Panel Notices 2009 [INTO.ie]
- Published: 23 September 2009
Please note the important changes to the way the Redeployment Panel is operating this year as previously advised to all schools. Also included below are the timetable of Key Actions for the Panels which is part of the Staffing Schedule (Circular 002/2009) available on the Department's website www.education.ie and you are urged you to familiarise yourself with the various responsibilities contained therein.
Full Story: http://www.into.ie
Pupils pray more and play less than EU counterparts [Independent.ie]
- Published: 23 September 2009
IRISH primary pupils spend more time praying than their classmates in the rest of Europe, and far less time playing.
Our schools rank top of the European class for the percentage of teaching time officially devoted to religious education, but bottom, with Turkey, for time allocated to physical education.
But there are no plans to reduce the time spent on religion in order to create more space for other subjects where we also do badly, such as foreign languages and science.
Full Story: http://www.independent.ie/
Teachers in talks to end curb on parent meetings [Independent.ie]
- Published: 22 September 2009
A CONTROVERSIAL ban on holding parent-teacher meetings outside school hours is likely to be lifted this week, the Irish Independent has learned.
The ban is causing hardship for parents who cannot get time off work to attend meetings to discuss their children's education. Moves to lift the ban follow talks between the National Parents' Council Post Primary and the two unions who imposed it.
The executive of the Teachers' Union of Ireland and the standing committee of the Association of Secondary Teachers Ireland will review the situation at separate meetings towards the weekend.
Full Story: http://www.independent.ie
ESRI Report on Pay Rates Rejected by INTO [INTO]
- Published: 22 September 2009
A report from the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) comparing private and public sector pay rates has been rejected by public service unions, including the INTO, primarily on the basis that the data used is out of date as it was compiled before the imposition of the pension levy on public servants earlier this year.
The unions also said that the way the figures were compiled has skewed the findings as it did not compare real jobs in the private and public sector, but rather relied on statistical data for comparison purposes.
The report claimed to have identified a 25 percent gap between public and private sector pay rates. The report claims that the gap was particularly marked among junior grades.
Full Story: http://www.into.ie
Teachers hint at return of night parent meetings [Herald.ie]
- Published: 22 September 2009
Parents could soon be returning to school after hours to learn how their children are faring. The opportunity for out-of-hours parent-teacher meetings is likely to be welcomed by working mums and dads.
Up to now a contentious ban on the evening sittings meant that the meetings had to take place during normal working hours. This created a huge problem for some parents who were forced to either miss the vital sessions or to take time off from their own jobs to attend.
Full Story: http://www.herald.ie
