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Ireland's school classes 'keep growing'
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 02/09/2010.Tags: Education And Politics
The number of pupils in Ireland's primary and secondary schools are continuing to grow, it has been revealed.
Earlier this week, the Department of Education released figures which showed that the number of students in classes of more than 30 has reached 106,000 - an increase from 93,000 in 2009.
Teachers union Irish National Teachers' Organisation argued that this could affect the level of Irish education each school child is able to receive.
The union's general secretary Sheila Nunan said: "When class numbers are reasonable, modern teaching methods are possible and there is more teacher time for children."
Yesterday (September 2nd 2010), the group took their campaign to the government and asked it to prioritise the issue.
The Department of Education's budget expenditure plans also came under fire last month after Fine Gael deputy for Dublin South West Brian Hayes revealed that it might not spend all of the education finances available before the end of the year.
Mr Hayes added that this is a waste of the money that could have been used to improve educational facilities in the country.
Written by Donal Walsh
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Secondary school uniforms 'could become thing of the past'
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 02/09/2010.Tags: Education And Politics
Parents may no longer need to buy primary and secondary school uniforms, a recent article has claimed.
The Irish Independent has brought about the debate over the future of school uniforms, suggesting that getting rid of the custom could save parents a lot of money.
It referred to a recent survey conducted by SchoolDays.ie and the Bank of Ireland which revealed that 75 per cent of parents regard uniform as too expensive, spending an average 696 euros on back-to-school essentials.
The survey also showed that 90 per cent of parents would prefer it if their children could wear a school crest on a standard uniform, which could be purchased in a supermarket.
However, the article also involved the argument that uniforms create equity among pupils and chief executive of Kildare VEC Sean Ashe postulated that it could end up saving parents money as they do not have to "shell out on expensive brands".
Written by Donal Walsh
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TB school set to reopen for new term
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 01/09/2010.Tags: Parenting Kids Health
A primary school in Cork is set to reopen next week after suffering an outbreak of tuberculosis (TB) cases over the summer break.
Ballintemple National School will open its doors on Monday September 6th 2010 after five active and 20 latent cases of the disease were confirmed over the last few weeks, the RTE reported.
More than 120 pupils at the educational facility and member of staff have been tested by the Health Service Executive (HSE), while 100 more are waiting to be screened via a skin test and chest X-ray before the school term begins.
A HSE public consultant reassured parents that students are not at risk from contracting the disease as every pupil returning to school, either with active or latent TB, is currently not infectious.
The outbreak was confirmed after one child was diagnosed one month after the holidays began.
Speaking with the Irish Times, a doctor had previously suggested that the disease is beginning to return to Ireland, despite being in decline for 50 years.
Posted by Donal Walsh
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Primary school parents 'should be more careful when dropping kids off'
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 01/09/2010.Tags: Primary School News
Parents of primary and secondary school children should take extra care when they drop their kids off at school, it has been suggested.
According to Tullamore Town councillor Sinead Dooley, it is "nothing short of negligent" for parents to let their children cross busy roads without an escort on the school run, the Offaly Express reported.
The newspaper recorded the councillor as saying: "I am pleading with parents to be extra careful at busy times, use the set down area for that purpose and keep your children safe."
Otherwise, Ms Dooley said it is "only a matter of time before a serious accident occurs".
As schools in Ireland prepare to open their doors, the local authority in Tullamore has installed new road markings to make it easier for parents to drop their children off.
Last month, the Road Safety Authority and the ESB announced it will distribute more than 800,000 high-visibility vests to primary school children as part of its Back to School road safety initiative to provide more protection for kids crossing busy roads.
Written by Donal Walsh
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One-third of school staff 'are under qualified'
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 31/08/2010.Tags: Education And Politics
Parents are likely to be worried about the education system in Ireland after it was revealed that a number of people working in pre-schools are not qualified.
According to children's minister Barry Andrews, many staff in the pre-school sector are badly paid and do not have the proper credentials to educate children going on to primary schools, the Irish Independent reported.
He was speaking after a recent study revealed that 30 per cent of staff have no qualifications in Early Childhood Care and Education as a lot of trained teachers are being discouraged from working in pre-schools due to the low pay.
Speaking with the newspaper, Mary Moloney, a student studying a PHD in Education, said: "It is incomprehensible that in 21st century Ireland there is still no mandatory training requirement for this sector."
This comes after it was revealed earlier this month that the Department of Education has spent less than a quarter of its school budget.
