Church control of schools discussed [IrishTimes]
- Published: 12 November 2009
Catholic Bishops will discuss the possibility of relinquishing control of a number of schools at a meeting with Department of Education officials today.
Over the past 18 months, Archbishop of Dublin Diarmuid Martin has repeatedly signalled his willingness to let go of schools in areas where the Catholic Church is over-represented.
At present the church controls over 92 per cent of primary schools (3,000 of the total of 3,200) in the State.
Minister for Education Batt O’Keeffe said it was hoped that an indication of which schools Dr Martin had in mind would be gained at today’s meeting.
Full Story: www.irishtimes.com
Selection tests traumatic, unnecessary and unjust [anphoblacht.com]
- Published: 12 November 2009
As grammar schools in the Six Counties have begun testing 10 and 11-year-old children in an unregulated academic selection process, Sinn Féin Education Spokesperson John O’Dowd has said: “The testing of children at 10 and 11 years of age to decide if they may or may not enter a school is wrong. It has no proven educational benefit and numerous educational and social disadvantages.”
Around 13,000 Primary 7 children have registered to sit entrance tests over November and December with one or both grammar associations that have formed to try to maintain selection - the Association for Quality Education and the Post-Primary Transfer Consortium, which each represent 34 schools.
Full Story: www.anphoblacht.com
Snakes alive! Pupils get a close-up look [Independent.ie]
- Published: 12 November 2009
SINCE St Patrick got rid of the snakes, it's not often that our young folk get the chance to see -- and even touch -- a live one.
So schoolchildren taking part in Science Week grabbed the opportunity with both hands yesterday.
Full Story: www.independent.ie
Control of schools by church to be discussed [IrishTimes]
- Published: 12 November 2009
CATHOLIC BISHOPS will be under pressure to identify schools they are willing to relinquish control of at a meeting with Department of Education officials today.
Over the past 18 months, Archbishop of Dublin Diarmuid Martin has repeatedly signalled his willingness to let go of schools in areas where the Catholic Church is over-represented. At present the church controls over 92 per cent of primary schools (3,000 of the total of 3,200) in the State.
Full Story: www.irishtimes.com
Minister confident Govt will cope with 83k rise in pupil numbers [Irish Examiner]
- Published: 11 November 2009
The Education Minister Batt O'Keeffe has said he is confident that the Government can cope with the massive surge in demand for primary school places, that been predicted over the next 10 years.
The Department of Education is forecasting that with the record rise in population, the number of children attending primary school will increase by 83,000 by 2020.
Full Story: www.irishexaminer.com
