Information for CAO applicants with learning difficulties [Irish Independent]
- Published: 14 January 2009
By: Mary O'Donnell
Q: "I have a specific learning difficulty. Am I required to disclose this information in my CAO application?"
A: You have everything to gain by doing so. Applicants are not obliged to disclose such details, but the Central Applications Office (CAO) encourages them to do so. Higher education institutions (HEIs) are anxious to make provision for applicants who have difficulties with a medical or physical condition, or a specific learning disability. Indeed, HEIs have a legal obligation to support students in the "disabled" category.
After ticking the appropriate box provided on the application form, students who tick the box will be required to complete a supplementary form, which will be forwarded to the HEIs to which each student is applying.
This form may be viewed or downloaded from the CAO website. This year, applicants can complete Part A online, but they will have to print out Part B to be completed by their guidance counsellor or school principal, and their specialist/consultant or educational psychologist.
The form lists the types of difficulty that an applicant may have, and the evidence that will be required to support their application. Conditions may range from blindness, visual impairment, or deafness, to a physical or movement-impaired disability, or to conditions such as dyslexia, ADD, ADHD, Asperger's Syndrome, or head or traumatic brain injury.
Last year, around 2,000 applicants used the supplementary form for students with disability.
Q Do colleges differ in the special consideration they give to applicants with special difficulties?
A: They do. Some concentrate on providing practical assistance to applicants when they reach college -- assistive learning technologies, for example, or a personal assistant, or wheelchair access or accommodation -- depending on the conditions.
There is no uniform selection process for special- case applicants. One university may give a language exemption on the basis of an applicant's dyslexia, for example, whereas another university may deem it not serious enough.
Applicants with specific learning difficulties should always discuss their application with each college, and check the progress of their request.
A number of colleges operate a supplementary admissions procedure, and have agreed common criteria for the assessment of eligibility.
In 2009, the following colleges are participating in this scheme: Athlone IT, DCU, UCC, UCD, DIT, NUI Galway, University of Limerick, NUI Maynooth, the National College of Ireland, Mater Dei and Trinity.
All colleges have access officers to advise applicants what help the college can give.
INFORMATION SESSIONS: The Dublin Business School hosts an open day today from 2pm to 7pm in its Aungier Street campus.
Tipperary Institute hosts a CAO information session for parents and students tonight from 6pm to 8pm in its Thurles campus.
IADT -- the Dun Laoghaire Institute of Art, Design and Technology, Kill Avenue, Dun Laoghaire, Co Dublin -- hosts two CAO information evenings: one today, and another, tomorrow, from 5pm to 7pm.
NUI Maynooth hosts a CAO information evening, at 7.30 tonight.
- Mary O'Donnell
Minister wants schools to give parents more information [Irish Examiner]
- Published: 12 January 2009
Source: Irish Examiner
MOVES to provide more information to parents about their children's schools are not a step towards the creation of league tables, Education Minister Batt O'Keeffe has claimed.
The minister told the Irish Examiner before Christmas of his plans to introduce regulations requiring schools to provide more specific information to parents about many aspects of their performance, including exam results, non-academic activities and other areas.
He spelled out his vision in a speech to Department of Education inspectors last night, where he stressed his strong belief in the importance of parents having good quality information about their schools. While he believes the publication of inspectorate reports on schools since 2006 has been positive, Mr O'Keefe said more information is needed.
"I want schools to give more information to parents of students and potential students, as well as to local communities, about the school's performance in general," Mr O'Keeffe said.
"We need schools to share information about admissions policies, about the school's achievements and performance, its priorities for development and its strategic plans for improvement. I think we can improve accountability and transparency, while also avoiding an undue administrative burden on schools."
The minister's spokesperson said, while the availability of exam results might be included in the kind of information being considered, Mr O'Keeffe does not favour the creation of league tables.
The 1998 Education Act allows the minister to prevent the release of data which would allow such comparisons.
Former education minister Noel Dempsey hinted five years ago about his desire to make exam results and other information more widely available.
Mr O'Keeffe will be seeking to discuss his wish for greater information with teacher unions and school management organisations, which have opposed the creation of league tables, as well as parents' groups and other education partners.
Teachers' Union of Ireland general secretary Peter MacMenamin said the true meaning of education would be severely distorted if state exam results became the only indicator of the success or otherwise of a school.
