Anger as school declines funding [goreyecho.ie]
- Published: 29 April 2010
DESPITE OFFERS of money from the Department of Education to build extra classrooms at Gorey Community School, the Board of Management (BOM) unanimously agreed to adhere to their enrolment policy and not admit any more students next September.
This decision, taken at the monthly meeting on Monday night, leaves 45 first-year students from north Wexford without a school for the coming school year. Parents from a number of schools around the Gorey area have voiced their anger and amazement at the decision.
Full Story: www.goreyecho.ie
Mental health programme may improve students’ schoolwork [IrishExaminer]
- Published: 29 April 2010
A MENTAL health programme aimed at young children could improve academic performance, a conference has heard.
Zippy’s Friends, a programme which has already run in 16 other countries, was operated on a pilot basis in the north west, with academics concluding that it increased children’s emotional literacy skills and helped them to cope more with bereavement.
Details of the programme were outlined at the National Office for Suicide Prevention’s (NOSP) annual conference in Dublin.
Full Story: www.irishexaminer.com
Review to examine awarding of degrees [imt.ie]
- Published: 29 April 2010
The Minister for Education has requested the Higher Education Authority (HEA) and the National Qualifications Authority of Ireland (NQAI) to carry out an external review of the Royal College of Surgeons of Ireland in relation to the commencement of its degree-awarding powers.
The RCSI is a constituent college of the National University of Ireland (NUI) and students receive an NUI degree. Under its own statutes, the RCSI can at any point seek to be given its own degree-awarding powers.
Full Story: www.imt.ie
Education chiefs buck convention with numbers talk [Independent.ie]
- Published: 29 April 2010
THE DCU president's blog is always worth a read, even if his latest entry arrives late at night or very early in the morning, as it did yesterday.
In one of these musings, Prof Ferdinand von Prondzynski asked the previously unthinkable -- are too many students going to college?
Even asking the question goes against conventional wisdom: Report after report state the need to upskill for the smart economy and government policies push more students into higher education at lower costs.
Thirty years ago, two out of 10 18-year-olds went to college. Now it's almost seven out of 10 and still the numbers grow. The total is to rocket from 155,000 at present to 270,000 in just 20 years.
Full Story: www.independent.ie
Ombudsman blasts rise in state secrecy [Independent.ie]
- Published: 29 April 2010
INFORMATION Commissioner and Ombudsman Emily O'Reilly yesterday criticised the Government for removing public bodies from the scope of the Freedom of Information (FoI) Act without consulting her.
"There's a bit of a contradiction between all the demands for more openness and transparency and finding out how the economy went south, and now when everybody is determined to keep their hands around their homework," she said.
Her annual report pinpointed several bodies where functions have been taken out of FoI rules, including enforcement powers of the Health and Safety Authority, the Road Safety Authority, the Property Registration Authority and plans to remove enforcement powers of the National Employment Rights Authority.
Full Story: www.independent.ie
