€500 rise in third-level 'fee' cannot be revoked, says Quinn [IrishTimes]
- Published: 08 July 2011
MINISTER FOR Education Ruairí Quinn cannot reverse the €500 increase in the student contribution fee at third level because Ireland has “lost control over our own chequebook”.
Speaking in the Dáil during education questions he said he was “determined to return to a point at which the Government has the economic freedom to make freely-determined decisions” but they were not there yet and “the next two budgets must ensure that we reach that point quickly”.
Sinn Féin education spokesman Seán Crowe had called on the Minister to drop the €500 increase in third-level charges for students, which brings the annual cost for a student to €2,000. Mr Crowe said many families were now having to decide “which son or daughter will be pulled out of education”.
He also highlighted particular difficulties for students who were lone parents and outside the threshold for grant-in-aid. He said “their chances of moving to full-time education, moving on with their lives and breaking the cycle of familial poverty will be gone” because of the fee increase.
Full Story: www.irishtimes.com
Minister says schools can seek voluntary contributions [IrishTimes]
- Published: 08 July 2011
SCHOOLS CAN seek contributions from parents so long as it is made “absolutely clear” that the contributions are voluntary, Minister for Education Ruairí Quinn has told the Dáil.
He also said he was “actively exploring” schemes to cut the cost of books by reducing the necessity for revised editions as well as eliminating the requirement for parents to buy school uniforms from specific shops rather than having generic “grey, blue, green and red uniforms”, which are sold in large retail stores. If schools “confined themselves to selling their badge or emblem, we could seriously address the cost issues”.
Mr Quinn was responding to concerns expressed by a number of TDs that schools were putting pressure on parents to contribute towards core curriculum as well as extra-curricular activities.
Derek Keating (FG, Dublin Mid West) said families were expected to make a voluntary registration fee at the start of each academic year and to contribute between €40 and €80 for photocopying as well as “anything from €100 to €300” for extra curricular activity such as sport, drama and music.
Full Story: www.irishtimes.com
Zero tolerance on unqualified or retired teachers urged [IrishTimes]
- Published: 08 July 2011
INTO MEMBERS have a responsibility to ensure that only qualified teachers are employed at their schools, the Dáil has heard.
“The INTO has given a very clear indication to all its members not to work with unqualified teachers,” Minister for Education Ruairí Quinn said.
Mr Quinn recently issued a circular to schools directing them to give preference to young unemployed teachers rather than retired teachers and to qualified rather than unqualified teachers, should a substitute be required.
The circular also advised that an unregistered teacher could be employed on this basis for a maximum of five days.
Pressed by Fianna Fáil education spokesman Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan) to implement a “zero tolerance” approach to unqualified and retired teachers, Mr Quinn indicated that it was up to teachers to ensure unqualified or retired personnel did not work in their schools.
Full Story: www.independent.ie
Heritage sites to offer free entry [schooldays.ie]
- Published: 08 July 2011
Parents looking for activities to keep their children occupied this summer may be interested to hear that entry to all sites run by the Office of Public Works (OPW) will be free of charge on the first Wednesday of every month.
There are around 750 such locations throughout the country and, while many are permanently free to enter, the initiative will benefit several popular attractions, including Kilmainham Gaol, Dublin Castle and the Rock of Cashel, the Irish Times reported.
Some of these locations usually charge up to 14 euros for a family ticket and it is hoped offering free entry will encourage people to take an interest in Ireland's heritage.
Full Story: www.schooldays.ie
MINISTER QUINN LAUNCHES NATIONAL LITERACY AND NUMERACY STRATEGY - Literacy and Numeracy for Learning and Life – the National Strategy to Improve Literacy and Numeracy among Children and Young People 2011-2020 is published [education.ie]
- Published: 08 July 2011
A wide ranging new strategy aimed at ensuring that every child leaves school having mastered literacy and numeracy is being launched today by Minister for Education and Skills, Ruairí Quinn T.D.
Literacy and Numeracy for Learning and Life, the National Strategy to improve literacy and numeracy among children and young people is a key pillar of the Programme for Government.
Speaking at the launch, Minister Quinn said "It is the government's belief that no child should leave school unable to read and write and use mathematics to solve problems. We know that there is currently much room for improvement and this strategy sets out the road map with concrete targets and reforms that will ensure our children, from early childhood to the end of second level, master these key skills."
Ambitious targets have been set under the Strategy to be achieved by 2020. Nationally, the aims include:
- At primary, increasing the number of children performing at Level 3 or above (the highest levels) in the national assessments of reading and mathematics by 5 percentage points
- Reducing the percentage performing at or below the lowest level (Level 1) by 5 percentage points
- At post-primary level, increasing the number of 15-year old students performing at Level 4 or above (the highest levels) in the OECD's PISA test of literacy and mathematics by at least 5 percentage points
- Halve the numbers performing at Level 1 (the lowest level) in PISA test of literacy and mathematics
- Improve early childhood education and public attitudes to reading and mathematics.
