Parents protest against bus fees [Independent.ie]
- Published: 07 June 2011
THE parents and children of Scoil Mhuire NS in Horeswood staged a protest on Friday ahead of changes to the school bus transport scheme, which will see many families currently availing of free transport forced to pay €200 per child on the school bus from September.
The pupils at the school led the protest, which saw a large number of the school community walk from Horeswood Church to Scoil Mhuire on Friday morning.
Deputy Liam Twomey met them at the school, where he was handed a petition containing the signatures of hundreds from the locality who are opposed to the changes in the school bus transport scheme.
John Stafford, Chairperson of the newly formed Horeswood Action Group Against School Bus Changes, said they are also sending a petition to CIE, while Dr Twomey is also to arrange a meeting for the Scoil Mhuire committee and Ciarán Cannon, the Minister of State for Training and Skills.
Full Story: www.independent.ie
Parents protest against bus fees [Independent.ie]
- Published: 07 June 2011
THE parents and children of Scoil Mhuire NS in Horeswood staged a protest on Friday ahead of changes to the school bus transport scheme, which will see many families currently availing of free transport forced to pay €200 per child on the school bus from September.
The pupils at the school led the protest, which saw a large number of the school community walk from Horeswood Church to Scoil Mhuire on Friday morning.
Deputy Liam Twomey met them at the school, where he was handed a petition containing the signatures of hundreds from the locality who are opposed to the changes in the school bus transport scheme.
John Stafford, Chairperson of the newly formed Horeswood Action Group Against School Bus Changes, said they are also sending a petition to CIE, while Dr Twomey is also to arrange a meeting for the Scoil Mhuire committee and Ciarán Cannon, the Minister of State for Training and Skills.
As part of a value for money review of the School Transport Scheme, the Department of Education is making changes to school transport provision under the Central/Closed School Rule (CSR), where a primary school closed and amalgamated with another. Horeswood NS amalgamated with Aclare, Killesk and Ballykelly in the late ' 70s and since then pupils residing in the closed school areas have been eligible for free transport to the school even though they may reside less than two miles from the school.
Full Story: www.independent.ie
Qualified substitute teachers ‘impossible’ to find, say primary principals [IrishExaminer]
- Published: 03 June 2011
PRIMARY principals claim they cannot find qualified substitute teachers at short notice despite the unemployment crisis facing recent teaching graduates.
Education Minister Ruairi Quinn last week announced a strict protocol to be followed by all primary and second-level schools when they need to employ a substitute teacher, starting with keeping a list of qualified registered teachers available in their area. The move is being made in response to anger from teacher unions about the level of unqualified people still being engaged by schools.
But the Irish Primary Principals Network (IPPN) says members are finding it sometimes impossible to find suitable people at short notice.
More than 750 qualified teachers registered on its free TextaSub web-based service are notified of vacancies by text message and the onus is on them to contact the principal of the school which needs a substitute.
Full Story: www.examiner.ie
Quinn says special needs pupils will get resources they require [IrishTimes]
- Published: 03 June 2011
The Irish National Teachers’ Organisation has acknowledged a commitment by Minister for Education Ruairí Quinn that special needs children would get the resources they require, writes Seán Flynn .
On RTÉ yesterday, Mr Quinn insisted there was no cut to the provision of teaching resources to children with special needs and children would get the resource teaching hours they required. The primary teachers union welcomed clarification by the Department of Education that the current general allocation for learning support/resource teaching would remain unchanged.
Full Story: www.irishtimes.com
Students with special needs to lose 10% of required teaching [IrishExaminer]
- Published: 03 June 2011
PUPILS with special needs are to lose 10% of the resource teaching they need under the latest education cutbacks imposed because of EU/IMF staffing limits.
Schools will be notified of the move today. It could mean 300 fewer teachers working with special needs students than experts say should be provided.
As a result, tens of thousands of pupils will have to be taught in larger groups, lose one-to-one teaching, or have their special needs classes cut short.
At second level, all special needs students must have resource teaching hours sanctioned by the National Council for Special Education (NCSE).
In primary schools, NCSE approval is only required for supports for those with more serious disabilities such as hearing or visual impairment, or autism, with overall pupil numbers in each school determining additional supports for those with more common learning difficulties, like dyslexia.
Full Story: www.examiner.ie
