Mary, do the math if you want a nation of whizzkids [herald.ie]
- Published: 13 April 2010
After the rough time she had at the teachers' conferences, it must have felt good for Minister for Education Mary Coughlan to get kudos for, well, anything.
Employers in the high-tech sector were cooing after the Tanaiste backed the idea of giving bonus points to students who take higher level maths in their Leaving Cert. This, they said, showed that Ireland is serious about developing a smart economy -- ie, one where graduates can find jobs in science, engineering, technology and so on.
Full Story: www.herald.ie
Main barriers to reaching third level revealed [IrishExaminer]
- Published: 13 April 2010
BAD school experiences, financial constraints and poor information are among the main barriers to prevent students from lower socio-economic groups studying at third-level.
The ESRI claims many students from the "lower non-manual group" also suffer from a poor understanding of the available financial supports and actual costs of going to college.
Full Story: www.irishexaminer.com
Talkback [IrishTimes]
- Published: 13 April 2010
The Minister must transform education and training, says BRIAN MOONEY
GIVEN THE levels of unemployment, the challenge facing the new Minister for Education and Skills Mary Coughlan is a mammoth one. Over the past year there has been a decrease of 127,200 in the number of men in employment, while the number of women in employment has decreased by 39,600. What makes this particularly relevant to the Minister is that the largest decrease in employment was recorded for those aged 20 to 24, many of whom left the education system with just a Leaving Cert.
Now that she has arrived in Marlborough Street, the Minister can set about reshaping how education and training is delivered to the unemployed. And to those who lack the skills required to secure employment in the competitive international labour market.
Full Story: www.irishtimes.com
Government must talk to the universities about money and reform [IrishTimes]
- Published: 13 April 2010
PRESIDENT'S LOG: The recent Public Service Agreement will only divert money into bureaucracy and away from teaching, writes FERDINAND VON PRONDZYNSKI
I DON’T WANT to suggest that higher education is a business. But, if for the purpose of what I am about to argue you were to see it as a business, you would have to conclude that it isn’t an easy one to run.
Generally speaking, the key thing you need to get right in any business organisation is to maximise the income while controlling the costs. Taking the education of Irish undergraduate students, in the universities we cannot do either of these things.
Full Story: www.irishtimes.com
Why teachers are so angry [Independent.ie]
- Published: 13 April 2010
A letter in last Saturday's edition of your newspaper (writer's name withheld) expressed annoyance at the reception given to Education and Skills Minister Mary Coughlan at the annual congress of the TUI.
Successive ministers have addressed our congress and have been courteously received.
However, the unprecedented attack on teachers' livelihoods and the decimation of the education system by the Government has demoralised my members and made them extremely angry. This anger was expressed in a dignified, silent protest during and after the minister's address.
Full Story: www.independent.ie
