Protest over special needs cuts [IrishTimes]
- Published: 06 September 2011
Parents, teachers and advocacy groups will protest outside Leinster House when the Dáil returns next week over plans to reduce the number of special needs assistants in schools.
A group calling itself the Alliance Against Cuts in Education said today that children with special needs, as well as those without, would suffer as a result of such cuts.
Chairman of the group Tomás Ó Dúlaing, who is principal of Griffeen Valley ET National School in Lucan, Dublin, said they were “the cruellest and most inhuman cutbacks” he had witnessed in his 31 years of teaching.
Mr Ó Dúlaing said children with special needs returning to primary and secondary schools last week had been greeted on the first day with “a devastating array of cutbacks that, collectively, constitute a hammer-blow to their potential development”.
Full Story: www.irishtimes.com
NCC chairman calls for shorter school days [schooldays.ie]
- Published: 06 September 2011
The Chairman of the National Competitiveness Council (NCC) has said he believes there should be changes to the amount of time kids spend in school.
Don Thornhill thinks children should spend less time in the classroom each day, the Independent reports.
"We need shorter school days and longer terms," he stated.
Mr Thornhill was commenting ahead of the publication of the NCC's annual report on competitiveness, which is due out today (September 6th).
The organisation believes the country's education system can be improved as the document highlights how 15-year-old students have been performing poorly on international tests to gauge scientific and mathematic skills.
Full Story: www.schooldays.ie
Protest meetings called over education cuts [fingal-independent.ie]
- Published: 06 September 2011
PUBLIC meetings in Swords and Balbriggan have been called this week to protest against cuts to Special Needs Assistants and resource teaching hours in Fingal schools.
The two public meetings are being held by Clare Daly TD (SP) who has joined a national campaign to reverse the controversial education cuts. Deputy Daly said: 'The first weeks of school this year will bring the devastating impacts of the government's latest education cuts, to numbers of Special Needs Assistants and to resource teaching hours. 'This disgraceful attack on the most vulnerable children will also impact the education of all students within the system.' A broad campaign group of parents, teachers and SNAs have come together under the banner of the Alliance Against Cuts in Education (ACE) to demand a reversal of the cuts. Two public meetings will be held in the Fingal area to discuss the issue and how to oppose the cuts.
Full Story: www.fingal-independent.ie
Parent seminar [carlowpeople.ie]
- Published: 06 September 2011
CARLOW COUNTY Childcare Committee has organised a Seminar on "Children Feeling Good" - Developing Self Esteem in Children and the Effects of Bullying on Children 0 - 14 years with Dr. Tony Humphreys.
The Seminar takes place on Thurs. October 6 from 7.30pm to 9.30pm at the Seven Oaks Hotel, Carlow. There is no charge for anyone who wishes to attend and it is an ideal Seminar for parents, teachers, childcare workers, childminders or indeed anyone who has regular contact with children.
Full Story: www.carlowpeople.ie
Rally against special needs cuts [herald.ie]
- Published: 06 September 2011
Parents and teachers from across the country have been urged to join a national demonstration against special needs cuts.
Alliance against Cuts in Education (Ace) has organised a mass rally on Wednesday, September 14, marching from the Central Bank in Dublin to the Dail.
Ace chairman Tomas O Dulaing said vulnerable children went back to school last week to a devastating array of cutbacks with the support of special needs assistants (SNAs) halved or eliminated.
"Children with special needs have the human right to fulfil their potential in our education system," he said.
Full Story: www.herald.ie
