New primary teachers frustrated by delayed classroom evaluations [IrishTimes]
- Published: 05 December 2009
NEWLY TRAINED primary school teachers have expressed frustration after they were told this week of delays in their final diploma qualification.
Letters were sent out by the Department of Education this week to the teachers saying that “due to the large number of applications” there were insufficient inspectors available to carry out final-examination classroom inspections.
Full Story: www.irishtimes.com
Principal forced to use school toilet as an office [Independent.ie]
- Published: 05 December 2009
A PRINCIPAL has been forced to use a staff toilet as his office because of overcrowding at a primary school.
Killimor National School in Balinasloe, Co Galway was promised a new building 14 years ago.
The Department of Education has spent over €650,000 on a site and planning for the new building -- but can give no time as to when it will be built.
Full Story: www.independent.ie
Threats of more strikes as 'partnership is dead' [Independent.ie]
- Published: 05 December 2009
TEACHER unions reacted with fury last night to the breakdown of talks with the Government.
The strongest reaction came from the Teachers' Union of Ireland (TUI), whose general secretary Peter MacMenamin said it now seemed that further pay cuts and subsequent industrial strife were inevitable.
"The Government did not have the moral courage to proceed and social partnership now lies dead on the floor of Government Buildings," said Mr MacMenamin, who announced that the TUI executive would meet on Monday.
Full Story: www.independent.ie
Unions to meet over next move [IrishTimes]
- Published: 05 December 2009
The public services committee of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (Ictu) is to meet on Monday to discuss strategy following the collapse of talks with the Government.
Taoiseach Brian Cowen said yesterday the Government would press ahead with pay cuts of €1.3 billion across the public service after it rejected a trade union proposal for savings to be made through staff taking unpaid leave
Full Story: www.irishtimes.com
No move on school building works [IrishExaminer]
- Published: 05 December 2009
MORE than a third of schools promised by Education Minister Batt O’Keeffe that their major building projects would begin tendering or construction this year have not moved to that stage – with less than a month left to meet the deadline.
The minister announced in February 43 schools whose new buildings or extensions would go to tender or construction, including two that he had added to the list proposed by his department’s building unit.
Full Story: www.irishexaminer.com
