Agreement on picking locations for school choice [IrishTimes]
- Published: 13 November 2009
THE DEPARTMENT of Education is to establish where in Ireland choice in the provision of primary schools in terms of ethos may be required.
This was agreed at a meeting attended by representatives of Catholic school patrons and department officials at its offices on Dublin’s Marlborough Street yesterday. There was also discussion on underprovision of Catholic-run secondary schools.
A joint statement afterwards described the meeting as “wide-ranging and constructive”.
Full Story: www.irishtimes.com
Students walk out in protest at cameras mounted in school toilets [IrishExaminer]
- Published: 13 November 2009
SOME 150 students at a Kildare school walked out in protest yesterday after CCTV cameras were installed in the toilets.
Students at Scoil Mhuire Community School in Clane made their protest yesterday at the school after returning from the mid-term break to find CCTV cameras mounted in the bathrooms in the school.
It is understood neither the students nor their parents were informed about the move which, according to a statement from the Department of Education, may be illegal.
Full Story: www.irishexaminer.com
Parents must decide who will run schools -- bishops [Independent.ie]
- Published: 13 November 2009
CATHOLIC bishops say it is parents and not the Church who must decide whether control of any of their primary schools are handed over to another patron.
They made it clear yesterday that initiative for a change would have to come from individual school communities.
They were speaking after an historic meeting in the Department of Education, the first formal gathering to discuss a framework for transferring schools to other patron bodies.
Full Story: www.independent.ie
Concern over lack of support for poorer students [Irish Examiner]
- Published: 12 November 2009
ANOTHER state advisory body has pointed to the absence of support for poorer students in schools which are outside the Government’s programme to tackle educational disadvantage.
The National Economic and Social Forum (NESF) highlights the fact that the Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools (DEIS) support scheme only covers the 22% of primary schools classed as disadvantaged, meaning it cannot reach children experiencing educational disadvantage in other schools. The NESF report evaluating the impact of DEIS on literacy also found that its full impact or resources have not even reached all the schools included for supports, such as additional teachers and other resources.
Full Story: www.irishexaminer.com
School places will be found for all children, O'Keeffe says [IrishTimes]
- Published: 12 November 2009
MINISTER FOR Education Batt O’Keeffe has expressed confidence his department will be able to find school places for all children, despite a population surge in some parts of the country.
He also signalled that the viability of many smaller rural schools will be examined.Mr O’Keeffe was speaking yesterday at the unveiling of new digital technology, which seeks to avoid a repetition of events like that in Balbriggan, Co Dublin, where 100 children struggled to find school places 18 months ago because of population growth in that area.
Full Story: www.irishtimes.com
