Toolkit to help manage chronic health conditions [educationmatters.ie]
- Published: 20 September 2011
Four charities have been involved in the development of the new resource pack, Managing Chronic Health Conditions at School:
- Asthma Society of Ireland,
- Diabetes Federation of Ireland,
- Brainwave (Irish Epilepsy Association),
- Anaphylaxis Ireland.
"As more and more young people are being diagnosed with a chronic health condition, teachers are faced with the challenge of supporting these students in school," a spokesperson for the charities explained.
"This can seem like a great responsibility and one that teachers, principals, school staff and parents can be anxious about."
Full Story: www.educationmatters.ie
Parents to sue over “informal” teaching of religion [educationmatters.ie]
- Published: 20 September 2011
Ken Kiernan and partner Alma Carey-Zuniga are going to sue the school attended by their son because it did not “honour its commitment” to exclude him from Catholic teaching.
The chairman of the school board, Fr James Hamill, says the couple are being “unreasonable”.
The boy was enrolled in junior infants in Annacurra national school in Aughrim, Co Wicklow, in September 2008. He was exempted from formal religious instruction, which was held from 12pm to 12.25pm daily.
Full Story: www.educationmatters.ie
DES Circular 0062/2011 [education.ie]
- Published: 20 September 2011
Bullying hasn't gone away, you know [IrishTimes]
- Published: 20 September 2011
TIME OUT: BULLYING IS intentional, conscious and persistent cruelty against those who are unable to defend themselves. It can happen to any person at any age. As we have discovered in our own society, there is nowhere immune from bullying. From the cradle to the grave, we can bully each other.
Bullying is visible in structural, power and wealth inequalities. It has the potential to distress each new generation of schoolchildren, turning what should be happy days into the most miserable days in young lives. It can hurt those entering the workplace, making what should be sociable life into a daily dread of going to work.
Those feeling vulnerable, disabled or defenceless may be victims of bullying. But so too may those who are strong, sturdy and successful, because it is the nature of bullying that it has a bizarre capacity to psychologically disable even the most capable, confident and resilient. It does so swiftly and efficiently. The casualties of bullying are many. Their complaints are often dismissed until the complainant is seen as the “problem” and comes to believe this.
Full Story: www.independent.ie
Logan calls for change in law over SNA crisis [IrishExaminer]
- Published: 19 September 2011
CHILDREN’S Ombudsman Emily Logan wants the law changed to allow her office investigate complaints from parents about the body which allocates school supports for children with severe disabilities or learning difficulties.
Dozens of families, it emerged, had sought her help in wishing to complain about the allocation of special needs assistants (SNAs) because of the withdrawal of, or reduced access to, such staff in hundreds of schools as a result of a Government staffing limit. But the Ombudsman had to tell them she cannot investigate, because the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is outside her remit.
Hundreds of children, parents and teachers protested outside Leinster House last week calling for the lifting of a limit of 10,575 SNAs meeting the care needs of around 13,000 children in primary and second level schools.
Full Story: www.examiner.ie