"It would be particularly damaging to schools that strive to provide a holistic education for each child regardless of academic ability," he said.
EU to tackle cyberbullying [ENN]
- Published: 11 January 2009
Source: ENN
As cyberbullying becomes more and more prevalent and serious -- consider the now-infamous Lori Drew cyberbullying case in the US -- the EU has stepped in and committed EUR55 million to establish a 'Safer Internet Programme' for kids. In Europe, more than one in every 10 kids using the internet has been bullied, contacted by strangers or encountered sexual or violent images online. And this figure is only going to get more serious, according to the EU, as more and more children regularly go online. And so this Safer Internet Programme, which will get started in 2009, aims to tackle issues such as grooming and bullying by making online software and mobile technologies more sophisticated and secure. One example of the kind of project that will be funded is a network of contact points where the public can report illegal or harmful content and conduct on the web. Meanwhile, here at home, the Government has launched a booklet called 'A guide to cyberbullying', which offers advice on how to identify bullying, how to prevent it and how to respond before things escalate. It seems, however, that Irish parents are somewhat ahead of the curve when it comes to monitoring their kids' online activity. According to an EU survey, 80 percent of Irish parents said they stay close to their children while they are on the net. Over half of Irish kids are not allowed use e-mail or instant messaging and more Irish family PCs have monitoring and/or filtering software than almost any other nationality in the EU. This diligence hasn't stopped incidents from happening though, with 11 percent of Irish parents reporting that their kids have asked them for help because of encounters they have had online. On a positive note, cyberbullying has been brought more into the public consciousness of late and certainly that awareness can only help.
Grants structured to give schools a little lift [The Corkman]
- Published: 08 January 2009
Source: The Corkman
MORE than 3,200 primary schools will receive grant payments amounting to some €26 million in the coming days which can be used to carry out small-scale structural and mechanical works, according to the Minister for Education and Science, Batt O'Keeffe TD. Announcing the Minor Works Grant for 2008/2009, Minister O'Keeffe said the rates payable are €5,500 per school and €18.50 per pupil. For example, a 50-pupil school will get €6,425 and a 300-pupil school will receive over €11,000.
"The annual grant for all primary schools with full recognition will allow them to carry out minor works on school buildings without needing to deal directly with the Department," said Minister O'Keeffe. "The €26.5 million investment will hit schools' bank accounts over the coming days."
He said the funds must be spent on the physical infrastructure of the school or on items of furniture and equipment for educational use including information technology-related equipment.
Works covered include improvements to school buildings and grounds, improvements to or replacement of mechanical and electrical services, the purchase of standard furniture, physical education equipment, floor coverings, window blinds and information technology-related equipment.
Schools do not apply to the Department for approval to carry out works or to purchase items covered by the scheme.
"I'd urge schools to spend the money wisely and to make sure they get the best possible value for money," said Batt O'Keeffe.
Minister accused of U-turn on exam league tables [Irish Independent]
- Published: 08 January 2009
Source: Irish Independent
By Fegus Black
EDUCATION Minister Batt O'Keeffe was last night accused of doing a "humiliating" U-turn after he appeared to confirm his support for schools to release exam information.
Meanwhile, the row deepened after the Teachers' Union of Ireland yesterday claimed the move would inevitably lead to the publication of national league tables of exam results.
The minister signalled his intentions in an address to the annual conference of the schools inspectorate last night when he said he wanted schools to give more information to parents, as well as to local communities, about the school's performance in general.
"Many schools are good at making policies available to parents. But I would like to see more information about the school's real progress," he said.
Mr O'Keeffe said schools needed to share information about admission policies, about the school's achievements and performance, its priorities for development and its strategic plans for improvement.
Fine Gael described his latest announcement as a "humiliating U-turn" in FF policy and said it would inevitably lead to the publication of exam results league tables.
FG's party's education spokesman Brian Hayes said the minister needed to state very clearly if he was in favour of the publication of annual school reports which would include performance in State and in-house exams.
"That is what Fine Gael suggested over five years ago but it was rubbished by Fianna Fail. If he is saying he will do that, I welcome it but either way it's a humiliating U-turn," said Mr Hayes.
The Teachers Union of Ireland said it had long sought that State-funded schools be completely publicly accountable and the union welcomed any move towards this ideal.
However, TUI general secretary Peter MacMenamin said they believed the publication of exam results "would inevitably lead to the production of school league tables".
- Fergus Black
