Quinn hints at higher points for science [IrishTimes]
- Published: 28 July 2011
OFFERING HIGHER points in the Leaving Certificate for science was one possible way of persuading more students to take subjects in that area, Minister for Education Ruairí Quinn has said.
“Yes, I will be looking for that kind of thing,” the Minister told reporters at the MacGill Summer School last night.
“The points system is decided by the universities and the third-level colleges themselves,” he said.
The Minister added that this was used as “a form of crowd-control” for students coming into the third-level system. Addressing the summer school on the topic 2031, 20 Years of Radical Reform , the Minister said there were major challenges that must be met with “radical and innovative measures”.
Full Story: www.irishtimes.com
Quinn says refusal to train could result in penalties [IrishTimes]
- Published: 28 July 2011
WELFARE RECIPIENTS who refuse retraining and education face financial sanctions, Minister for Education Ruairí Quinn has warned.
In announcing Solas, the new training and education authority which will replace Fás, he said: “The idea that someone can be permanently on the dole and doing nothing [to retrain] is unacceptable.”
Echoing recent comments from Minister for Social Protection Joan Burton, Mr Quinn said there would be a “consequence in terms of payment” if someone refused to retrain.
The agency will replace Fás, whose reputation was mortally wounded by a succession of scandals involving extravagant expenses and poor corporate governance.
Solas is also designed to provide a more integrated approach to education and training; it is mandated to provide high-quality further education and training programmes to jobseekers and other learners.
Full Story: www.irishtimes.com
Minister for Education and Skills publishes the Qualifications and Quality Assurance (Education and Training) Bill, 2011 [education.ie]
- Published: 28 July 2011
The Minister for Education and Skills, Ruairí Quinn T.D., today published the Qualifications and Quality Assurance (Education and Training) Bill, 2011, which provides for the amalgamation of bodies dealing with qualifications and quality assurance in education and training.
In approving the Bill, Government decided not to proceed with the implementation of the decision of the previous Government to dissolve the National University of Ireland.
The Bill provides for the amalgamation of the National Qualifications Authority of Ireland (NQAI), the Higher Education and Training Awards Council (HETAC) and the Further Education and Training Awards Council (FETAC). The amalgamation is a key commitment in the Programme for Government and an important part of the Minister's reform agenda in the education sector. The new body will have the official title of the Qualifications and Quality Assurance Authority of Ireland (QQAAI) but may have a different operational title.
The new organisation will also take responsibility for the external quality assurance review of the universities, a function which is currently performed by the Irish Universities Quality Board. This means that QQAAI's quality assurance role spans all areas of further and higher education and training.
Full Story: www.education.ie
No budget set for 'new FAS' as management to stay on [Independent.ie]
- Published: 28 July 2011
THE Government's newly rebranded state training agency has no specific budget yet and will have the same management as FAS.
Education Minister Ruairi Quinn yesterday announced FAS will be disbanded and replaced with a new further education and training authority, called Solas.
Mr Quinn admitted the expenses controversy that caused the resignation of former FAS director general Rody Molloy was probably a "catalyst" behind the break-up of the state training agency.
"This announcement is not in any way to cast aspersions on the good work of the FAS board, VEC (Vocational Education Committee) boards and the staff of FAS and the VECs," he said.
Full Story: www.independent.ie
Internet spells end of the school report [Independent.ie]
- Published: 28 July 2011
Doctors should send emails instead of writing referral letters and schools should stop printing reports, an advisor to the British Prime Minister has said.
Tim Kelsey, No 10's director of transparency, said that schools and doctors should use the web to cut down paperwork and reduce their costs.
Mr Kelsey said: "We don’t want to have schools spending money on printing school reports nor do we want to have doctors sending out referral letters. That can be done online.”
He compared the shift to the move to online banking, saying the “sleight of hand” by the banks meant customers were “happy to be using the web because they had more control while also doing the banks’ clerical work for them”.
Full Story: www.independent.ie
