Education reform - School must prepare next generation [IrishExaminer]
- Published: 26 September 2011
Radical changes are planned to replace the current Junior Certificate from 2017, when marking will include online and class tests on the basis of continuous assessment, which will consist of 40% of marks, and the final written examination worth the other 60%.
The changes will be introduced gradually for those beginning their first year of secondary school in 2014.
Such changes have been demanded for more than a decade. There has been political opposition to the cost of making the changes.
The National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) has already approved the proposed changes. In addition, Education Minister Ruairi Quinn has been broadly supportive of the changes. The teachers appear to be on board, if somewhat cautiously.
Full Story: www.examiner.ie
85% of primary pupils in Ireland are in classes greater than the EU average [into.ie]
- Published: 26 September 2011
Statement by Sheila Nunan General Secretary, Irish National Teachers’ Organisation on overcrowded classes in primary schools
Eighty five percent of primary pupils in Ireland are in classes greater than the EU average
New figures published today show that eighty five percent of pupils in Irish primary schools are in classes of twenty or more. One in five pupils are in classes of more than thirty pupils. The figures are the latest available official figures on Irish class sizes.
The general secretary of the INTO Sheila Nunan described today’s figures as shocking and said the government was not tackling the problem of overcrowded classes which was getting worse particularly in urban areas and commuter counties.
The INTO called the figures “a wake-up call for parents” in advance of the next budget. The union said Ireland’s classes are the second most overcrowded in Europe and twenty percent higher than the EU average.
Full Story: www.into.ie
Putting pupils first: shaping our future [sinnfein.ie]
- Published: 26 September 2011
Education Minister, John O’Dowd, has set out his vision for the next steps in education locally.
Mr O’Dowd spoke of the requirement to prioritise the needs of children by creating a strong, sustainable network of inter-dependent schools designed to deliver a modern education service. Among the actions he has decided to take are to commission an immediate audit to identify schools which are not educationally viable, to commission an exercise to shape the future pattern of education delivery across each Board area, to set out new criteria for future capital investment, and to make the requirements of the Entitlement Framework statutory by 2013.
The Minister also emphasised that his main priority was to raise standards and tackle underachievement and inequality in our system. He described as unacceptable the gaps in achievement, especially between those pupils from disadvantaged areas and those from more affluent backgrounds
Full Story: www.sinnfein.ie
Quinn facing tough battle over plans to shake up Junior Cert [Independent.ie]
- Published: 26 September 2011
EDUCATION Minister Ruairi Quinn is facing a battle with teacher unions over controversial plans for radical reform of the Junior Cert.
The Junior Cert as we know it will disappear under a plan to be implemented over about seven years.
A key change will see less emphasis on the traditional June exams, with up to 40pc of marks awarded by teachers for work done by their students over a two-year period.
The planned overhaul puts a cap of eight on the number of subjects students will study for exam purposes. The new qualification would be called the National Certificate for Junior Cycle Education.
Full Story: www.independent.ie
Projects and portfolios worth 40% to students ahead of exams [IrishExaminer]
- Published: 26 September 2011
PROJECTS and portfolios completed before the final exams will be worth 40% of marks for all subjects in the qualification to replace the Junior Certificate from 2017.
At present, just 10 of the 26 Junior Certificate subjects have an obligatory second component that is completed before the written exams each June. These include projects, practical tests and coursework booklets, mostly in optional subjects such as music, metalwork, art, home economics and technology.
Full Story: www.examiner.ie
