Protection of primary education system a result for Labour - Dowds [labour.ie]
- Published: 05 December 2011
Commenting on today's expenditure package announced by Minister Brendan Howlin, Labour TD Robert Dowds said:
"While this Budget was never going to be something to rejoice about, the Labour Party has always kept education close to its heart, and in terms of protecting primary education, Labour has undoubtedly delivered. In the context of a national debt that is increasing by €900 per second or by €75 million per day, it is an important achievement that the pupil teacher ratio will remained unchanged.
"Over the past few weeks, I have been speaking to dozens of parents and teachers, and attended several meetings on the issue of primary school education. I listened to those parents and teachers, passed on those concerns to Minister Ruairí Quinn, and stressed to him on several occasions the importance of protecting primary school education in this Budget.
Full Story: www.labour.ie
Minister Fitzgerald welcomes securing future of universal free pre-school year [merrionstreet.ie]
- Published: 05 December 2011
Minister Fitzgerald says resources and reforms to be targeted at improving outcomes for Children
Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, Frances Fitzgerald TD today (5th December) responded to the announcement of the Estimate of €408m to be made available to the Department of Children and Youth Affairs in 2012 and €568.9m for HSE Child and Family Services.
Minister Fitzgerald stated that: “This is the first Estimates process for my new Department and as part of the national effort to address Ireland’s deficit situation, my Department like all others, has had to find savings. My Department will continue to work to deliver on its mandate to promote better outcomes for children and young people.”
Full Story: www.merrionstreet.ie
Decrease in school counselling will see escalation in psychiatric problems [clarechampion.ie]
- Published: 05 December 2011
CHANGES to the way guidance counsellors are allocated in post-primary schools could result in greater numbers of young people presenting at psychiatric outpatient clinics, it was claimed this week.
Guidance counsellor positions in post-primary schools will now have to come from the school’s overall allocation of teachers, a move that the Teachers’ Union of Ireland described as a “disaster”.
“It was a bit of a shock, that guidance teachers are going to be cut. They were ex quota, that meant they were outside your timetable. This change means they have to be put on the timetable but the guidance teacher is usually a trained counsellor and there is usually one in every school, dealing with kids aged 12 to 18 helping them with their career choices and their CAO choices and so on and while maybe some of that can be done in a class, that isn’t the case for it all. There are students with special needs, students with dyslexia perhaps and there are programmes designed specifically with these students in mind but you wouldn’t pick out a student in a class and say they might be suitable for programme X or Y. That has to be done in private,” said Shannon teacher and president of the TUI, Bernie Ruane. This will hit disadvantaged children whose families don’t have the money to pay for a private consultation with a career guidance professional outside of school hours.
Full Story: www.clarechampion.ie
Driving to school 'cuts minutes off children's lives' [Independent.ie]
- Published: 03 December 2011
PARENTS are shaving minutes off their children's lives every time they drive them to school, according to a leading obesity expert.
Chauffeuring children to and from school when they could just as easily walk or cycle is a key reason why Irish children are facing an obesity epidemic, Dr Donal O'Shea, the director of weight management services at St Columcille's Hospital and St Vincent's University Hospital in Dublin, said yesterday.
"To drive to school if you're within a mile of the school is a lost opportunity for the kids and for the parents. You're taking minutes off your life by refusing that opportunity to walk to school every day," he told the Irish Independent.
Full Story: www.independent.ie
Isn't it about time the net closed in on anonymous cyber-bullies? [Independent.ie]
- Published: 03 December 2011
England international footballer Micah Richards suffered racist taunts on Twitter this week and was told to go "play for Africa". He is the latest in a growing list of black Premier League players -- including Anton Ferdinand and Sammy Ameobi -- to suffer from online abuse at the hands of anonymous attackers.
Lady Gaga's supporters, known as 'little monsters', are living up to their name online by making catty jibes about Adele (pictured) -- the American's musical rival. Twitter is filled with crude jokes about Adele's weight.
So it's no wonder that more people are calling for the end of internet aliases.
Full Story: www.independent.ie
