Headteachers in North, England and Wales to vote on strike [Independent.ie]
- Published: 22 September 2011
THE UNION representing headteachers is to hold its first ever strike ballot in the bitter row over public sector pensions.
Members of the National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT) will vote from September 29 on whether to strike for the first time in the union's 114-year history.
The ballot result is due on November 9, a few weeks before the TUC's day of action in protest at the British Government's controversial plans to increase pension contributions for millions of public sector workers.
The union represents 28,500 headteachers, as well as deputy and assistant heads, in schools across Wales, England andNorthern Ireland.
The result of the ballot will be known in time for the NAHT to call a strike on November 30 if there is a yes vote.
Full Story: www.independent.ie
School principal warns parents: Get your kids off Facebook it’s a verbal sewer [Independent.ie]
- Published: 22 September 2011
AN AUSTRALIAN school principal fed up with cyber-bullying has gone to war on Facebook.
Chris Duncan, principal of Lindisfarne Anglican Grammar School, in Tweed Heads, New SouthWales used his school newsletter to warn parents in bold print: “GET YOUR KIDS OFF FACEBOOK. THIS VERBAL SEWER IS HARMING YOUR CHILDREN.”
Mr Duncan said he decided to take the radical action after he helped a 16-year-old student who suffered serious abuse on Facebook.
He said he was aware of students who had been sent into an “appalling state” due to abuse they received on Facebook, with some children being more vulnerable than others.
Full Story: www.independent.ie
Sport and performing top career wishlists for nine-year-olds [IrishExaminer]
- Published: 22 September 2011
A majority of boys surveyed in the Growing Up In Ireland (GUI) study wanted to be professional sports players (soccer, rugby or tennis), while most girls wanted to be professional performers, typically singers, dancers or actresses.
The study, launched this morning by Children's Minister Frances Fitzgerald also found that children felt less close to parents who worked long hours.
Relationships between children and their parents are broadly positive, but can be negatively affected if parents are less available, respondents said.
Children spend more time with their mothers and time spent with their dads is often activity-based.
Full Story: www.examiner.ie
Autism: 'I have waited four years to get a kiss from my son. Now he's kissing everyone' [Independent.ie]
- Published: 22 September 2011
Cahir Coyle posd for his school photograph this week, like thousands of other children who have just begun their primary school journey.
For his mum, Kathleen, this annual ritual of the junior Infants' class picture, which will be published in the local newspapers, is an important milestone for her five-year-old son, who has autism.
"Getting the class photo is absolutely fantastic.
"Parents of children with autism feel at times that we are living in a different world, but we have to fit into both worlds.
"We are trying to bring our children with autism into our world, our society, and at the same time there is so much stuff we have to do for them, that other people don't understand.
"The class photo is just a way of getting the two worlds to combine," she explained.
Full Story: www.independent.ie
Children 'start school too early' [belfasttelegraph.co.uk]
- Published: 22 September 2011
Concerns about the age children start school in Northern Ireland — the lowest in Europe — have been raised by Stormont’s education committee.
Children start their primary school education here at the age of four, which is two years younger than the European average.
The committee heard yesterday that there are arguments both for and against the policy that has been adopted by the Department of Education.
However, there is broad agreement that any curriculum for children aged four and five should focus on play instead of educational achievement. Alliance’s Trevor Lunn, who is a member of the committee, said: “It always worries me when I see us completely out of line with so many other countries.
Full Story: www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk
