Tanaiste's 'insulting' comments infuriate managers [Independent.ie]
- Published: 30 April 2010
Education Minister Mary Coughlan was accused of insulting managers by suggesting they were lucky to have principals and deputy principals appointed to their schools.
An attempt to explain how principals were exempted from the ban on filling public sector jobs was greeted with jeers at the annual conference of the Association of Management of Catholic Secondary Schools in Kilkenny.
The Tanaiste said she and her colleagues had participated in very difficult discussions over the past two years during which her predecessor Batt O'Keeffe fought very hard to ensure that they were exempt.
Full Story: www.independent.ie
Pupils without a school must wait on talks [Independent.ie]
- Published: 30 April 2010
THE fate of 42 pupils with no school place for next September hinges on a crisis meeting to be hosted by Education Minister Mary Coughlan.
The minister hopes to persuade the heavily crowded Gorey Community School, in Co Wexford, to take in extra students. Ms Coughlan said last night that she wanted to ask why the school board had not backed her proposal to provide a grant for new classrooms.
She said that at the meeting, she would reiterate her determination to go ahead with the provision of a new school.
Full Story: www.independent.ie
School managers to tackle Coughlan on promotion ban [IrishExaminer]
- Published: 29 April 2010
TÁNAISTE Mary Coughlan faces pressure from angry school managers today to explain how she will ease restrictions on promotions that are restricting services for students and overloading principals with extra work.
She is due to address 400 principals and management board chairpersons of second level schools at their conference in Kilkenny, more than three weeks after announcing to a teacher union conference that she will introduce measures to help schools worst affected by the ban on middle management promotions ban in place for over a year.
Ferdia Kelly, general secretary of the Joint Managerial Body which represents the management of 392 religious-run secondary schools, said the effects of the moratorium are by far the biggest issue of concern to delegates as they expect the crisis to deepen significantly when hundreds more post-holders retire during the summer holidays.
Full Story: www.irishexaminer.com
Truck crashes into school car park full of children and parents [IrishTimes]
- Published: 29 April 2010
A PRIMARY school principal has said the fact that nobody was killed when a truck crashed through the wall of the school yesterday as parents picked up children was “a miracle”.
A Scania truck crashed through the walls of Cregmore National School, Co Galway, and into a line of up to 11 cars belonging to parents and family who were collecting junior and senior infant children from the school just before 1.40pm.
Joe Kennelly said it was a miracle that nobody had died as a result of the crash.
“Never in my life have I seen anything like this. It was carnage, like a scene from Beirut and yes, it was that bad,” he said. “There were parents, grandparents, neighbours waiting to collect the young children and there must have been up to 25 cars in total parked there at the collection area.
Full Story: www.irishtimes.com
Students and unemployed protest education cuts [indymedia.ie]
- Published: 29 April 2010
"USI haven't gone away- and we're gonna wreck your heads, until students get their way!"
USI hold protest at Fianna Fail Green party attacks on those who want to participate in the knowledge society.
In Budget 2010, the Government took away the Maintenance Grant for students on the Back To Work Allowance (BTEA) who are entering full time, 3rd level courses. In response to this, USI organised a protest at the Department of Education, Marlborough Street Dublin 28th April 2010 regarding this disgraceful attack on lifelong learning and education.
Full Story: www.indymedia.ie
