Unions regular as clockwork [Independent.ie]
- Published: 30 March 2010
WHILE Anthony Burgess is famous for 'A Clockwork Orange', it is '1985', his ode to George Orwell's '1984', that has greater resonance today.
The novel is set in an alternate Britain in which every worker has to be a member of a union. Strikes have crippled the government and made union leaders the de facto power.
Full Story: www.independent.ie
Freeze Special Needs Assistant cuts [finegael.org]
- Published: 30 March 2010
Fine Gael will use its Private Members Time this week to freeze the cuts to Special Needs Assistants (SNAs) and introduce an independent appeals system for parents and schools who have already lost an SNA, the Party Education Spokesman, Brian Hayes TD said today (Tuesday).
The debate will take place this Wednesday in the Dáil and will provide the new Education Minister with an opportunity to start listening to parents, teachers and SNAs.
“On the day the Government ploughs billions into the banks, SNAs will continue to be lost to Irish education.
Full Story: www.finegael.org
'One in seven' teachers a victim of cyber-bullying [timesonline.co.uk]
- Published: 30 March 2010
Pupils are targeting teachers with smear campaigns on the internet according to figures which indicate that one in seven has been the victim of cyber-bullying.
Children set up fake profiles on social networking sites posing as their teachers and making damaging claims about their sex lives, members of the Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL) said.
A survey by the ATL of 630 members indicates that 41 per cent are in contact with pupils over Facebook. A further 15 per cent have had abusive messages from students, parents, or “groups” set up to target them or been made to look ridiculous in doctored photographs and videos hosted on the internet.
Full Story: www.timesonline.co.uk
President predicts return to prosperity [Independent.ie]
- Published: 30 March 2010
IRELAND must learn from its mistakes and be chastened by the ravages of selfish individualism, President McAleese said yesterday.
There was a need for a fresh new communal concern, she said.
"In time, with a great deal of effort and commitment, our country will return to prosperity, with the vast majority of people back at work and with public finances restored to good health," she added.
The president was speaking at Dublin's Mount Anville secondary school, where a new programme was launched to help guide the new lay education trusts running the school in applying the values that underpinned the foundation of Sacred Heart schools.
Full Story: www.independent.ie
Gogarty interested in job [IrishTimes]
- Published: 29 March 2010
MAYOR OF DUBLIN: GREEN PARTY TD for Dublin Mid-West Paul Gogarty has expressed an interest in becoming a directly-elected mayor of Dublin. He said the mayor would oversee a budget of €1.5 billion.
Mr Gogarty launched a three-month consultation process to encourage members of the public to contribute ideas about the position which he said could be integrated into legislation.
Asked if he was interested in contesting the election, Mr Gogarty said: “Yes I would be interested.” He said the Greens would hold a selection convention in July. “I certainly wouldn’t be adverse to a candidate with good credentials putting their name forward. If that’s me, well and good.”
Full Story: www.irishtimes.com
