In my opinion: State schools must offer choice of education free of religious bias [Independent.ie]
- Published: 17 March 2010
Current moves to establish constitutional safeguards for children are sadly lacking in content.
The Oireachtas Committee has come up with a referendum wording which fails to address the greatest abuse of children's rights in our nation's institutions.
The fact is children (and their parents) cannot exercise the Constitutional 'right of any child to attend school receiving public money without attending religious instruction at that school' (article 44.2.4), and the Committee seems to have wilfully ignored the problem.
Successive Ministers of Education have set these rights at nought by fostering a curriculum which integrates religion with all subjects, and they have underpinned a school's right to a pervasive 'ethos' (which has no Constitutional basis) in State-funded schools.
Full Story: www.independent.ie
Assessing skills in controlled conditions [Independent.ie]
- Published: 17 March 2010
A STANDARDISED test is designed to assess abilities, knowledge or skills under clearly specified and controlled conditions.
The tests were originally developed to address the shortcomings of other forms of assessment, like essay-type exams.
The tests rely heavily on multiple-choice or true-false questions and can be corrected by computer.
Some tests also have short answer or essay type questions.
The report from the Educational Research Centre on the possible use of such tests will go before the next meeting of the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment on March 25.
Full Story: www.independent.ie
Call for improved child safety on the net [Galway Independent]
- Published: 17 March 2010
Fianna Fáil MEP Pat 'The Cope' Gallagher has called on the European Commission to improve child safety on the internet and in particular on social networking sites. At present over half of European teenagers provide personal information to websites and social networks, which then can be seen by anybody.
The Commission has already established the 'safer internet programme', which is a self-regulatory agreement. However, it offers no sanctions if companies fail to implement the guidelines.
"Since its creation in 2009, only 20 companies (including Google, Bebo, Facebook, MySpace and Daily Motion) have signed up to this programme. What is the Commission doing to encourage more companies to sign up and how are they monitoring the implementation of this agreement?" he asked.
Full Story: www.galwayindependent.com
Autistic boy sues department [Independent.ie]
- Published: 16 March 2010
A NINE-year-old autistic boy who lost special-needs facilities when he was transferred from one school to another, wants the Department of Education to fund similar equipment in his new school.
The High Court yesterday gave permission to the boy, who is suing through his father, to bring judicial-review proceedings.
The boy had to transfer to a nearby school, along with the other boys in his school.
Full Story: www.independent.ie
O'Keeffe orders cut in training support for teachers [Independent.ie]
- Published: 16 March 2010
EDUCATION Minister Batt O'Keeffe has ordered 100 teachers -- who were involved in training -- back into the classroom.
The teachers were on secondment from teaching duties to provide professional support for primary and second level schools.
At present about 250 teachers are involved in providing training and supports for subject development, school leadership, planning and curriculum development across the country.
But this number is being cut to around 150 from September.
Full Story: www.independent.ie
