Almost €200 million available for Back to Education Allowance Scheme for 2011/12 academic year - Burton [welfare.ie]
- Published: 10 August 2011
The Minister for Social Protection, Joan Burton TD announced today (10th August 2011) that over €198 million is being provided for her Department's Back to Education Allowance scheme (BTEA) for the 2011/12 academic year.
The Back to Education Allowance is a scheme which encourages and facilitates people on certain social welfare payments, such as jobseekers, lone parents and disability, to improve their skills and qualifications and, therefore, their prospects of returning to the active work force.
Participants in the BTEA scheme are paid a weekly allowance equivalent to the maximum standard rate of the social welfare payment they were receiving prior to starting an approved course of study. The course of study pursued must be a second or third level course of study in a recognised institution on a full time basis. In addition to the weekly payment, participants are entitled to an annual cost of education allowance of €500.
Minister Burton said: "Where it applies, people on the Back to Education Allowance scheme may also get an increase in respect of a qualified adult and each qualified child. An annual Cost of Education Allowance of €500.00 is also paid at the start of each academic year."
Full Story: www.welfare.ie
'Voluntary contribution' is another burden on parents [braypeople.ie]
- Published: 10 August 2011
SOME parents have described the cost of sending children back to school as 'crippling', according to one Bray mother.
'My son is going into senior infants,' she explained. 'It will cost €50 for the uniform, another €50 for his books. The old uniform can't even be kept to pass on to his younger brother when the time comes as it is so well worn at this stage it's only fit for the bin.'
On top of that, there is a 'voluntary contribution' of €200 per household.
'It's crippling' said the Bray mother. 'I have a younger child who will also be going to school in a couple of years. The costs can only increase.'
Greystones councillor Ciarán Hayden, pictured right, outlined a lengthy list of fees to equip his three children for the forthcoming term.
Full Story: www.braypeople.ie
We are hurting children with our fearful obsession to keep them safe [examiner.ie]
- Published: 10 August 2011
We are hurting children with our fearful obsession to keep them safe
WERE you bullied at school? I don’t think I was nor do I remember being much of a bully. But it really depends what you mean, doesn’t it?
Once upon a time, the reasonable definition of bullying meant big, strong kids physically picking on the weaker ones. But, these days, there has been a certain amount of mission creep, encouraged — it has to be said — by campaigners disguised as charity workers. Bullies, we are encouraged to believe, are everywhere.
Full Story: www.examiner.ie
Teachers need to call themselves aside [galwayindependent.ie]
- Published: 10 August 2011
Teachers need to call themselves aside
| Written by Hilary Martyn | |
|
Teachers and teachers’ unions calling for no increase in class sizes, no reform and no change to a system that sees the Government spending €30 million annually in bonus payments to teachers invigilating and marking exam papers are going to be asked to show their work in the margins before the general public accepts that they have come up, or can come up, with the right answer to the problems facing the education system in this country. Full Story: www.galwayindependent.com |
|
Celebrities take part in anti-bullying campaign [schooldays.ie]
- Published: 09 August 2011
Several famous faces will take part in a new poster campaign highlighting the effect bullying can have on the lives of young people.
Organised by the Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (ISPCC), the drive is being run with the help of Westlife member and ambassador for the charity Mark Feehilly.
The singer explained he knows from first-hand experience how the impact of bullying can last a lifetime and was keen to spread the message.
"I thought that if we could involve well known ISPCC ambassadors perhaps people will think twice about bullying or indeed allowing bullying to happen," he said.
Full Story: www.schooldays.ie
