Work-to-rule puts principals in ‘no-win’ situation [IrishExaminer]
- Published: 30 January 2010
PRIMARY principals have been put in an unfair position by their union’s work-to-rule directives because they have legal obligations towards pupils, a conference heard yesterday.
Among the directives imposed on Irish National Teachers’ Organisation (INTO) members, including principals of the country’s 3,300 primary schools, is a ban on attending staff meetings or parent-teacher meetings outside class hours, which may mean schools having to take half-days to facilitate these activities.
Full Story: www.irishexaminer.com
Principal: SNA cuts make policy ‘pointless’ [IrishExaminer]
- Published: 30 January 2010
GOVERNMENT policy of integrating children with special needs into mainstream schools will be pointless if there are more cuts to staff helping them in class, a principals’ leader warned yesterday.
Hundreds of special needs assistants (SNAs) who help with physical and behavioural difficulties of thousands of pupils have been made redundant this weekend, in a move described yesterday by Irish Primary Principals Network (IPPN) director Sean Cottrell as a ruthless culling.
Full Story: www.irishexaminer.com
Secular education for all would deny right to parental choice [IrishTimes]
- Published: 30 January 2010
It is important that parents have a right to choose schools that reflect their own values, writes BREDA O'BRIEN
INCREASING THE diversity in school patronage is a good thing. The Catholic Church is patron of 92 per cent of primary schools, and since that no longer reflects Irish society, it should change. However, the Irish Times poll, where some 61 per cent said it was time for the Catholic Church to give up control of the primary school system, raises as many questions as it answers.
Full Story: www.irishtimes.com
Church and schools: the public speak [IrishTimes]
- Published: 30 January 2010
In an ‘Irish Times’ survey this week, 61 per cent of people said the Catholic Church should cede control of primary schools – and 28 per cent said it should not. ROSITA BOLAND talks to people in Portlaoise and Dublin, to explore the attitudes behind the statistics
THE IRISH Times/Ipsos MRBI poll published this week found that 61 per cent of those polled believed the Catholic Church should give up its control of the primary school system. Respondents in the greater Leinster area were found to be most supportive of the church’s involvement with primary schools. Those polled in Dublin were the least supportive.
Full Story: www.irishtimes.com
School polls to pick patron if church gives up control [IrishTimes]
- Published: 30 January 2010
LOCAL PLEBISCITES are expected to be held in each school area where the Catholic Church agrees to relinquish control, Minister for Education, Batt O’Keeffe said yesterday.
He was speaking as Department of Education officials continue work on identifying areas where the Catholic Church is over-represented and where it is prepared to hand over control of school management to other patrons.
Full Story: www.irishtimes.com
