Teacher's Pet [IrishTimes]
- Published: 23 February 2010
- Only months after the Green Party appeared to kill off the issue, the return of student tuition charges is back on the agenda.
Jim Browne, the president of NUI Galway, has won plaudits from his peers for telling it straight. Without a sustainable funding mechanism, the higher education system in this country faces a slow but steady decline in standards, he said recently.
That is also the view of several cabinet heavyweights – and not just Batt O’Keeffe and Noel Dempsey.
Full Story: www.irishtimes.com
Thousands of students face school shutdown [Independent.ie]
- Published: 23 February 2010
SECONDARY schools face the prospect of being forced to close as unions block teachers from covering for key staff who can’t be replaced.
In a major escalation of action, unions yesterday – for the first time – directed members not to undertake any duties that are carried out by teachers in middle-management positions who are not replaced when they retire.
Around 900 assistant principals and hundreds of specialduties teachers have already retired this school year and have not been replaced.
Full Story: www.independent.ie
John Walshe: Chaos is inevitable result if action proceeds [Independent.ie]
- Published: 23 February 2010
SOMETHING has to give before the start of the next school year -- or there will be chaos. Several factors are coming together to create the perfect education storm with potentially disastrous consequences for students.
The system has been stripped of well over 1,000 middle-management posts in the current school year. Already students are suffering; some of the weaker ones are falling through the cracks and not being identified because there is often nobody there to do it. That situation will get significantly worse in the next school year.
Full Story: www.independent.ie
Leading the way in education at home and abroad [imt.ie]
- Published: 23 February 2010
Niamh Mullen reports that independence and expansion abroad has been key to the enduring success of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland
Pivotal decisions to broaden its educational range and offer qualifications overseas have made the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) an influential, internationally recognised brand.
President of the College, Professor Frank Keane, said: “The taking in of overseas students and bringing education overseas has been extremely important for us. In terms of the parallel business it brings to the country, it is enormous – not only in hard jobs, but also in the sphere of influence and branding.”
Full Story: www.imt.ie
Schools disruption can be avoided [finegael.org]
- Published: 23 February 2010
The directive from the ASTI and TUI ordering teachers to refuse to fill the roles undertaken by outgoing assistant principals has the potential to cause serious disruption to schools but this can be avoided by implementing a new way of delivering school management according to Fine Gael Education Spokesman, Brian Hayes TD.
Deputy Hayes said solutions centring on allowing schools to have control of their own Budget instead of it being allocated centrally and for a ‘floor’ to be introduced below which schools cannot lose any further posts must be considered.
“I understand the frustration for teachers and unions but the pain of their decision will be felt by students and parents, not the Government.
Full Story: www.finegael.org