Fine Gael deputy for Dublin South West Brian Hayes hit out at the department, saying that the wasted finances could have helped improve the education system in Ireland.
Posted by Donal Walsh
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School policy from 1960s 'helped modernise Ireland'
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 27/08/2010.Tags: Secondary School News
The school policy decisions made by government officials in the 1960s have had a significant impact on the way the country has developed since that time.
This is the view of Irish Times writer Graham Love, who highlighted how then minister of education Donogh O'Malley brought in free secondary education, despite plenty of opposition to these plans.
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Secondary schools 'should stop imposing specialised uniforms'
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 26/08/2010.Tags: Secondary School News
Primary and secondary schools have been blasted for making parents buy expensive uniforms.
According to the Irish Examiner, the National Consumer Agency has suggested that educational facilities should promote options to buy best-value uniforms for parents, instead of forcing them to purchase clothes with the school crest on that can only be bought from one supplier at one price.
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Epilepsy healthcare 'needs to improve'
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 26/08/2010.Tags: Parenting Kids Health
Parents with primary or secondary school children with epilepsy have been informed that their kids could be receiving inadequate healthcare treatment.
According to a recent report called Fostering Epilepsy Care In Europe produced by the World Health Organisation, the International Bureau for Epilepsy and the International League Against Epilepsy, thousands of people around the continent are not receiving good quality treatment of their illness.
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Parents turn to charities for help with back to school costs
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 25/08/2010.Tags: Education And Politics
Parents of primary and secondary school children have been turning to charities to help with the costs, it has been suggested.
The Irish Independent's education editor John Walshe has stated that families struggling to cope with the rising expenses of sending children to school have enlisted the help of charities.
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Primary school children to receive high-visibility vest
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 25/08/2010.Tags: Parenting Kids Health
Children who are set to start primary school next month will receive a high-visibility vest, it has been confirmed.
The Road Safety Authority (RSA) and the ESB will distribute 80,000 vests to junior infants as part of the Back to School road safety campaign.
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Higher education 'is becoming more important'
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 24/08/2010.Tags: Education And Politics
Secondary school children have been encouraged to consider taking their studies beyond the Leaving Certificate.
According to John Walshe, writing for the Irish Independent, the significance of the final exams and finishing secondary school education is not as great as it used to be.
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TB outbreak worries parents in Ireland
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 24/08/2010.Tags: Parenting Kids Health
Parents of primary and secondary school children in Ireland are likely to be concerned after an outbreak of tuberculosis (TB) was confirmed.
Three school children from Ballintemple National School in Cork were diagnosed in the last three weeks, which has led to public health screenings being held for more than 220 young people and teachers at St Finbarr's Hospital.
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Parents face school grants delay
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 23/08/2010.Tags: Education And Politics
Parents expecting to get a primary or secondary school grant could face long delays in receiving their money.
The Health Service Executive (HSE) has been dealing with up to 1,000 new applications for the grant every day leading up to the new school year.
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Parents advised how to deal with teenage depression
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 23/08/2010.Tags: Parenting Kids Health
Parents have been told how to deal with signs that their secondary school child is depressed.
According to David Coleman, writing for the Irish Independent, families should look out for their teenager acting withdrawn from their friends or relatives as one of the first indications that their child could be suffering from the mental illness.
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Secondary school pupils 'should consider gap year'
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 20/08/2010.Tags: Secondary School News
Pupils in secondary schools have been told to consider taking a gap year if they received disappointing Leaving Certificate results.
Head of Dublin City University's career service Muireann Ni Dhuigneain told the Irish Times that students should be "creative" if they did not receive the grades they were expecting.
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Advice given to parents after Leaving Certificate results handed out
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 20/08/2010.Tags: Parenting Parenting Kids
Parents have been given advice on how to deal with the aftermath of Wednesday's (August 18th 2010) Leaving Certificate result.
According to Edel Morgan, writing for the Irish Times, watching secondary school children receive their Leaving Certificate grades can be a tough time for parents too.
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Record number of maths failures for Leaving Certificate pupils
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 19/08/2010.Tags: Education And Politics
A number of students in secondary schools who received their Leaving Certificate results yesterday (August 18th 2010) are likely to be disappointed with their maths result.
Out of 58,000 students who took the Leaving Certificate, more than 4,000 failed the subject.
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Changes to be made for future Leaving Certificate pupils
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 19/08/2010.Tags: Education And Politics
There are set to be changes for pupils in secondary schools taking their Leaving Certificates in future years.
