O’Keeffe reveals €579m school building projects [IrishExaminer]
- Published: 17 February 2010
MORE than 23,500 places in 20 new schools and 32 extensions have been promised as part of the Government’s €579 million school building programme.
Minister for Education Batt O’Keeffe yesterday announced details of 52 school building projects which will go to tender and construction. Of these, 25 school building projects which have planning permission will move to tender and construction "shortly".
Full Story: www.irishexaminer.com
€579m committed to school building [IrishTimes]
- Published: 17 February 2010
UP TO 52 schools out of more than 1,000 that have applied for building projects will receive funding to go to tender and construction this year, Minister for Education Batt O’Keeffe has said.
The Government will spend €579 million on the school-building programme this year, creating 23,500 places in 20 new schools and 32 extensions, Mr O’Keeffe said.
Of these, 25 projects have planning permission and will move to tender and construction shortly. Twenty-seven have not yet secured planning permission but have been authorised to prepare tender documentation and will go to tender and construction either later this year or early next year.
Full Story: www.irishtimes.com
Average performance won't add up for smart economy [Independent.ie]
- Published: 17 February 2010
IF studying a subject makes you proficient in it, then Ireland should have one of the most mathematically literate populations in Europe, if not the world.
The reasoning is simple.
Even though it's not compulsory, more students take maths in their Leaving Cert than any other subject. Last year 52,000 students (95.8pc of the total) sat the maths exam, nearly 1,000 more than the next most popular subject, English.
Full Story: www.independent.ie
Bacik calls for debate on relationship between church and state [labour.ie]
- Published: 17 February 2010
Speaking on the Order of Business in the Seanad earlier today, Senator Ivana Bacik expressed her concern at the inconclusive outcome of the talks between the Irish Catholic bishops and the Pope in Rome, she said that:
"We have not seen any adequate response from the Irish Catholic Church or from the Vatican demonstrating that its leaders accept responsibility for the appalling abuse that so many children suffered in religious-run and State-funded institutions over so many decades. Now would be an appropriate time for us to debate the relationship between the Church and the State in modern Ireland. We should debate this relationship in the context of the education system, in particular. Not only does the Catholic Church still control 92% of our primary schools, but yesterday the Minister for Education indicated that he would be recognising two new Catholic primary schools - in the teeth of the clear and growing demand from parents for more multi-denominational school places. We should also debate other aspects of this relationship, for example the prayer at the start of each Seanad sitting; and the continued broadcast of the Angelus by our national broadcaster."
Full Story: www.labour.ie
Minister O'Keeffe announces appointment of new chief inspector [education.ie]
- Published: 17 February 2010
The Minister for Education and Science, Batt O'Keeffe TD, has announced that Dr Harold Hislop has been appointed chief inspector in the Department of Education and Science.
Harold replaces Eamon Stack who recently retired.
Harold has held a wide range of positions at various levels of the educational system.
He taught in Whitechurch National School, Dublin, and was later appointed principal there.
Harold was lecturer in education at Trinity College, Dublin.
Full Story: www.education.ie
