Not even school pupils escape stealth charges as school bus fee payment system modified - Kenny
- Published: 20 February 2010
Fine Gael Leader, Enda Kenny, TD, has condemned the adjustments to school transport fees where pupils must pay bus fees for the full year rather than the two term payment system. Many families will be affected as the normal fees have already skyrocketed but now they must also pay the full annual payment even if only using the service for one term.
Full Story: www.endakenny.finegael.org
VEC ‘should take over running of primary schools fom Church’ [IrishExaminer]
- Published: 19 February 2010
THE chairman of the Cork County VEC believes his organisation should take over the running of all primary schools within their target area.
Noel O’Connor said the VEC in Cork was one of the strongest in the country and would be in a position to take on extra responsibilities, such as taking over the running of primary schools from the Catholic Church.
Overall, there are 298 national schools in Co Cork. The figure does not include Cork city.
Full Story: www.irishexaminer.com
Special school must scrap classes as assistants cut [IrishExaminer]
- Published: 19 February 2010
EDUCATION Minister Batt O’Keeffe’s plans to cut hundreds of special needs assistant places could force a vital special needs school to axe a series of courses on the curriculum, its principal has claimed.
Brendan Hennigan, principal of St Joseph’s school in Tallaght, Dublin, said it may be unable to continue a number of courses due to the scale of cuts to be imposed.
Full Story: www.irishexaminer.com
Invest pensions 'to build more schools' [Independent.ie]
- Published: 19 February 2010
IRISH pension funds should be invested in building schools, hospitals, libraries and sports facilities to help Ireland become a world-class country in which to live and work, the incoming president of the Royal Institute of the Architects in Ireland (RIAI) last night said.
Speaking at his inauguration, Paul Keogh said if the billions of euro invested abroad were spent on improving infrastructure, a "win-win" situation would arise where construction workers and architects would return to work while the country would benefit.
Full Story: www.independent.ie
Parents are losing 75pc of appeals over school expulsions [Independent.ie]
- Published: 18 February 2010
PARENTS who challenge the expulsion of their child from secondary school are losing three out of four cases that go to a full hearing.
Expulsions from among the ranks of the 350,000 post-primary students are rare and usually for severe or persistent breaches of discipline.
In recent years, parents were given a legal right, under Section 29 of the Education Act, to appeal such decisions to a special Department of Education committee.
Full Story: www.independent.ie