Following yesterday's (August 18th 2010) Leaving Certificate results, tanaiste Mary Coughlan suggested there are going to a number of alterations to the examination system.
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Maths students 'could receive bonus points'
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 18/08/2010.Tags: Education And Politics
Pupils in secondary schools who study maths for their Leaving Certificate might be able to receive bonus points.
Tanaiste Mary Coughlan has suggested there could be a reform in the way the subject is taught to boost the number of students in secondary schools taking it at a higher level.
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Exam results 'putting children's health at risk'
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 18/08/2010.Tags: Parenting Kids Health
Many children in secondary schools are likely to have put their health at risk waiting for their Leaving Certificate results.
The grades, which were released today (August 18th 2010), have been said to be the cause of thousands of sixth-year pupils suffering from sleepless nights and stress.
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Education in Ireland 'is no longer free'
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 17/08/2010.Tags: Education And Politics
The education system in Ireland has been criticised by one writer, who said that it is no longer free.
Conor Pope, writing for the Irish Times, stated that parents are forced to "shell out hundreds" to send their children back to primary and secondary schools after the summer holidays.
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School budget 'has not been spent properly'
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 17/08/2010.Tags: Education And Politics
Less than a quarter of the budget for primary and secondary schools in Ireland has been spent in the first six months of 2010, it has been revealed.
The Department of Education came under fire this weekend (August 14th and 15th 2010) after Fine Gael Deputy for Dublin South West Brian Hayes stated that the whole education budget might not be spent by the end of the year, wasting finances that could have improved the education system in the country.
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Leaving Certificate 'needs to be changed'
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 16/08/2010.Tags: Secondary School News
The Leaving Certificate has been criticised after one education commentator said that it is "no longer fit for purpose".
According to an article in the Irish Independent, pupils in secondary schools are not being assessed well enough by the Leaving Certificate.
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Race for college places 'has begun'
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 16/08/2010.Tags: Secondary School News
The race to snap up college places for leaving secondary school students has begun, it has been revealed.
According to John Walshe and John Fallon, writing for the Irish Independent, a record number of people have already accepted college places before the Leaving Certificate results have even been announced.
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College students 'struggling to pay for costs'
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 13/08/2010.Tags: Education And Politics
Secondary school pupils heading to college after the holidays are likely to be worried about the costs of attending college.
This is because a recent survey carried out by DIT Office Campus Life revealed that it costs a student living away from home 830 euros every month, totalling 7,470 euros for the whole year, the Irish Independent reported.
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Parents find back-to-school costs 'outrageous'
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 13/08/2010.Tags: Education And Politics
The cost of sending children back to primary school after the summer holidays has been heavily criticised by one mother.
Speaking to the Westmeath Examiner, mother-of-five Marie Fagan said that the back-to-school prices at the moment are "outrageous".
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Parents angry over school bus scheme
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 12/08/2010.Tags: Primary School News
Many parents in Ireland are upset over the restrictions to only provide school transport to pupils who live more than three miles from their primary or secondary school.
Meath Chronicle reported that students in the catchment area of Colaiste na hInse in Laytown will lose out as they live just under the three-mile zone from the educational facility.
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Higher maths 'not popular among students'
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 12/08/2010.Tags: Secondary School News
Maths is not a popular subject to take at higher level among school pupils in Ireland, it has been revealed.
According to a survey released yesterday (August 11th) by Engineers Ireland, nearly two-thirds of students studying ordinary level maths said they would not take it further, even with the opportunity to gain bonus points.
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Students to attend college with lower grades
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 11/08/2010.Tags: Secondary School News
There is likely to be an increase in the number of students who are accepted into college in Ireland with lower grades.
According to education editor for the Irish Independent John Walshe, more than 1,000 students are anticipated to be given a place in college despite having reduced CAO points as a result of having a disadvantage or disability.
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School girls 'not interested in sport'
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 11/08/2010.Tags: Parenting Kids Health
Girls at secondary schools in Ireland are not as interested in sport as boys, a report is expected to reveal.
According to the Irish Times, a study published by the Irish Sports Council to be released in the autumn is likely to show that there is significant difference between interest in sports shown by girls and boys.
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Helpline set up to assist students with result stress
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 10/08/2010.Tags: Secondary School News
Students who are struggling to cope with the anxiety of receiving their Leaving Certificate results have been given a helping hand.
