Fear of rising class sizes as schools face funding deficit [Guardian.co.uk]
- Published: 17 September 2009
About 2,000 primary and secondary schools are facing a deficit, with many forced to make redundancies and increase class sizes to cut costs - even before the widely predicted public spending cuts hit the education budget.
The Liberal Democrats, who obtained the figures under the Freedom of Information Act, said the findings are the "tip of the iceberg" and that school standards will decline to levels not seen since the 1980s if education budgets are not protected in the looming cuts. The problem is being blamed on the current funding system, which is accused of not properly rewarding schools for teaching pupils in the poorest areas of the country. The local authorities worst affected include Haringey, north London, Knowsley in Merseyside, and Nottingham, which have some of the most entrenched educational problems in England.
Full Story: http://www.guardian.co.uk/
Top developers earned fortune on school sites [Independent.ie]
- Published: 17 September 2009
PROPERTY developers cleaned up on school sites during the boom years, new figures reveal.
They show that the State paid almost €40m to buy just eight primary school sites in the Fingal area of Co Dublin -- with most of the money going to developers. One company called King of the Castle, which is run by property tycoon Joe Moran of Manor Park Homebuilders, was paid €5m in 2007. Menolly Homes was paid €2.1m for three acres in 2001 while its director Seamus Ross was paid €800,000 for 0.8 of an acre five years later.
Another company, Ballyboden Farms Ltd, run by Michael Cotter of Park Developments, was paid €2.86m for 2.43 acres but that was before property prices went through the roof. Details released under the Freedom of Information Act (FOI) show it took three years to complete the deal in 2004 with Ballyboden Farms Ltd.
Full Story: http://www.independent.ie/
ICTU Announces Campaign of Opposition [INTO.ie]
- Published: 17 September 2009
ICTU Announces Campaign of Opposition
Congress has announced that it will organise a campaign of sustained opposition to Government inaction on jobs, the threat of cuts to public services and to ensure that the burden of economic adjustment is not borne disproportionately by working people and their families.
Full Story: http://www.into.ie/Students warn fees campaign just beginning [Independent.ie]
- Published: 16 September 2009
ANGRY students yesterday warned that their campaign against the reintroduction of college fees is just beginning.
Around 150 students protested outside the Dail yesterday to mark the deadline for cabinet members to submit their views on Education Minister Batt O'Keeffe's fees proposals. Many students had also slept overnight in tents outside Leinster House to highlight their objection to fees, which they have branded a stealth tax.
"This is the first of many actions we intend to have over the next few weeks, we hope to heat up our campaign," Dan O'Neill, Union of Students of Ireland vice-president, said. The USI plans to lobby representatives as part of a postcard campaign and to consider a 'name and shame' campaign against those TDs supportive of bringing back third-level fees.
Full Story: http://www.independent.ie/
Staff only: A new lesson about judging a book by its cover [Independent.ie]
- Published: 16 September 2009
Rightly or wrongly, I tend to judge people by the company that they keep. In the case of school kids, you'll probably consider this to be wrong if you have no children or you have been blessed with a child who values education and understands the meaning of the word 'respect'.
Then, on the other hand, maybe you've been so unfortunate as to have your child bring home another kid who walks past you in your own hallway without so much as a grunt, goes to the toilet leaving the door open, doesn't flush and then returns to your beloved offspring's bedroom to finish off a six-pack. You might try to do the right thing (or so the experts tell us) and confront your child and not the 'guest' and then you might get told to f-off.
Yes, I've been treated to plenty of gruesome stories of nasty, foul-mouthed little thugs who bully their parents and who believe that boozing all night and sleeping all day are the best ways to secure a career in Hollywood or to get on The X Factor.
I sit there at the parent-teacher meeting, full of sympathy, but as the guy who has to look for their homework or stop them from wrecking everyone else's chances in the exams, I feel just as frustrated.
Full Story: http://www.independent.ie/
