Shortage of men in primary schools [belfasttelegraph.co.uk]
- Published: 01 September 2011
A quarter (25.6%) of teachers qualifying this year were men, up 2.4% since 2008, according to statistics published by the General Teaching Council for England (GTC). But only one in eight (12.4%) teachers working in primary schools are male.
There were 26,208 men working as teachers in primary schools as of March 31 this year, compared with 185,023 women, the figures show.
In total, around 4,000 primaries in England, or one in four, have no registered male teachers, the GTC said, despite the numbers dropping by 130 schools this year. There are only six state secondary schools in England without men in the classroom, the regulator added.
Full Story: www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk
Teen students bullied in homophobic classrooms [Independent.ie]
- Published: 01 September 2011
The results of a study, which shows that two thirds of young gay men have experienced homophobic bullying, are not surprising, according to gay rights group BeLongTo.
The research, carried out at Trinity College, showed that one third of young gay females also reported having been bullied at second level.
Up to 824 fifth-year students across nine schools were surveyed.
Michael Barron, of BeLongTo, claimed that that figures were not surprising.
And he said that while bullying of young gay men get “more airing”, it’s also a huge issue for young women.
Full Story: www.independent.ie
'TextaSub' helps Primary School Principals fill Substitute Vacancies
- Published: 01 September 2011
Press Release
'TextaSub' helps Primary School Principals fill Substitute Vacancies
An innovative solution is now available to connect schools with qualified unemployed teachers to fill absences which occur at short notice. The Irish Primary Principals' Network (IPPN) has made available an online virtual register for the immediate recruitment of primary school teachers - TextaSub. Only teachers who are fully qualified and accredited by the Teaching Council can avail of this service. This is a major advance in addressing the issue of unqualified personnel being employed by schools. TextaSub uses web technology to alleviate the stress that many Principals describe when they are unable to find teachers for short-term substitute cover.
Last Easter, Minister for Education & Skills, Ruairi Quinn TD, suggested that all schools maintain a list of substitute teachers in their locality. IPPN, responding to Principals needs, have gone a step further and created a virtual on-line 'list' which enables unemployed teachers to register and indicate their availability for work on a county-by-county basis.
The system works whereby unemployed teachers register for TextaSub through the secure EducationPosts.ie website. Registration is quick and easy and lasts for one week. Principals also access EducationPosts.ie to upload details of their school and the vacancy which they are trying to fill. This information is sent to all unemployed teachers who have registered for the county in which the school is located. This list of available substitute teachers updates itself at the end of each week. Unless a teacher re-registers each week, they will not receive text messages.
In order to register with TextaSub, a teacher must be a current member of the Teaching Council, which is the state agency that licenses teachers to teach in Ireland. Only those teachers who have provided evidence of their qualifications can be members of the Council. The TextaSub database directly accesses the Teaching Council database thus enabling instant verification of a teacher's status and qualifications.
Gerry Murphy, IPPN President said ‘TextaSub is an example of the innovative use of technology to solve an age-old problem. As unemployed teachers are constantly on the move looking for work, the idea of keeping a written list is of little value to schools as many of those listed may no longer be unemployed or in the area. This service provides the fastest and safest possible solution to sourcing qualified teachers’.
TextaSub is a technically advanced service - the only one of its kind in the world. It guarantees that only fully-qualified and licensed teachers can register to receive text messages. TextaSub is designed specifically for primary schools where the issue of teacher shortage has been greatest due to the absence of a state-funded substitution panel. During the last school year, despite large numbers of teachers failing to find a job, Principals reported widely that there was a severe shortage of teachers in their area. This was particularly true in the case of schools in isolated areas and inner city, urban disadvantage areas.
IPPN Director, Seán Cottrell described how a Principal recently received a call very late on Sunday evening from a teacher with influenza who was clearly unfit for work next morning. The Principal went online at home and used TextaSub. Within minutes, a dozen available subs called her back, providing her with an instant choice of candidates from which she selected the most suitable. The beauty of TextaSub is that no time is lost and no child is left without a teacher for even one day'.
Ends
Parents 'pressurised' into making contributions to schools [schooldays.ie]
- Published: 31 August 2011
Many parents may be feeling under pressure to make financial contributions to their children's schools, despite the fact such donations are voluntary.
This is according to the Irish Times, which warned some schools are sending out letters and resorting to other tactics in order to convince families to offer money.
Jackie Callaghan, spokeswoman for the National Parents Council post-primary (NCPpp), said some institutions have effectively made contributing mandatory, highlighting one report where a school had publicly posted a list of donors so the identities of those who had not given cash were known.
Full Story: www.schooldays.ie
Minister hopes to reduce school book costs [schooldays.ie]
- Published: 30 August 2011
Education Minister Ruairi Quinn has outlined a range of measures that he hopes will lead to lower costs for school books for parents.
With around 514,000 primary school pupils and 322,500 secondary school students heading back to the classroom this week following the summer break, Mr Quinn has identified the issue as one of his top priorities.
A recent study by Barnardos revealed costs for textbooks could range from 350 euros for junior infants up to 850 euros for second level students.
Full Story: www.schooldays.ie
