Quinn urges publishers to cut schoolbook costs [IrishExaminer]
- Published: 12 August 2011
SCHOOLBOOK companies have been asked by Education Minister Ruairi Quinn to go beyond commitments already made to help reduce back-to-school bills for parents.
In response to public criticisms about new editions and expensive textbooks, the minister called in the publishers in June to raise these concerns. On foot of the meeting, the Irish Educational Publishers’ Association (IEPA) wrote to him in early July outlining a code of practice signed up to by a number of publishers.
Among their plans were limits on new editions being published, commitments to work more closely with schools to offer book rental schemes and to make discounted vouchers available for charities to help families with the cost of school books.
Full Story: www.examiner.ie
It's in the bag: the high-tech, light way to pack schoolbooks [IrishTimes]
- Published: 12 August 2011
The Irish division of a British firm aims to transform a beleaguered schools system with cheaper and less back-breaking e-books
PUPILS IN up to eight Irish post-primary schools will be at the vanguard of technology when the new term starts, clutching Intel mini-laptops preloaded with e-books that cover the Junior Cert curriculum rather than a bag full of textbooks. A small but significant step in integrating technology into Irish classrooms, it came about because of the work of two former employees of IT multinationals.
Greg Tierney and Conor McGrogan were at Dell and HP respectively before establishing an Irish division of Steljes, a UK distribution company that counts Smart interactive whiteboards as its flagship products. Steljes Ireland opened for business in 2007 when Smart had about 5 per cent of the Irish whiteboard market. Now it has just under 40 per cent and has seen its annual turnover rise from €400,000 to €4.5 million. Education accounts for 70 per cent of its business and two of its five staff are former teachers.
Full Story: www.irishtimes.com
Private firms say Bus Éireann misusing school transport funds [IrishTimes]
- Published: 12 August 2011
A GROUP of private bus companies has asked the Dáil Public Accounts Committee to examine whether Bus Éireann and the State are misusing school transport funds.
The Coach Tourism and Transport Council said the failure of the State to put the school transport contract out to tender breaches State and EU rules. It also claimed Bus Éireann was using school transport funds to subsidise other services. The Department of Education and Bus Éireann deny the allegations.
The group claimed the school bus contract, which is awarded to Bus Éireann, was worth €180 million and EU directives stipulated any State contract over €4.8 million should be put out to tender.
Full Story: www.irishtimes.com
DES Circular 0050/2011 [education.ie]
- Published: 12 August 2011
Bus Eireann rubbishes claims that 'funds are misused' [independent.ie]
- Published: 12 August 2011
Bus Eireann rubbishes claims that 'funds are misused'
CALLS for an investigation into the "misuse" of school transport funds have been dismissed as an attempt by a private operators' group to increase profits.
The Coach Tourism & Transport Council (CTTC) has written to the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) with claims that Bus Eireann is unfairly benefitting from government funding to run school bus services.
Full Story: www.independent.ie
