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Primary School News
Prize bull 'helps save Irish school'
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 20/05/2013.Tags: Primary School News
A school in Ireland has been kept open thanks partly to a prize bull called Hero.
The auction of the animal - a story that was picked up on by the international media - enabled Glinsk National School in County Galway to raise €100,000 in ticket sales and to fend off the threat of closure, the Irish Independent reports.
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Dept of Education criticised for approach to children with Down Syndrome
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 17/05/2013.Tags: Primary School News
The Department of Education's approach to children with Down Syndrome has come in for criticism.
According to the Children's Ombudsman, the department's decision not to grant pupils with the condition an automatic entitlement to additional teaching resources has had a significant impact on their capacity to engage in mainstream primary schooling, the Irish Independent reports.
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School uniform costs 'can be brought down'
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 03/05/2013.Tags: Primary School News
Barnardos, the National Parents Council (NPC) and the Society of St Vincent de Paul (SVP) have called on schools to introduce measures that can bring down the costs of uniforms for children.
A review guide has been issued to the boards of management of all schools by the collective.
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Primary school enrolment numbers 'set to climb'
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 01/05/2013.Tags: Primary School News
Primary school enrolment numbers in Ireland are set to climb significantly over the next decade.
This is according to new figures from the Central Statistics Office (CSO), which projected an increase of up to 100,000 pupils by 2021 and represents a 20 per cent rise on 2011's numbers.
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Primary school enrolment numbers 'set to climb'
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 01/05/2013.Tags: Primary School News
Primary school enrolment numbers in Ireland are set to climb significantly over the next decade.
This is according to new figures from the Central Statistics Office (CSO), which projected an increase of up to 100,000 pupils by 2021 and represents a 20 per cent rise on 2011's numbers.
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Principals propose school entry shakeup
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 25/04/2013.Tags: Primary School News
Principals have proposed a shakeup of the school entry system in Ireland.
The Irish Primary Principals' Network (IPPN) suggested the new setup should see parents ranking their choices of school in a centralised applications system.
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County Limerick schools getting active
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 22/04/2013.Tags: Primary School News
The County Limerick Local Sports Partnership is teaming up with over a dozen primary schools across Limerick to promote physical activity for hundreds of primary pupils.Sports Partnership staff have organised 7-km cycles, Health and Nutrition talks and Fun Running activities for students in participating national schools which include ... click to read full post & comments
Debate over pace of school handovers to patrons
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 16/04/2013.Tags: Primary School News
The pace at which a number of primary schools in Ireland will be handed over to different patrons has been called into question.
Education Minister Ruairi Quinn would like to see Catholic bishops providing the names of schools to be transferred by the end of this year - but a church education spokesperson has pointed to practical problems that could delay progress in some areas, adding the situation is different for the various communities involved, the Irish Independent reports.
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23 Towns to see change in Patronage of Primary Schools
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 02/04/2013.Tags: Primary School News
The Minister for Education and Skills, Ruairí Quinn T.D., has published the results of primary school patronage surveys from 38 towns across the country. These surveys were undertaken as part of ... click to read full post & comments
Ready, Steady, sow and grow
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 28/03/2013.Tags: Primary School News
The innocent and GIY ‘sow & grow’ campaign is back to get little ones around the country sowing and growing in classrooms and youth groups. The sow & grow project aims to get over 25,000 children growing this spring through a fun, free, learning experience that will show them just how easy it is to ... click to read full post & commentsProposed cuts face opposition from school managers
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 20/03/2013.Tags: Primary School News
School managers in Ireland have expressed their opposition to cuts proposed under Croke Park II.
The Catholic Primary School Management Association (CPSMA) has voiced concern that the plans will have a significant and long-lasting detrimental impact on children's education.
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Figures reveal school prefab rental costs
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 19/03/2013.Tags: Primary School News
The amount of money being spent by the State on renting prefabs has been revealed by Ruairi Quinn.
Figures provided by the Education Minister showed almost €20 million a year is going towards this purpose for primary and post-primary facilities in Ireland, the Irish Examiner reports.
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Time spent on preparation for sacraments 'increasing in schools'
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 11/03/2013.Tags: Primary School News
Teachers at primary schools in Ireland are spending an increasing amount of time preparing pupils for sacraments.
