Plan to fill teaching jobs with 1,000 'apprentices' at half-pay [Irish Independent]
- Published: 09 March 2009
Source: Irish Independent
By Katherine Donnelly
Monday March 09 2009
A key Government adviser has come up with a groundbreaking plan to give a jobs lifeline to graduating second-level teachers next September.
His plan would see holders of the Higher Diploma in Education (HDip) employed as "apprentices" for up to two years at a rate of €20,000 a year, while studying for a Masters degree.
The cost would be Exchequer neutral -- by pooling existing funding from a variety of courses to pay about half the normal starting salary for teachers.
Professor Tom Collins, Dean of Teaching and Learning at National University of Ireland Maynooth (NUIM), has developed the idea with colleagues.
He sees it as a solution to meeting the needs of about 1,000 HDip students due to graduate this summer while plugging gaps caused by education cutbacks in second-level schools, which are due to lose about 1,000 teaching posts in September.
Prof Collins' remit extends well beyond his role in NUI Maynooth and he holds several Government advisory positions.
Currently he is chair of the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA), which advises on curricular matters at primary and second level, and is also chair of the Commission on Nursing Hours.
Prof Collins's plan has gained increasing relevance in light of Taoiseach Brian Cowen's recent commitment to a jobs placement scheme for graduates.
Discussion
It has not been formally presented to Government, but it has been the subject of informal discussion in education circles in recent weeks.
While it relates specifically to the HDipEd graduates, it could apply in other areas of the public sector. "The aim is to find a way in which newly qualified teachers can begin to practise their profession, which would allow them to continue their professional and academic development and to enhance the core curricular and extra curricular provision of the school and so mitigate the worst effect of the education cutbacks," Prof Collins said.
He said graduates from pre-service teacher education programmes would join the teaching staff of host schools on a studentship programme for a maximum of two years. They would provide 10 to 15 hours' teaching and extra curricular provision per week, as well as enrolling as masters students to develop their professional capabilities.
Crucially, Prof Collins said it would allow for minority subjects and programmes currently threatened by the cutbacks to be retained, and/or potentially free up other staff members in the school to pursue other studies if they wish.
He said participants in the scheme would be supernumerary and it would not result in a reduction of the current teacher allocation to the host school.
The scheme would require new funding relationships between the Department of Social and Family Affairs, the Department of Education and Science and the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment.
Prof Collins said participants would normally qualify for a jobseekers' allowance of €10,000 per year, which could be made available using a similar arrangement to the one already in place on the Back to Education programmes.
This would be supplemented by a further €10,000 from sources such as the European Social Fund (ESF), which supports the introduction and improvement of provision for continuing the education and training of teachers, FAS, and resources available to schools.
Cutting class size will not benefit students [Independent.ie] - report
- Published: 09 March 2009
Cutting class size will not benefit students - report
CUTTING CLASS size in schools will not deliver better results for students, according to a major advisory report to Government on education and training.
The report also backs graduate taxes, but says efforts to address the funding crisis at third level may not require the return of upfront college fees.
The National Competitiveness Council report ; to be published today ; says investment in computers and in-service teacher training would be more valuable than "expensive" moves to cut class size.
The report is critical of demands for more resources for education. "Reducing class size is expensive and an excessive focus on this area can deflect scarce resources from providing schools with better school buildings, science labs, adequate computers and sports facilities," it says.
The report got an angry response from the INTO, whose campaign against the recent increases in class size attracted widespread public support.
But it will be welcomed by Minister for Education, Batt O'Keeffe. Class size in primary schools was increased from 27 to 28 in the budget, a move that will yield substantial savings for the exchequer. The report backs the introduction of a graduate tax to help fund higher education. It is "appropriate and equitable that graduates, who will benefit from . . . increased earnings should contribute a portion of the cost of their education," it says.
It says the current arrangement, whereby colleges are largely dependent on exchequer funding is not sustainable. While it does not back the return of fees, it says graduate taxes and student loans linked to income have been successfully adopted in other countries. It says overall assets should be included in assessing eligibility for student grants. The current system, it says, is inequitable.
The report makes a series of other recommendations including;
-The introduction of bonus CAO points for maths;
- New efforts to ensure students are rewarded for taking higher level maths in the Leaving Cert;
- More effective use and application of information technology in schools;
- The establishment of an effective and high-quality system of pre-primary education;
- The need to recognise outstanding teachers and reward them through the promotion system;
- New moves to empower school principals to be education leaders in their schools supported by effective middle management structures.
The competitiveness council quotes various academic studies to justify its position on class size. But the INTO's general secretary, John Carr, accused it of presenting a misleading picture.
"The INTO has consistently argued for smaller classes for younger children because it pays dividends. Claiming that class sizes have moved towards OECD and EU averages is straight out of the Ryanair school of spin."
In his foreword, competitiveness council chairman Dr Don Thornhill says outstanding Irish teachers have helped to deliver a strong educational system with relatively modest resources. He says the downturn means "the way in which resources are used can be just as important as the overall levels of funding''.