The National Parents Council, Eircom and the Irish Independent have joined forces to provide guidance to leaving students and their parents when the results are published on August 18th.
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Secondary school costs 'keep mum awake at night'
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 10/08/2010.Tags: Education And Politics
Mothers are being kept awake during the night by worrying about the rising costs of sending children to secondary schools in Ireland.
Speaking to the Irish Independent, mother of three Stephanie Valla-Black said that she cannot afford the secondary school costs for her eldest child.
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Church demands new primary schools for handover
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 09/08/2010.Tags: Education And Politics
The Catholic Church has demanded authority of new primary schools in Ireland, to compensate for the education facilities it plans to handover to the state elsewhere.
An article in the Irish Independent today (August 9th) revealed that the church plans to trade in new areas for old schools.
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Parents 'struggling to meet school costs'
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 09/08/2010.Tags: Education And Politics
Parents in Ireland are struggling to meet the costs of sending their children to schools, it has been revealed.
According to a new survey released last week by Schooldays.ie and the Bank of Ireland, the average costs of giving children in Ireland an education - from sending them to primary schools right through to graduating from college - exceeds 70,000 euros.
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Third level education 'at risk because of high costs'
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 06/08/2010.Tags: Education And Politics
A large number of families in Ireland are set to be affected by education sector budget cuts, with many not being able to afford third level schooling for their children.
Research by the Bank of Ireland has shown that the average living costs for those taking a degree in the country are now 42,000 euros (35,000 pounds) for a four-year course, which could force many out of university education.
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Parents face school aid delay
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 06/08/2010.Tags: Education And Politics
Thousands of families could have to wait to receive help for their children's primary and secondary school uniforms due to a backlog at the Health Service Executive.
Figures from the organisation show that less than half of the applications for the Back-to-School Clothing and Footwear Allowance have been processed so far, with estimates that there are 122,000 people hoping to receive the support.
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Cycle to Work scheme for teachers reopened
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 05/08/2010.Tags: Education And Politics
The Cycle to Work scheme for teachers and school staff in Irish schools has been reformed, it has been confirmed.
Yesterday (August 4th), the Irish Government News Service Merrion Street revealed that the Tanaiste and minister for education and skills Mary Coughlan will reopen the revised scheme for 2011.
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Primary school children to be asked about their education
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 05/08/2010.Tags: Primary School News
Children in primary schools will be asked to answer questions on their teachers and peers in an attempt to improve education in Ireland.
The Irish Examiner reported that the Department of Education will send inspectors to primary schools in the coming school year to evaluate the quality of the schools and gauge pupils' opinions on their educational facilities.
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Irish education 'will suffer from lack of book funding'
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 04/08/2010.Tags: Primary School News
Irish secondary schools will suffer with the government's spending cuts on library books.
According to best-selling author Cathy Kelly, speaking to the Irish Independent, the reduction in spending for public libraries in Ireland will result in a "gigantic education step backwards".
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Catholic Church holds off primary school handover
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 04/08/2010.Tags: Education And Politics
The Department of Education and Skills has released a report on the Catholic Church's opportunity to divest its patronage of primary schools.
Yesterday (August 3rd), possible areas that could offer potential to the proposal were identified by the study, which was requested by the Catholic Church.
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Children 'should be given freedom to learn'
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 03/08/2010.Tags: Parenting Parenting Kids
Children should be given more freedom to learn, an expert has suggested.
According to Penny Nicholls, director of children and young people at the Children's Society, young people in primary schools need to have freedom for their personal development and learn how to acquire skills for themselves.
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Irish schools receive boost in science uptake
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 03/08/2010.Tags: Education And Politics
More and more students in Irish secondary schools have been opting to take science further, it has been revealed.
According to a report in the Irish Independent, this year has been a "bumper year" for colleges receiving interest from science pupils.
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Obese mothers put children's health at risk during pregnancy
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 02/08/2010.Tags: Parenting Kids Health
Recent studies have shown that there has been an increase in the number of women who are overweight when pregnant.
Earlier this week, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (Nice) advised mothers-to-be to lose weight in order to protect their children's health.
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Irish education scheme hailed a success
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 02/08/2010.Tags: Education And Politics
An Irish education programme has been praised as a success after a recent report showed that participating students achieve high academic results.
The initiative at Trinity College Dublin, which takes in pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds, has been shown to be successful after the What Happened Next? 2002-2008 report revealed that 75 per cent of its graduates are now in employment, according to the Irish Times.
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