Schools fail to harvest rain and cut water bills [Independent.ie]
- Published: 28 February 2010
JUST one in four new schools have put rainwater harvesting systems in place to help reduce water bills, writes Paul Melia.
Of the 68 primary schools built between 2006-2008, just 16 have harvesting systems which would allow rainwater to be used to flush toilets and help reduce schools' water bills.
Yesterday Senator Dominic Hannigan told a sustainable planning conference organised by the Labour Party that harvesting systems should be a requirement in all new school -building programmes.
Full Story: www.independent.ie
Row as more special needs posts face axe [Independent.ie]
- Published: 28 February 2010
EDUCATION Minister Batt O'Keeffe is warning that more special needs assistants will be axed in schools -- on top of 200 positions already lost.
But he is defending the cuts by claiming that any child needing an SNA will get one.
"All that is being done is to remove posts where the children have left or their care needs have diminished," said Mr O'Keeffe. But the reduction has angered the trade union IMPACT, which says the 211 posts were lost between February and December.
Full Story: www.independent.ie
National SNA review could see cuts at vital school [IrishExaminer]
- Published: 28 February 2010
THE National Council for Special Education review of special needs assistant supports (SNA) at a school for students with special learning needs forms part of a national review of SNA allocations.
Under the review, it is estimated up to 1,200 of the country’s 10,500 special needs assistants (SNA) posts could be axed.
Referring to the review of St Anthony’s Special School in Castlebar, a spokesperson for the NCSE said last night that no decision has been finalised but that likely outcomes have been discussed with school management.
Full Story: www.irishexaminer.com
My son a victim of specialist greed [IrishExaminer]
- Published: 28 February 2010
PHILIP GREEN (Letters, February 24) is absolutely correct about the exorbitant fees charged by professionals.
My son, aged nine, had been attending speech therapy sessions run by social services.
However, last November we were informed he no longer required this service even though the therapist involved demonstrated he was well below average in most of his responses. I fear their action had more to do with cutbacks than anything else.
Full Story: www.irishexaminer.com
I will withdraw my daughter over cuts’ [IrishExaminer]
- Published: 27 February 2010
As a result of the review of support services by the National Council for Special Education the Castlebar girl risks losing the full-time SNA who helps her at her special school.
The 11-year-old has a lower learning disability and mobility issues which require constant care at home as well as at St Anthony’s Special School in Castlebar, where she has been a pupil since September 2008. The number of SNAs at the school is set to be reduced from 13 to nine, meaning she will only have access to a care assistant for as little as a quarter of each school day.
Full Story: www.irishexaminer.com