This is according to new figures from a Irish National Teachers' Organisation (INTO) survey, which showed more than 70 per cent of the 363 teachers polled are giving more time to preparing children for making their First Communion and Confirmation than is available in their timetable for religion.
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Enrolment of extra infant class without approval leads to board sacking
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 14/02/2013.Tags: Primary School News
The enrolment of an extra infant class at a primary school in County Cork without approval has resulted in the board of the school being sacked.
Patron of Gaelscoil Ui Drisceoil in Glanmire An Foras Patrunachta removed the board of management after gaining approval for its dissolution from Education Minister Ruairi Quinn, the Irish Examiner reports.
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Bull auction to keep Galway school from closure
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 13/02/2013.Tags: Primary School News
Efforts to prevent a school in north-east Galway from closing will include the auction of a pedigree bull.
Des Joyce, whose daughter Ava is a pupil at Glinsk National School, has donated the animal in an attempt to raise money for the learning institute and to generate publicity about its current predicament, the Irish Independent reports.
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Pre-school initiative 'leads to educational achievement rise'
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 12/02/2013.Tags: Primary School News
A pre-school initiative in Ireland is resulting in a marked educational achievement rise in English and maths.
This is according to new findings from the Children's Research Centre at Trinity College, which showed the National College of Ireland's Early Learning Initiative - a scheme aimed at helping youngsters in disadvantaged parts of Dublin's Docklands area - is bringing positive results.
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Legal obligations raised to Dublin primary school transformation
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 08/02/2013.Tags: Primary School News
Legal obligations have been raised to the transformation of a former Christian Brothers school building in Dublin into a primary school.
The Edmund Rice School Trust - the company and foundation of which were established in 2008 - has raised objections to the move, despite the school's patron the archbishop of Dublin Diarmuid Martin and its Board of Management already agreeing to the plan, RTE reports.
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Minister Sherlock Calls on Irish Primary Schools to ‘Spring’ into Greenwave 2013
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 04/02/2013.Tags: Primary School News
Discover Science & Engineering is calling for all primary schools across Ireland to get involved with Greenwave 2013. Greenwave is a citizen science project which sees ... click to read full post & commentsReform initiatives 'are undermining the quality of primary education'
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 28/01/2013.Tags: Primary School News
Reform initiatives from the Department of Education are serving to undermine the quality of primary education in Ireland, it has been claimed.
Addressing delegates at the Irish Primary Principals' Network (IPPN), director of the IPPN Sean Cottrell suggested principals are being overwhelmed by schemes that are ad hoc and revolutionary, the Irish Times reports.
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Minister Quinn launches “Guidelines for Developing Textbook Rental Schemes in Schools”
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 28/01/2013.Tags: Primary School News Secondary School News
The Minister for Education and Skills, Ruairí Quinn, TD, today launched new “Guidelines for Developing Textbook Rental Schemes in Schools” in Presentation Primary School, Warrenmount, Dublin 8. The Guidelines provide practical advice to primary and post-primary schools on how rental schemes can be ... click to read full post & commentsPrimary school teaching 'could be improved with technology'
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 24/01/2013.Tags: Primary School News
Primary school teaching methods could be improved through greater use of technology in the classroom.
This is according to Sean Cottrell, director of the Irish Primary Principals' Network, who has told the annual summit of the Irish Technology Leadership Group that the teaching of each subject could be delivered by technological means.
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Ethos of Catholic primary schools 'should be respected after patron handovers'
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 23/01/2013.Tags: Primary School News
The ethos of primary schools that remain under Catholic control when other schools are handed over to different patron bodies needs to be respected.
This is according to Professor Eamonn Conway, head of the Department of Theology and Religious Studies at Mary Immaculate College in Limerick and a priest of the Tuam archdiocese, who was speaking in response to Minister for Education Ruairi Quinn's claims that parents are becoming increasingly demanding for a wider diversity of school patrons.
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Primary school patronage survey launched
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 14/01/2013.Tags: Education And Politics Primary School News
Minister for Education Ruairi Quinn is asking parents in 38 areas across the country for their input on the kind of school they would like for their children.
An online survey has been launched today (January 14th) and the parents or guardians of children in the areas are being urged to fill it in.
