Ministers launch brochure urging students to take school trips in Ireland [education.ie]
- Published: 30 December 2009
The Minister for Education and Science, Batt O'Keeffe TD, and the Minister for Arts, Sports and Tourism, Martin Cullen TD, today launched a brochure aimed at encouraging schools to organise Transition Year trips in Ireland.
The brochure, which was developed by Fáilte Ireland with the support of the two Departments, details attractions, activities and sample itineraries for Transition Year students.
It was produced in response to the Government's Ideas Campaign which sought suggestions from the public on the country’s economic recovery.
The Ideas Campaign website received more than 5,000 submissions.
Full Story: www.education.ie
High numbers of pupils still leaving school early [Independent.ie]
- Published: 30 December 2009
SIGNIFICANT numbers of students are continuing to drop out of school before their Junior Certificate.
Despite a range of initiatives to tackle educational disadvantage, early school leaving persists. And many of those who leave early regret their decision, new research has found.
The lack of qualification reduces their career choices and they also regret missing rites of passage like the Debs Ball. According to the latest figures, in 2005, 1,402 students left school before their Junior Certificate.
Full Story: www.independent.ie
FG warns over fallout from cut in language support teachers [IrishTimes.com]
- Published: 30 December 2009
A GOVERNMENT decision to reduce the number of language support teachers in schools could see Irish and immigrant students competing against one another for attention, Fine Gael has said.
Reductions of up to 30 per cent in such supports could have a direct impact on the education of all pupils, with many students not receiving the assistance needed to help them speak, read and write in English, Fine Gael immigration spokesman Denis Naughten said.Figures released to Mr Naughten by the Department of Education show there has been a reduction of 35 per cent in the number of English language support teachers at second level, with a further 27 per cent cut in teacher numbers at primary level.
Full Story: http://www.irishtimes.com
Religious influence in schools [IrishTimes]
- Published: 29 December 2009
Madam, – In attacking the Catholic Church’s position on schooling in this country (Opinion, December 22nd), Fintan O’Toole sets up and knocks down a number of straw-men. For example, contrary to his central assertion, there is no contradiction between the position the church takes now with regarding to schooling, and the one it took in the past. The view of Catholics has always been that parents are the primary educators of their children and that our schooling system must reflect their wishes insofar as is reasonably possible.
In the past the overwhelming majority of parents wanted a Catholic education for their children and so it made sense that the overwhelming majority of schools should be Catholic.
Full Story: www.irishtimes.com
INTO criticises slow pace of building projects in schools [IrishTimes]
- Published: 29 December 2009
THE IRISH National Teachers’ Organisation (INTO) has called for changes in the school building programme and has claimed that the current process is overly bureaucratic.
It has cited figures showing that nine schools in Co Offaly have been waiting for a decade or more for their applications to be approved.
Full Story: www.irishtimes.com
