Unions block cover for retired teachers [rte.ie]
- Published: 23 February 2010
Minister for Education Batt O'Keeffe has said he regrets a decision by teachers' unions to instruct members not to cover for retired teachers who have not been replaced.
Minister O'Keeffe said the action will make it more difficult for schools to manage in these difficult times.
The minister made the comments after an Irish Independent story claimed that secondary schools could be forced to close in September because of the union move.
Full Story: www.rte.ie
12,000 children affected by nonsensical childcare rules - Hayes [finegael.org]
- Published: 22 February 2010
The rules underpinning the Government’s Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) Scheme meant that parents of 12,000 children were forced to wait a further year before enrolling their kids in school according to Fine Gael Education Spokesman, Brian Hayes TD today (Monday).
The ECCE Scheme is designed to allow children access to up to a free year of pre-school education but the rules mean that children born in July and August of 2006 were not allowed to enrol in the Scheme in January of this year meaning that they could not begin school in September 2010.
“These rules just don’t make sense as they are restricting parental choice.
Full Story: www.finegael.org
Minister O’Keeffe slashes school prefab rental contracts to just 20 [fiannafail.ie]
- Published: 22 February 2010
The number of rental contracts agreed for school prefabs was slashed last year to just 20 compared to 266 the year before, according to the Minister for Education and Science, Batt O’Keeffe TD.
And in 2007, 715 new prefab contracts were agreed between suppliers and school boards of management.
The revelation comes following Minister O’Keeffe’s announcement last week that 23,500 places would be created in 20 new schools and 32 extensions as part of the Government’s €579 million school building programme.
‘My priority is to cut the incidence of long-term prefab rentals and to keep building new schools and school extensions,’ said Minister O’Keeffe.
Full Story: www.fiannafail.ie
Prefab rentals fall dramatically [IrishExaminer]
- Published: 22 February 2010
There has been a dramatic reduction in the rental of prefab buildings by schools.
The number has fallen to 20, compared to 266 last year.
Minister for Education Batt O'Keeffe said the fall is as a result of a new scheme allowing schools to purchase prefabs if they have been in use for more than three years.
Minister O'Keeffe slashes school prefab rental contracts to just 20 [education.ie]
- Published: 22 February 2010
'Radical policy reforms cut prefab rental bill by €14m' - Minister
The number of rental contracts agreed for school prefabs was slashed last year to just 20 compared to 266 the year before, according to the Minister for Education and Science, Batt O'Keeffe TD.
And in 2007, 715 new prefab contracts were agreed between suppliers and school boards of management.
The revelation comes following Minister O'Keeffe's announcement last week that 23,500 places would be created in 20 new schools and 32 extensions as part of the Government's €579 million school building programme.
'My priority is to cut the incidence of long-term prefab rentals and to keep building new schools and school extensions,' said Minister O'Keeffe.
By the end of last year, 557 schools had been approved funding to buy a prefab with the option of building a permanent classroom.
Of that, 249 schools indicated that they will buy a prefab and 201 will use the grant aid to build a permanent classroom.
Full Story: www.education.ie