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Irish students seek further success in Young Scientist competition
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 11/01/2013.Tags: Primary School News Secondary School News
As many as 15,000 people attended the BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition in Dublin yesterday (January 10th) with another 45,000 expected to check out the projects before the exhibition closes tomorrow.
The competition is in its 49th year and organisers say they received a record 1743 submissions this year, with 550 selected to compete for the prestigious Young Scientist(s) of the Year award. The winner, announced tonight, will go on to represent Ireland in the European Union Contest for Young Scientists.
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Retired teachers given primary school jobs over graduates
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 07/01/2013.Tags: Primary School News Teachers News
Education Minister Ruairi Quinn has demanded answers after it was revealed primary schools across the country are continuing to employ retired teachers over graduates.
A freedom of information request by the Irish Independent discovered 237 instances of retired teachers employed on a temporary basis between the start of term last September and the mid-term break in October.
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Irish schools 'see less bullying than most countries'
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 28/12/2012.Tags: Primary School News
There are only four countries in the world with less recorded bullying at school than Ireland, a new study has found.
The survey of 4,500 Irish ten-year-olds has been released as part of the International Association for Evaluation of Educational Achievement report into the performance of schools worldwide. According to the research, 12 per cent of fourth class pupils encounter bullying each week.
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Education Minister announces 50 new school building projects
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 11/12/2012.Tags: Primary School News Secondary School News
Minister for Education and Skills Ruairi Quinn has confirmed 50 schemes new school building projects are set to begin construction in 2013 as part of a €2 billion investment by the government in capital schemes.
This will include 22 new primary schools and 13 second-level establishments, as well as 15 major extensions around the country.
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Racism awareness initiative launched in schools
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 07/12/2012.Tags: Primary School News
School children are being urged to "say no to racism" under a new initiative that has been launched to raise awareness of the importance of being fair to people of all backgrounds.
Trinity College Dublin's Children's Research Centre and Children, Migration and Diversity Project has launched the Be Fair programme, the Journal reports.
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Primary pupils 'should be encouraged to study science'
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 06/12/2012.Tags: Primary School News
Greater focus should be placed on science at primary school level in order to ensure the nation can produce more science graduates into the workforce.
This is according to experts who have raised concerns that there is a drop-off in interest in the subject post primary and into third-level, the Irish Independent reports.
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High blood pressure experienced by 1 in 10 children
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 26/11/2012.Tags: Primary School News
New research has revealed one in ten children have high blood pressure, which puts them at an increased risk of cardiovascular disease.
A survey held in five primary schools as a prelude to the Cork Children's Lifestyle Study found 11 per cent of youngsters had high blood pressure based on guidelines from the British Hypertension Society.
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Primary school to reopen following building dispute
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 23/11/2012.Tags: Primary School News
A primary school in Limerick is set to open as normal today (November 23rd) after a dispute about unpaid bills between the establishment and a construction firm was resolved.
Yesterday, subcontractors entered Kilfinane National School and attempted to remove fixtures and fittings from the building, which opened in September. The power was also turned off.
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After-school scheme boosts literacy skills, study finds
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 07/11/2012.Tags: Primary School News
A children's after-school literacy programme has proven that three 90 minute sessions a week can help youngsters to vastly improve their reading and writing skills.
The Doodle Den scheme ran in six schools in Tallaght West between 2008-2011 and found that word recognition, sentence structure and word choice among the senior infant children taking part improved considerably.
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Primary schools 'remain chiefly denominational'
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 24/10/2012.Tags: Primary School News
Despite demographic changes in recent decades, primary schools in Ireland have remained predominantly denominational in both ownership and management.
This is according to the latest Economic and Social Research Institute report, School Sector Variation Among Primary Schools in Ireland.
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School children urged to invite relatives to Ireland
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 19/10/2012.Tags: Primary School News
A new schools project has been announced that aims to encourage children to invite their friends and family to visit Ireland.
Minister Leo Varadkar and Ruairi Quinn launched the Primary Schools Letter Writing Initiative as part of the Gathering Ireland 2013 tourism initiative.
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Parents to vote on removing schools from Catholic control
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 21/09/2012.Tags: Primary School News
Parents in five areas of the country are set to vote on whether they want to hand over the running of several Catholic primary schools to alternative patron bodies.
