Only 5pc at third level able to speak two foreign languages [Independent.ie]
- Published: 16 June 2011
IRISH college students are almost the worst in Europe when it comes to speaking foreign languages.
They are second from the bottom of a 25-country league, where Turkey is placed last.
In most European countries, at least 20pc of third-level students claim to be proficient in at least two foreign languages.
But in Ireland, the figure is a miserly 5pc -- better only than Turkey, where just 2pc claim to speak two foreign languages, according to a new report.
However, the Eurostudent report on the Social and Economic Conditions of Student Life in Europe found that Ireland was one of the few European countries that could be classed as socially inclusive for higher education.
Among the 25 countries, Ireland, along with the Netherlands and Switzerland, was found to have a greater mix of students from different social backgrounds in college.
Full Story: www.independent.ie
Family to leave country as school turns away son [IrishExaminer]
- Published: 15 June 2011
THE parents of a boy with Down Syndrome say they will have to leave the country after their daughter’s school refused to enrol their son, saying it can not cater for his needs.
Christian Medina Finsen will be six in July and loves playing with other children when his mother Monica collects his sister Emily, aged seven, from first class at Lucan Educate Together National School in Dublin.
But because the school does not believe his educational needs can be met, it has said it will not accept him into junior infants next September.
Monica and her husband Mikkel, an IT director who moved here from Denmark 14 years ago, sent a psychologist’s report to the school in April. It told them Christian would need a full-time special needs assistant (SNA), resource teaching hours and other therapies, which he already receives through the HSE.
But the school says an officer of the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) has said full-time SNA resources will not be available to any child in the next school year.
Full Story: www.examiner.ie
Moves to lift ban on unqualified teachers shelved [IrishExaminer]
- Published: 15 June 2011
PLANNED legislation that would have allowed unqualified people to teach primary and second-level students is being shelved by Education Minister Ruairí Quinn.
Following pressure from unions and the Teaching Council, he has decided not to proceed with legislation to amend part of the Teaching Council Act that would otherwise have meant nobody but registered qualified teachers could be paid for taking classes in primary and second-level schools.
While he had considered advice from his officials that schools needed to be allowed hire unqualified personnel in exceptional circumstances, such as teacher absences at short notice, he will instead move to implement section 30 of the act in the wording that was passed a decade ago.
It is understood that the measure will proceed in the next school year and would mean any non-teachers brought into classrooms in such limited circumstances would not have any teaching role. They might take a supervisory role, overseeing children doing class work set by the absent teacher or another member of staff.
The measure will allay the anger of teachers at the use of unqualified people after it emerged in April that more than 3,000 people not registered with the Teaching Council have been given substitution work by primary schools since September.
Full Story: www.examiner.ie
Campaign mounts for second level Educate Together [Independent.ie]
- Published: 15 June 2011
AN action group has been formed to campaign for an Educate Together secondary school in Lusk.
The Educate Together Second Level Lusk (ET2LL) group believe that the growing population of Educate Together primary schools in Fingal mean these children need a place to go at second level where the same culture and philosophies are in place.
ET2LL believes that providing a smooth transition from the primary model to a second level school will have very positive benefits not only for the pupils but also for the wider communities of Lusk, Rush and Skerries.
Josephine Leonard Lara, who has two children attending the Rush and Lusk Educate Together primary school, said: 'It is very exciting that our kids may now have a chance to go to an Educate Together second level school.'
A research document published last year by Educate Together called ' Where to Next?' found there was a 90% preference expressed by parents for Educate Together second level schools for their children if available.
Full Story: www.independent.ie
Unqualified teachers finally axed by Quinn [Independent.ie]
- Published: 15 June 2011
THE days of "unqualified teachers" working in schools are coming to an end.
Education Minister Ruairi Quinn is backing away from planned changes in the law that would have resulted in untrained staff being employed and paid as teachers.
In extreme circumstances, where a teacher is not available, schools will still be able to hire untrained supervisors to provide care for pupils -- but only for a very limited period. Such employees will not be regarded or paid as a teacher.
The planned move has been welcomed by the Irish National Teachers Organisation (INTO), which had warned that it would not work alongside "unqualified teachers" from September.
Full Story: www.independent.ie
