O'Keeffe allows schools to reopen [IrishTimes]
- Published: 12 January 2010
Minister for Education and Science, Batt O'Keeffe yesterday appealed to school boards of management to take account of conditions facing parents bringing their children to school as he rescinded a national decision to close all primary and secondary schools until Wednesday.
Mr O'Keeffe announced today it was now up to local boards of management to decide if they wished to open their schools tomorrow but he urged them to consider not just the conditions within the school grounds but the approach roads and transportation difficulties.
Full Story: www.irishtimes.com
O'Keeffe trapped by vagaries of weather [Independent.ie]
- Published: 12 January 2010
EDUCATION Minister Batt O'Keeffe's decision to close schools until Thursday this week caused outrage among Fine Gael and the media.
However, that decision was clearly based on the weather forecast at the time, a forecast which predicted continuing severe weather for up to another 10 days.
Full Story: www.independent.ie
Better plan required for early childhood [IrishTimes]
- Published: 12 January 2010
CHILDCARE PROVIDERS have called for a 10-year plan for the early childcare and education of every child in the State up to six years of age.
Start Strong has welcomed the free pre-school year scheme which began for most three year olds yesterday, but it said that it should be part of a comprehensive early childhood care and education programme.
The Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme, which replaces the early childhood supplement, is the largest pre-school programme ever undertaken in the State and is costing €170 million a year.
Full Story: www.irishtimes.com
INTO Calls for End to Commercial Exploitation of School Children [indymedia.ie]
- Published: 12 January 2010
INTO: schools should not allow children to be exploited by commercial companies.
The INTO has said primary teachers should not support advertising projects by commercial companies which target children or their families through schools. The union made its announcement following the launch of a project promoted by the Irish Independent and sponsored by Bank of Ireland.
"Bank of Ireland is one of the financial institutions that contributed to this country's economic collapse," said Ms Ní Chuinneagáin. "It has been bailed out to date with 3.5 billion in state aid so far with more taxpayers money expected to be pumped into it. Just today, it is set to get 11.5 billion of taxpayers money through the NAMA scheme to pay for its reckless lending to developers and speculators."
"The 1.5 million euro in sponsorship money is effectively taxpayers' money which is being used to promote the bank through school children," she said. "Primary teachers should not have any hand act or part in promoting the public rehabilitation of this or any other bank in this manner."
Full Story: www.indymedia.ie
Bank of Ireland's school promotion criticised [rte.ie]
- Published: 12 January 2010
The Irish National Teachers' Organisation has said teachers should not support advertising schemes by commercial companies that target children or their families through schools.
The primary school union was commenting as Independent Newspapers Ireland and Bank of Ireland launched a competition for schools that requires children to collect tokens from newspapers.
Independent Newspapers says the scheme - called Building for the Future - is a fun, education-based project that will enrich primary schools and their communities.
Full Story: www.rte.ie