The Department of Education will ask parents their views on changing patronage and who they would like to see running the schools, the Irish Independent reports.
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New report highlights EU school calendar differences
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 06/09/2012.Tags: Primary School News
New research has revealed schools in Ireland are open for roughly the same amount of time each year as those in other European countries.
Education network Eurydice carried out a study for the European Commission that found the country's policy that primary schools must operate for at least 183 days and secondary schools for 167 is not too dissimilar to rules in other nations, the Irish Examiner reports.
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Primary school enrolments at 20-year high
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 30/08/2012.Tags: Primary School News
Ireland has witnessed a baby boom over the past decade that means the number of pupils enrolling at primary schools this year has jumped to 525,000.
In September, around 10,000 more children will enrol for school than last year, with numbers at the highest level in two decades, the Irish Independent reports.
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Study finds voluntary school contributions up 50 per cent
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 02/08/2012.Tags: Primary School News
Voluntary school contributions by some parents of primary-aged children have risen by 50 per cent, according to new research.
Children's charity Barnardos conducted a study that found since 2011 donations by senior infant parents has risen by a third to €100, the Irish Times reports.
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New school to open in September
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 16/07/2012.Tags: Primary School News
A new Irish Medium Primary School is to open its doors in Cookstown on September 3rd, in time for the start of the school year.
The Gaelscoil Eoghain education establishment is still in the construction phase, but is expected to be completed in August, the Mid-Ulster Mail reports.
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TD donates wages to help fund rural school
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 02/07/2012.Tags: Primary School News
A Fine Gael TD has helped a local primary school boost its teaching resources through funding provided from his own salary.
The Irish Independent reports how Brendan Griffin donated half of his €92,000 wage to Fybough National School in South Kerry.
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Retail guidelines launched on kids clothing
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 29/06/2012.Tags: Primary School News
Retailers are being urged to sign up to new voluntary guidelines on the design and marketing of children's clothing.
Drawn up by Retail Ireland, has been published by Minister for Children Frances Fitzgerald in a bid to ensure modesty and fun remain the key element to attire.
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Pre-teens using fake ages to access social networking sites
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 28/06/2012.Tags: Primary School News
Thousands of under-13s are putting themselves at risk by using social networking sites such as Facebook and Bebo, a new report reveals.
Despite age restrictions, more than half of all 11 to 12-year-olds have accessed the web pages, while a quarter of nine to ten-year-olds have also used such sites, the Dublin Institute of Technology (DIT) study found.
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Minister Quinns response to the report of the Advisory Group to the Forum on Patronage and Pluralism
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 20/06/2012.Tags: Education And Politics Teachers Primary School News
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The Minister for Education and Skills, Mr. Ruairí Quinn T.D., today outlined his response to the report of the Advisory Group to the Forum on Patronage and Pluralism in the Primary Sector.Meeting with the main education partners, the Minister said he broadly accepted the recommendations on divestment made by the Advisory Group and had requested that the process leading to divesting of patronage in areas of stable population begin immediately.
Minister Quinn said, "For many parents this will be the first time they will have a real say in the type of primary school they want their children to go to, whether it is denominational, multi-denominational, all-Irish or other. Surveys of parents will begin in the first identified town areas in the autumn."
Parents will be given ... click to read full post & comments
Coca Cola Reminds Irish non-profit organisations to avail of €125K fund
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 19/06/2012.Tags: Primary School News Parenting
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Coca-Cola today reminded non-profit organisations across the island of Ireland about the opportunity to apply to the ‘Coca-Cola Thank You Fund’. The Fund is making €125,000 in funding available to community and voluntary groups promoting active lifestyles throughout the island of Ireland. The ‘Coca-Cola Thank You Fund’ is open for entries now until July 6th, 2012; applications can be made online at www.coca-cola.ie/thankyou. The ‘Coca-Cola Thank You Fund’, which is being supported by The Wheel and The Northern Ireland Council for Voluntary Action (NICVA), has been developed to support innovative projects and initiatives that are helping people and communities adopt and enjoy more active lifestyles.
Speaking today, Erica Roseingrave, Public Affairs and Communications Manager, Coca-Cola HBC Ireland said: “Today we’re reminding people of the opportunity to ... click to read full post & comments