Eight Weeks pleasure or pain? [schooldays.ie]
- Published: 27 July 2011
I was having a quick snoop around Twitter the other day and read a tweet from a mum who blogs in the UK. The UK schools were just breaking up for the summer holidays and her tweet said: ‘Very sad listening to all the mums at the school gate today saying ‘roll on September.’ And a bit of a Twitter debate started about how parents approach the onset of the summer holidays – should we be delighted at the prospect of spending eight weeks with our children, or is it acceptable to be a little alarmed at the thought and already be willing the leaves to start turning brown and falling off the trees? I also read an interesting article in The Irish Independent - 'How to be a better parent by mum-of-five with 84 year's experience' which sums up the summer holiday, nay parenting, conundrum perfectly!
I’m sure there are many pros and cons for both sides of the argument but with all the best will in the world, I doubt there are many parents who do not feel just a teensy, weensy bit frazzled at the end of the summer holidays.
Full Story: www.schooldays.ie
New further education and training authority, SOLAS, launched by Minister Quinn- Government agrees to wind down FÁS [education.ie]
- Published: 27 July 2011
The Minister for Education and Skills, Ruairí Quinn T.D., today announced that a new further education and training authority called SOLAS (Seirbhísí Oideachais Leanúnaigh agus Scileanna) is to be established.
Minister Quinn said, “The new SOLAS mandate will be to ensure the provision of 21st century high-quality further education and training programmes to jobseekers and other learners. These programmes will be integrated, flexible, value-for-money and responsive to the needs of learners and the requirements of a changed and changing economy. SOLAS will implement the significant transformation programme needed to deliver this. The Government is giving the further education and training sector a clear direction for the future.”
The new authority will operate under the aegis of the Department of Education and Skills. SOLAS will co-ordinate and fund the wide range of training and further education programmes around the country.
It will fulfil a role for the further education and training sector similar to that exercised by the Higher Education Authority for higher education institutions. It will draw on its own expertise and that of the Expert Group on Future Skills Needs to help identify skills gaps, point to weaknesses and duplication in existing provision and link courses more closely to both the needs of the individual and the labour market.
FÁS will be disbanded.
SOLAS will ensure that further education and training programmes provide jobseekers and other learners with the new skills needed for the new jobs in Ireland’s 21st century labour market, as outlined in the National Skills Strategy.
Full Story: www.education.ie
New further education and training authority, SOLAS, launched by Minister Quinn- Government agrees to wind down FÁS [education.ie]
- Published: 27 July 2011
27 July, 2011 - New further education and training authority, SOLAS, launched by Minister Quinn- Government agrees to wind down FÁS
The Minister for Education and Skills, Ruairí Quinn T.D., today announced that a new further education and training authority called SOLAS (Seirbhísí Oideachais Leanúnaigh agus Scileanna) is to be established.
Minister Quinn said, “The new SOLAS mandate will be to ensure the provision of 21st century high-quality further education and training programmes to jobseekers and other learners. These programmes will be integrated, flexible, value-for-money and responsive to the needs of learners and the requirements of a changed and changing economy. SOLAS will implement the significant transformation programme needed to deliver this. The Government is giving the further education and training sector a clear direction for the future.”
Full Story: www.education.ie
Oireachtas ‘should look’ at positive discrimination [IrishExaminer]
- Published: 26 July 2011
A JUDGE has called on the Oireachtas to examine the possibility of mandatory positive discrimination in schools to ensure no group — such as the Travelling community — is excluded from enrolment.
Judge Thomas Teehan made his comments in a circuit court ruling in which he found that the High School in Clonmel did operate a "discriminatory" policy against Travellers by using a "parental rule" when there were more applicants than places in first year.
However, the judge said the policy was justified, appropriate and necessary to fulfil the school’s family ethos and to create an admissions policy which was "proportionate and balanced".
Full Story: www.examiner.ie
Rule favoured boys whose fathers were past pupils [IrishExaminer]
- Published: 26 July 2011
YESTERDAY’S circuit court ruling hinged on the school’s "parental rule", which favoured boys who had a parent who previously attended the school.
John Stokes, 13, and his mother Mary Stokes argued that, because of the historic unlikelihood of Travellers attending any secondary school, this indirectly discriminated against the Travelling community.
While neither John’s father or any of his siblings went beyond primary education, his mother did. "Unusually, within the Travelling community," Judge Tom Teehan said in his judgement, "she and all of her sisters and some of her brothers received secondary education."
Ms Stokes gave evidence when the case was heard in May and "made a very favourable impression", said the judge.
Full Story: www.examiner.ie
