Holiday culture is out of control [Independent.ie]
- Published: 18 February 2010
OUR school-holidays culture has become a runaway train. Students spend more time on vacation than in the classroom.
Incredibly, mid-term breaks are now being given to primary-school children on top of a myriad of other breaks which include unproven in-service days taken by the management of schools for God knows what; special days off granted by dignitaries; half days for everything under the sun; mid-term breaks that are so long they are nearly back to back with the next holiday on the calendar; and family holidays are now often taken during term time.
Full Story: www.independent.ie
Only 25pc of expulsions overturned [Herald.ie]
- Published: 18 February 2010
THREE out of four appeals by parents against the expulsion of their child from secondary school are lost when they go to a full hearing.
Data from the Department of Education shows 351 appeals against expulsion of second-level pupils were lodged between 2005 and 2009. Some 271 went all the way to a full hearing of a committee of the Department of Education, with the remainder being withdrawn or otherwise resolved.
Full Story: www.herald.ie
Half of maths teachers didn't do maths [finegael.org]
- Published: 17 February 2010
The findings of a report into maths teaching, showing 48% of second-level teachers don’t have a proper qualification has shown the urgent need for those already in the system to have their skills upgraded and for students with maths degrees to be encouraged into teaching according to Fine Gael Education Brian Hayes TD.
These findings echo previous analysis undertaken by Deputy Hayes that showed only 3,858 of the 5,900 Maths teachers at second level actually qualified in the subject (see Parliamentary Question at end).
Full Story: www.finegael.org
Ensuring students have the 'write' skills [Independent.ie]
- Published: 17 February 2010
WITH texting and emailing taking over as the main form of communication amongst school children, it's easy to see how the art of handwriting could be lost.
With that in mind, EBS Building Society and Irish National Teachers' Organisation INTO have launched the 2010 National Handwriting Competition and their campaign to enthuse students about the art of handwriting.
'This has been a great success over the past 17 years, and it's more important than ever, in this age of computers and mobile phones, to encourage children to have good handwriting, says local INTO spokesman Peter Darcy.
Full Story: www.independent.ie
80 percent of grant forms completed incorrectly [leinsterexpress.ie]
- Published: 17 February 2010
County Laois VEC administers three different grant schemes for students attending full-time courses of further and higher education approved by the Department of Education and Science.
Full Story: www.leinsterexpress.ie
