Leaving school early is bad for health and wealth [Independent.ie]
- Published: 16 October 2009
LEAVING school early is bad for your health and prospects for future wealth, a senior ESRI researcher told a conference yesterday. She said a Leaving Certificate qualification had become the minimum necessary for access to education and employment.
But early school leaving also had striking effects on other aspects of people's lives, said Dr Emer Smyth from the Economic and Social Research Institute. For instance, early school leavers also had:
- Higher rates of anxiety and depression.
- Higher rates of smoking and heavy drinking.
- Greater dependency on medical cards.
- Higher rates of lone motherhood.
- Much higher rates of imprisonment.
Schools turning into 'old boys club' for retired teachers [Independent]
- Published: 16 October 2009
IRISH schools are turning into an "old boys club" for retired teachers. Despite an accelerating jobs crisis for newly qualified teachers, almost two thousand retired teachers, who are on on top-class pensions are re-employed as substitute teachers in primary and secondary schools
Full Story: www.independent.ie
Employers demand a compulsory gap year for all students [Independent.ie]
- Published: 16 October 2009
EMPLOYERS want students to take a compulsory gap year between Leaving Cert and college to allow them to learn vital workplace skills.
They're worried that our education system is not producing well-rounded school leavers who can think on their feet.
Full Story: www.independent.ie
Lifelong Learning Programme, Call for Proposals 2010 [leargas.ie]
- Published: 16 October 2009
The Call for Proposals for 2010 has been announced.
Full Story: www.leargas.ie
Children start school too young - wait till they're 6, experts say [TimesOnline.co.uk]
- Published: 16 October 2009
Formal schooling should be delayed until children reach 6, according to the biggest review of primary education for more than 40 years.
The Cambridge Primary Review, published today, says that five-year-olds should continue with the play-based curriculum used in nursery schools. Trying to teach literacy and numeracy at such an early age is "counterproductive" and can put children off school, according to the committee that produced the report.
Professor Robin Alexander, the report's editor, called for a debate about whether to raise the age of compulsory schooling, which has been set at 5 since 1870. But the review was more concerned about the style of learning offered in state schools.
Full Story: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/
