New students 'to be hit by education cuts [schooldays.ie]
- Published: 02 September 2011
Children entering primary school for the first time this year will be the first to experience the full effects of the cuts to the education system enacted by the government.
This is according to the president of the Irish National Teachers' Organisation Noreen Flynn, who warned pupils with special needs may be among the hardest hit.
"This group of new entrants to primary school will get reduced resource teaching and limited access to an SNA [special needs assistant], if at all," she stated.
Ms Flynn added the impact of these cuts will be felt throughout their school life and urged the Minister for Education to strongly resist any calls to make further cutbacks, as those starting school this year should not be asked to pay for the mistakes of those responsible for the recession.
Full Story: www.schooldays.ie
Brave faces as little ones head to class [Independent.ie]
- Published: 02 September 2011
IT'S been a week of tearful goodbyes, brave faces and new discoveries as four- and five-year-olds across the country experienced their first days at school.
But one tiny national school in Co Westmeath has had an especially busy week.
That's because six out of the 14 children who started at St Baithin's school in Loughnavalley are twins.
Three sets of twins sat down for their first lessons yesterday.
The mother of one set, Fiona Cunningham, said her sons James and Shane loved their first day and didn't shed a tear between them.
Full Story: www.independent.ie
Minister Quinn announces eligibility change to Springboard - Six-month unemployment requirement waived for final course places [education.ie]
- Published: 02 September 2011
The Minister for Education and Skills, Ruairí Quinn T.D., has announced today that the requirement to be out of work for six months or more to access a Springboard programme will be relaxed for the final phase of recruitment to Springboard 2011.
Minister Quinn said, "Having given first opportunity to this target group I have now decided to waive the six months waiting period, in response to the huge level of demand from unemployed people for Springboard programmes.
"This includes people who have lost their jobs within the last six months and people who have been unemployed for much longer but have managed to find temporary work, for a few weeks or months at a time.
"These people will now be facilitated to take up the remaining places available under Springboard."
Some 6,000 places are being provided through Springboard as part of the Government's Job Initiative, launched last May.
Full Story: www.education.ie
Nine pupils turned away from school due to 'lack of teachers' [Independent.ie]
- Published: 02 September 2011
NINE children cannot start school this year after being told a week ago that there were no teachers for them.
Two of them -- TJ Dunne (7) and Lucy Ryan (6) -- were sent home for the second year running after being turned away from St Gabriel's national school in Bishopstown, Cork.
Their parents, who were only told last Friday that there would not be any teachers for the nine special needs students, described the handling of the matter as "a total disgrace".
St Gabriel's caters for children with profound to severe learning disabilities, including autism.
The nine youngsters had been promised classroom places in writing by St Gabriel's in July.
Full Story: www.independent.ie
New students 'to be hit by education cuts [schooldays.ie]
- Published: 02 September 2011
Children entering primary school for the first time this year will be the first to experience the full effects of the cuts to the education system enacted by the government.
This is according to the president of the Irish National Teachers' Organisation Noreen Flynn, who warned pupils with special needs may be among the hardest hit.
"This group of new entrants to primary school will get reduced resource teaching and limited access to an SNA [special needs assistant], if at all," she stated.
Full Story: www.schooldays.ie