Other members of the council include Donal Byrne, chairman of Cadbury Schweppes Ireland; Brendan Butler of Ibec; William Prasifka of the Competition Authority; Martin Cronin of Forfás; Annette Hughes of DKM consultants and Ferdinand von Prondzynski, DCU president.
On third level, the report says colleges should avoid duplication of programmes. Co-operation and amalgamation is important, it says, for achieving critical mass in research.
This article appears in the print edition of the Irish Times
Comments by John Carr to Irish Times on National Competitiveness Council Report [INTO]
- Published: 09 March 2009
Comments by John Carr to Irish Times on National Competitiveness Council Report
9th March 2009
The INTO strongly criticized the NCC report saying it presented information on class size reductions in a particularly negative and misleading manner.
"The facts are that class size reductions have been shown to be particularly effective in improving educational outcomes for younger children, disadvantaged children and minority groups. This worldwide evidence is not disputed by even the staunchest critics of class size reductions," said John Carr, INTO General Secretary.
"The INTO has consistently argued for smaller classes for younger children because it pays dividends," said Carr. "This international best practice was recognized by government when classes of less than 20 were promised for children under nine.
"The NCC's report claims to be based on evidence," said Carr. "This is simply not true."
The INTO said the report quoted one academic paper by Eric Hanushek of Stanford University, an economist known to be against class size reduction. "The NCC report failed to mention that Hanushek's findings were shown to be inaccurate and misleading by Prof Alan Krueger of Princeton University."
Mr Carr said the claim that spending per student had increased significantly in recent years, and both teacher/student ratios and class sizes have moved towards the OECD and EU averages was partial and particularly misleading. "The reality is that while spending per pupil increased in recent years it fell significantly behind Ireland's national wealth," said Carr.
"Claiming that class sizes have moved towards OECD and EU averages is straight out of the Ryanair school of spin," said Carr. "Ireland's class sizes are miles away from where they should be and only inching towards those in other countries."
Mr Carr said Ireland's classes in primary school are among the most overcrowded in the EU with an average of 24 pupils compared to an overall average of less than 20.
Four out of five primary teachers vote for industrial action [INTO]
- Published: 08 March 2009
Source: INTO
Statement by John Carr, INTO General Secretary, on Ballot for Industrial Action
The Irish National Teachers' Organisation has released more details of the ballot for industrial action by primary teachers. Figures released today show that 79% of primary teachers voted in favour of industrial action up to and including strike action compared to 21% of teachers who opposed the idea.
Under the union's own rules a two thirds majority is required before industrial action can be called.
According to a spokesperson for the union there were high levels of support for industrial action throughout the country. In the north Dublin branches of the union, teachers voted by 9 to 1 in favour of industrial action. In Galway 87% of teachers were in favour, in Cork more than 80% backed the proposal to strike, while in Limerick 74% of teachers supported the proposal.
More than sixty percent of the union's 30,000 members turned out to case their vote at specially convened ballot meetings all over the country during the last fortnight.
The union's General Secretary John Carr said this was a very clear message to government that teachers strongly oppose the education cutbacks and the pension levy. Describing the pension levy as nothing other than a pay cut, Mr Carr said what teachers all over the country oppose is the unfair and disproportionate targeting of the public service.
"Teachers, like other public servants have said they are willing to play their part in a programme for economic recovery," said Mr Carr. "They are not prepared to be scapegoated while those with means and money escape."
Mr Carr said support for industrial action was unsurprising. "Teachers on €40,000 have seen a fourteen percent attack on their salaries since last October."
The INTO Executive will meet later this week where it is expected that plans as to the precise nature of industrial action will be considered. However, Mr Carr said any action will be organised in consultation with the other teacher unions and the broader trade union movement. "It is not intended to take unilateral action which would only serve to fragment the public service response," said Carr
"Clearly strike action will be a last resort," said Carr. He said it could be avoided if "government reconvened social partnership and worked out an equitable national recovery plan for the next number of years."
INTO President Declan Kelleher said teachers along with other workers were entitled to have their representatives in ICTU play a full role in agreeing a plan to take Ireland forward from the current difficulties. "If the government chooses not to listen to the voices of workers, then there is no option for primary teachers other than to take part in national strike action."
Give the Government a chance to save economy, says businessman McManus [Irish Indepepndent]
- Published: 08 March 2009
Source: Irish Independent
One of the country's most successful businessmen, JP McManus, believes the Taoiseach Brian Cowen he should be given a chance to get Ireland out of the current economic slump. "I think we are in good hands and we will leave it to them," Mr McManus said in Limerick yesterday.
Speaking at the inaugural All-Ireland Scholarships in the University of Limerick, the renowned philanthropist said the country was best left in the hands of the present Government. In the first year of the scholarships, a total of 118 third-level students from across the country will each receive €6,750 annually from the Limerick man.
Mr McManus has contributed a pot of €30m to assist students in each year of their continuing education in the country's third-level institutions. It is estimated that 1,300 students from every county will benefit from the scheme.
