Parental Guidance on Web Video for Children [NYTimes]
- Published: 08 October 2009
If you still need convincing that the digital future has arrived, consider this: By the time you finish this article, at least 10 more hours of new video will be uploaded to YouTube. Combine this with a young child's curiosity and pocket-size video players, and you get the perfect recipe for parental distress. After all, what youngster would not want a million channels of TV?
Full Story: http://www.nytimes.com/
Schools' narrow e-teaching focus worries expert [NZHerald]
- Published: 08 October 2009
Computers may have opened up boundless opportunities for young people, but schools are squashing those opportunities, a world leading authority says.
Californian Gary Stager, an expert in computers in schools for 27 years, has travelled the world spreading the message of what can be achieved if children get proper access to technology in schools. He is disturbed by the "narrow thinking" he has found from the adults in charge.
"I think one of the trends I am seeing globally is an increasing conservatism, not just in educational policy, but a narrowing of the imagination of what kids can actually do with computers," Dr Stager told the Herald, after speaking to the ULearn education conference in Christchurch.
Full Story: http://www.nzherald.co.nz
Revised Procedures for Suspension and Dismissal of Principals/Teachers [CPSMA]
- Published: 08 October 2009
Following discussions that took place under the terms of the Towards 2016 Agreement between the managerial authorities of schools, the teacher unions and the Department of Education & Science, revised procedures in relation to professional competence issues and general disciplinary matters have been agreed. Circular 0060/2009 deals with this matter. Click below to download the circular/suspension & dismissal procedures.
Procedures for Suspension/Dismissal of Principals >>>
Procedures for Suspension/Dismissal of Teachers >>>
Full Story: http://www.cpsma.ie
Parents to hire private firms to run schools under Tories [Guardian.co.uk]
- Published: 08 October 2009
A Conservative government would encourage companies to run state schools for profit, it emerged today, as David Cameron promised to deliver radical change to take schools away from government interference.
Saying he wanted to give every child the kind of education their parents would expect from a private school, Cameron argued that "discipline, setting by ability and regular sport" prevalent in the private sector would flourish in state schools once they were freed from government controls by the Conservatives, forcing headteachers to respond to parental demands.
But it emerged that under the reforms, based on the Swedish system of "free" schools, governing bodies could contract out the operation of the school - including teaching - to a private company and that the company would be allowed to charge a "management fee".
Full Story: http://www.guardian.co.uk
Threat to Protestant schools [LetterkennyPost]
- Published: 08 October 2009
Implementing the recommendations of the McCarthy Report in the education sector would be "catastrophic" to Protestant communities, the Church of Ireland has said.
Representatives say the proposal to reduce the number of national schools would result in major closures and amalgamations throughout Church of Ireland schools in Donegal.
The proposals by An Bord Snip Nua for the primary sector include cuts in staff and transport, increased pupil teacher ratio and the closing or merging of small schools, particularly in rural areas, as part of plans to save €746m in the education sector.
Of the 176 primary schools in Donegal, 23 of these are Church of Ireland with around 1,200 pupils and mostly two or three teacher schools.
It's estimated that 115 national schools in the county are under threat of being closed or merged as a result of them having less than 100 pupils enrolled.
Full Story: http://www.letterkennypost.com
