IPPN

Special needs assistant speaks out after losing job [dublinpeople.com]

Published: 21 July 2011

A NORTHSIDE man who lost his special needs assistant (SNA) job has criticised the Government over its decision to axe over 200 positions for the new school term in September.
Gavin O’Toole had been employed at Our Lady of Immaculate Senior National School, Darndale, since 2007 but was told at the end of June that he, along with another SNA, had to be let go.
“We had five positions but now that has been reduced to three,” Mr O’Toole told Northside People.
“We had a feeling we would lose one position but not two. And as I was in fourth, I thought I would be okay.
“The parents are concerned about what will happen when this decision takes effect for the new school term in September.
“As a result of the shortage, the children won’t be getting as much support and definitely not as much as they need. There’s no doubt that all five SNAs were needed in the school.
“The children I was working with needed full support all of the time.”

Full Story: www.dublinpeople.com

Council say no need for new school on site [fingal-independent.ie]

Published: 20 July 2011

HUNDREDS of new homes in the Barrysparks area of Swords will not be followed by a new school for the area after the council stuck to its guns saying there was no need for a school on the site.

Late in the day, the Department of Education let the council know that building a new school on a site with high density residential development might be a good idea.

But the council disagrees and the Local Area Plan ( LAP) for a 10hectare site in Barrysparks contains no provision for a school.

The council said the development would have mostly apartments and duplexes rather than family homes and be largely populated by single people and couples with larger family homes catered for elsewhere in Swords. It argued that there are four nearby primary schools and another one proposed for Fosterstown. Council planners also point to three secondary schools close to the Barrysparks site. Planners anticipate the need for five new classrooms as a result of the development but said they could be accommodated by extending existing schools rather than providing a new one on the site itself.

Full Story: www.fingal-independent.ie

Protecting children - Culture needs to change as well as laws [IrishExaminer]

Published: 20 July 2011

IN recent days we’ve had two examples of the terrible contradictions and hypocrisy we tolerate surrounding child protection.

The huge chasm between what we say, what we promise and preach, what we intend and what we achieve was exposed and shown for what it is yet again. Even though this is not by any means the first time these failings have been laid bare, it is reassuring that they still have the capacity to shock and cause outrage.

The seeds of some sort of redemption, some sort of effective protection system, lie deep within that outrage but it is up to us to turn that anger into something worthy. Something that means our children can go to school without being groomed by a convicted sex offender masquerading as the school caretaker.

Full Story: www.examiner.ie

Minister criticises lack of school broadband [schooldays.ie]

Published: 20 July 2011

Many schools in Ireland may be unable to provide children with the best possible education due to the lack of a good-quality broadband connection, the Minister for Communications has stated.

Pat Rabbitte said his department is prepared to address the problem and has enough funding to implement a rollout of better provisions, but is being hampered by a lack of action from the Department for Education, the Irish Times reported.

Addressing the Dail communications committee, he stated he did not have a "willing partner in Education", as this section of the government is struggling with its own budget.

Full Story: www.schooldays.ie