non-Catholic school places [Independent.ie]
- Published: 08 May 2010
THERE are not enough non-Catholic primary schools in parts of Dublin for parents who want choice about where to enroll their children.
It leaves hundreds of parents each year settling for sending their children to a school that is not of their preferred ethos.
While Catholic primary schools across a swathe of the south city can accommodate demand, those that are multi-denominational or all-Irish in particular cannot. The lack of choice for parents is highlighted in a new survey, conducted by Labour education spokesperson Ruairi Quinn and party colleague Senator Ivana Bacik.
Full Story: www.independent.ie
Protestant education suffers from 'inequality' [IrishTimes]
- Published: 08 May 2010
CHURCH OF IRELAND GENERAL SYNOD: THE CIRCUMSTANCE of Protestant schools in the Republic, in particular at secondary level, has been described as “quite bleak, and deeply frustrating” at the Church of Ireland General Synod which continues today at Christ Church Cathedral in Dublin.
The Archdeacon of Cork, Robin Bantry White, said education services which were available as a right to the rest of the population “are denied to parents, students and staff in our schools”.
He said the decision by former minister for education Batt O’Keeffe “to realign our schools out of the free scheme is continuing to cause hardship and suffering to the students in our schools and their parents”.]
Full Story: www.irishtimes.com
All to play for as Croke Park agreement receives boost [IrishExaminer]
- Published: 08 May 2010
THE GAA may have welcomed rugby and soccer to its hallowed headquarters, but the Croke Park deal more closely resembles a boxing match with the opponents repeatedly falling and picking themselves up.
The knock-out punch seemed to have been delivered more than a month ago. At that point the executive of the largest solely public service union IMPACT jabbed below the belt of its own outgoing general secretary, Peter McLoone, and said it could not endorse the deal to which he had been chief union contributor.
Full: www.irishexaminer.com
