Govt to change school enrolment policies [IrishExaminer]
- Published: 13 June 2011
The Minister for Education Ruairí Quinn is inviting the public to take part in a "national discussion" on the issues.
Mr Quinn wants to address whether priority should be given to children who have siblings already in a school or to children who are of the same faith as that of the school, or to those who live nearby.
Full Story: www.examiner.ie
School enrolment will be fairer with new plan – Minister [Independent.ie]
- Published: 13 June 2011
Education minister Ruairi Quinn today announced an overhaul of the enrolment policies in all schools in an attempt to end practices that discriminate against certain pupils.
Publishing a discussion document on admissions policy, Mr Quinn said that "central to this debate on enrolment is the need to ensure a fair and transparent system at all of our schools, which does not discriminate unfairly against students or parents".
The document, 'Discussion Paper on a Regulatory Framework for School Enrolment', contains suggestions on how to make the process of enrolling at either primary or second level schools more open, equitable and consistent.
Full Story: www.independent.ie
Government review must recognise huge contribution of small rural schools to communities – Ó Clochartaigh [sinnfein.ie]
- Published: 12 June 2011
The Minister for Education Ruairí Quinn needs to take into account the huge contribution that small rural schools make to the community in any review of the sector, according to Senator Trevor Ó Clochartaigh
Speaking in the course of a debate on a matter on the adjournment last week, which Senator Ó Clochartaigh had succeeded in obtaining, he stated that the proposals in the McCarthy report, which proposed to merge all schools with less than a 100 pupils, did not take into account the reality of these schools.
“The local national school, as well as being vital for the education of local children, is central to an area’s identity, and its view of itself. It's often the focus of community activity, and where an area may have lost its shop, its pub and its post office, it still has its National School.
“Studies in Britain have shown that any savings made in closing a school can be offset by the cost in transporting students to larger schools and similar costs.
Full Story: www.sinnfein.ie
'Brains or breeding' selection of pupils faces ban [Independent.ie]
- Published: 11 June 2011
EDUCATION Minister Ruairi Quinn plans to outlaw the practice of schools 'cherry-picking' pupils on the basis of brains or breeding.
In a major shake-up of the country's 4,000 primary and post-primary schools, the issue of how schools select pupils is to be overhauled.
There is growing disquiet about some schools not taking their fair share of pupils with special needs, or children from migrant or Traveller families.
It is particularly prevalent in fee-paying schools, which get over €100m a year from the taxpayer to pay salaries and help with building and other costs.
Mr Quinn will launch a discussion document on Monday setting out his priorities, and final decisions will be taken after the consultation process.
Full Story: www.independent.ie
Parents seek schools’ help to reduce cost of books [IrishExaminer]
- Published: 10 June 2011
SCHOOLS need to do more to help reduce the cost of books for families, a group of concerned parents has claimed.
They want teachers and principals to use less workbooks that can’t be re-used and a system where textbooks that have to be bought can be ordered in bulk to reduce the financial burden.
Margaret Finn is one of the group of parents from more than a handful of Mayo schools who have been meeting since last month to get the issue addressed.
"I have a son in third class and another in fifth but the issue is the same in so many other schools. Their books have cost us around €300 a year for a few years now," she said.
Ms Finn’s husband, Michael, is out of work and the family from Carnaculla near Swinford is in receipt of social welfare. "We have three older children who are finished school, but for most families, these kind of costs weren’t such a big issue when everything was going well," Ms Finn said.
