Money problems affect parents across the board [educationmatters.ie]
- Published: 12 September 2011
Voluntary contributions sought by national schools across the country vary from €50 to €300, according to research carried out by the National Parents Council Primary (NPCp).
Just under one-third of those surveyed pay between €50 and €100 per child; almost one-fifth pay between €100 and €150; and the remainder pay between €150 and €300.
Áine Lynch, chief executive of NPCp, said the issue of voluntary payments is a growing problem for parents, with 41 per cent of those surveyed feeling under pressure to make the payments in case failure to do so would result in discrimination against their children.
Full Story: www.educationmatters.ie
Irish teachers to receive maths training boost [careersportal.ie]
- Published: 12 September 2011
The level of education being offered by many teachers in maths could be improved through the launch of a new initiative by the Department of Education.
Figures provided by the Teaching Council to Minister for Education and Skills Ruairi Quinn revealed that 49 per cent of maths teachers never studied maths as part of their own qualifications.
As a result, upskilling for those who do not have the right qualifications for the job is now a priority.
"The roll-out of Project Maths and having teachers with the right skills and knowledge will help us to achieve a real change in the way maths is taught in our schools," commented Minister of State for Research and Innovation Sean Sherlock.
Full Story: www.careersportal.ie
Under-qualified maths teachers get training boost [IrishTimes]
- Published: 12 September 2011
A PROGRAMME to address the crisis in maths at second-level schools is to be announced later today by the Department of Education. The move comes amid controversy about the large number of maths teachers taking Leaving Cert classes who are not fully qualified.
Figures released last night show that while about 30 per cent of teachers studied maths for at least one year in college, it was not the main focus of their degree. About 70 per cent were fully qualified, while 49 out of more than 2,000 surveyed had no qualifications whatever in the subject.
The figures were provided by the Teaching Council to the Minister for Education and Skills, Ruairí Quinn, who has faced controversy over the large number of unqualified maths teachers in the classroom.
The Teaching Council is the statutory professional body for teaching in Ireland, established to promote the professional development of teachers and to regulate standards in the profession.
Full Story: www.irishtimes.com
Extra training to be offered to under-qualified maths teachers [schooldays.ie]
- Published: 12 September 2011
Maths teachers in Ireland who are not fully qualified to teach their subject are to be offered extra training to try and boost the standard of results in Ireland.
Figures released by the Teaching Council reveal that, while 30 per cent of educators studied maths for at least one year in college, it was not the main focus of their degree, while 49 individuals out of more than 2,000 surveyed by the organisation held no relevant qualifications at all, the Irish Times reports.
Therefore, the Department of Education is set to announce a new training programme to upskill teachers in the subject in order to improve the poor performance of the nation's students, which saw more than 4,000 Leaving Certificate candidates fail their exams this year.
Full Story: www.schooldays.ie
Minister of State for Research and Innovation announces new training programme for maths teachers [education.ie]
- Published: 12 September 2011
A new training programme for teachers of maths has been announced by the Minister of State for Research and Innovation, Sean Sherlock TD.
The programme forms part of the Government’s overall strategy to improve the teaching and learning of maths in schools.
It will provide unqualified maths teachers with the opportunity to upskill their knowledge of mathematics and study the strategies best suited to the new Project Maths syllabuses.
The Department is developing a competitive process to select provider/s to deliver training in this area.
Tenders will be invited shortly for the programme which will combine on-line learning with lectures provided on a regional basis.
The training will benefit the cohort of teachers that has been identified in a recent survey by the Teaching Council as not having maths qualifications.
Full Story: www.education.ie
