Keep special needs classes if students need them - report [IrishTimes]
- Published: 02 February 2010
PUPILS WHO require special needs support should be accommodated in special needs classes, a forthcoming report from the National Council for Special Education will recommend.
The report says the inclusion of pupils in mainstream classes should not be used as a reason to withdraw special classes when still required. This appears at odds with a decision last year by Minister for Education Batt O’Keeffe to abolish more than 120 special needs classes for over 500 pupils.
Full Story: www.irishtimes.com
Teachers' pet [IrishTimes]
- Published: 02 February 2010
An insider's guide to education
** That poll in The Irish Times showing a huge drop in support for Catholic patronage in schools is concentrating minds in the Department of Education.
The Catholic church no longer commands anything like the support it has claimed for school patronage. Some 61 per cent of those polled want radical change. The Department has been well behind public opinion on this issue.
Full Story: www.irishtimes.com
Comedian helps students to tune up their Gaelige with new website [IrishExaminer]
- Published: 02 February 2010
The comedian and Minister O’Keeffe were in Coláiste Choilm yesterday to launch Abair Leat!, a new interactive website which will help in the learning of spoken Irish in post-primary schools.
Students can use the website to listen to native Irish speakers, record their own material in Irish and undertake self-correcting exercises.
Full Story: www.irishexaminer.com
Call for extra education places [IrishTimes]
- Published: 02 February 2010
Fine Gael has called for the removal of the cap on the number of Post-Leaving Certificate (PLC) courses following confirmation that a record 72,500 students have applied for college places this year.
The Central Applications Office (CAO) estimated that number of students had applied by yesterday’s deadline. This compares to 66,500 for this time last year.
It is expected the number of applications will impose further pressure on facilities and resources at higher-level colleges.
Full Story: www.irishtimes.com
Irish Primary Schools Set To Compete For Awards of Science and Maths Excellence in 2010 [entemp.ie]
- Published: 02 February 2010
Discover Science and Engineering (DSE) today (Tuesday 2nd February 2010) announced the launch of the Awards of Science & Maths Excellence 2010. Part of the Discover Primary Science (DPS) programme, the awards acknowledge the efforts of primary school children and teachers across Ireland who have shown an increased knowledge of science and maths. Last year, 512 primary schools won an award and it is hoped that this figure will increase in 2010.
Launched in 2004, the DPS programme has gone from strength to strength with almost all of the 3,600 primary schools across the country registered to participate today. The success of Discover Primary Science was also recognised as part of international review last year. This year, an additional focus on maths will be incorporated into the programme in recognition of the importance of mathematics in teaching science.
Full Story: www.entemp.ie
