Tributes flow as Breda ends teaching career [newrossstandard.ie]
- Published: 05 July 2011
AFTER THIRTY YEARS teaching in Listerlin National School, popular teacher Breda Leacy officially retired from her post last week.
Many tributes and well wishes were paid to Breda throughout the week by staff, pupils and parents, while many former pupils returned to their old alma mater to wish the well-known teacher all the very best in her retirement.
Breda, who was deputy principal of Listerlin NS, was also the longest serving member of staff. She is retiring after 38 years teaching, having previously taught in the Presentation School in Kilkenny as well as in primary schools in Murrintown and Rosslare.
'She will be missed hugely,' said Principal of Listerlin NS, Bill Cassin. 'Breda is very popular with parents and staff and with the whole community,' he added.
Full Story: www.newrossstandard.ie
Cork still charging schools levy for planning [IrishExaminer]
- Published: 05 July 2011
CORK County Council is continuing to charge fees and development contributions for school building applications despite planning laws allowing them to waive such charges.
The Department of Education singled out the local authority last year as one of a small number where it was having problems when it applies to build or extend schools. At a hearing of the Oireachtas Education Committee last September, a department official said the matter was being addressed in discussions with the council.
But An Bord Pleanála has just intervened in another case where the planning authority had sought to impose a development contribution of €111,199 in respect of a new primary school building planned in North Cork.
Full Story: www.examiner.ie
Still waiting 7 years on [IrishExaminer]
- Published: 05 July 2011
FOR the seventh successive summer the principal of Kilkenny City Vocational School saw off her Leaving Certificate students under a dark cloud.
This shadow has lasted for almost 2,200 days and cost taxpayers hundreds of thousands of euro.
And all this just to produce a 37-page interim report into the performance of one woman’s first four years as principal of a small city "tech".
This document has still to be published and the Department of Education has no idea when the inquiry will be ready for public consumption.
Full Story: www.examiner.ie
School appeals entry bias against Traveller [IrishTimes]
- Published: 05 July 2011
JUDGMENT HAS been reserved in the case of a Tipperary secondary school which is appealing a ruling by the Equality Tribunal that it indirectly discriminated against Travellers when it refused a Traveller child admission.
CBS High School in Clonmel was appealing a decision by the Equality Tribunal that it should offer John Stokes a place and review its admissions policy to ensure that it did not indirectly discriminate against any pupil.
John (13), through his mother Mary and instructed by the Irish Traveller Movement Independent Law Centre, lodged the complaint against the school on the grounds that it had breached the Equal Status Act.
The Equality Tribunal ruled in favour of Ms Stokes last year but the High School appealed the ruling to Clonmel Circuit Court. Yesterday Judge Tom Teehan reserved judgment until July 25th after hearing submissions.
Full Story: www.irishtimes.com
Primary teachers 'not comfortable' with confronting gay bullying [IrishTimes]
- Published: 05 July 2011
THE MAJORITY of primary school teachers are too uncomfortable to confront widespread homophobic bullying by young students, a Department of Education in-service course in Dublin has heard.
The week-long course, which is the first of its kind for primary school teachers in Ireland, has been approved by the Department of Education as one of its teacher education summer courses and is supported by the Irish National Teachers’ Organisation.
It is being organised by Belong To Youth Services, a group for young gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people, in co-ordination with Educate Together, which runs 58 non-denominational schools across Ireland.
Teachers and principals from both Educate Together and traditional church-run schools yesterday heard how young children were learning to associate homosexuality with negativity and the difficulty authority figures had in confronting the problem.
Full Story: www.irishtimes.com
