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Secondary School News
Science not compulsory 'due to lack of labs'
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 14/05/2013.Tags: Secondary School News
The government's lack of money to build the required number of laboratories is the reason why science is not compulsory in Irish secondary schools.
This is according to Education Minister Ruairi Quinn, who was speaking at Tullamore College in County Offaly, where he had been learning about the college's new internet link with other classes in Ireland, Germany and the US, the Irish Independent reports.
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Lower reading and maths test scores for children in disadvantaged schools
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 08/05/2013.Tags: Secondary School News
Pupils at urban disadvantaged schools in Ireland have lower reading and maths scores than their counterparts in schools with low concentrations of disadvantage.
This is according to a new Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) study, which also found children in these schools are more likely to be affected by higher absenteeism, literacy difficulties and less-experienced teachers.
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Thousands of school children 'failing to reach fifth year'
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 07/05/2013.Tags: Secondary School News
Thousands of school children are failing to reach their fifth year of second-level study, new research has shown.
Published by the Department of Education, the report revealed 4,300 students quit school in years one to four annually, with this number rising to 7,713 for the full duration of second-level school, the Irish Examiner reports.
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Cutbacks 'are impacting on students'
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 02/05/2013.Tags: Secondary School News
Staff cutbacks are having a negative impact on students, it has been claimed.
Ferdia Kelly, general secretary of the Joint Managerial Body (JMB), noted a lack of protection for frontline services in schools is resulting in pupils missing out from both a personal and educational perspective, the Irish Examiner reports.
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Forum makes post-primary schooling recommendations
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 26/04/2013.Tags: Secondary School News
A joint forum of teacher unions, parent groups and educationalists has made a series of recommendations regarding the future of post-primary schooling.
Collectively know as the Post-Primary Education Forum, the seven organisations have put forward 13 suggestions they believe to be vital to improving second-level teaching and learning over the next 15 years.
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Irish pupils take part in special Nasa broadcast
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 23/04/2013.Tags: Secondary School News
Irish schoolchildren are among pupils from around the world to have taken part in a special Nasa broadcast.
A total of 37 students from Cork schools St Michael's National School Blackrock, Gaelscoli Mahon and Beaumont Girls National School headed to CIT Blackrock Castle Observatory, where they linked up to five other schools around the world, the Irish Examiner reports.
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Church of Ireland voices school policy concerns
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 22/04/2013.Tags: Secondary School News
Concerns regarding school policy have been raised by the Church of Ireland.
During a meeting with the government, a delegation from the church, led by Archbishop of Dublin Michael Jackson, said it is worried about the threat of cutbacks to schools in Ireland, the Irish Times reports.
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School extension to accommodate greater numbers
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 19/04/2013.Tags: Secondary School News
A community school in Ireland could be set for a major extension as it looks to accommodate a growing number of students.
Enrolments at Kinsale Community School are expected to climb from its current number of 770 to closer to 1,000 over the coming years - and principal Sean O Broin believes the increase in demand for places is down to the successes its pupils have enjoyed in recent times, the Irish Examiner reports.
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Teenage girl 'not entitled to injunction for school place'
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 18/04/2013.Tags: Secondary School News
A teenage girl with mental health difficulties is not entitled to a mandatory injunction that would direct the state to provide her with a suitable school placement.
This is according to the High Court's Ms Justice Iseult O'Malley, who came to the decision despite claiming the girl's social education was gravely deficient on account of her not attending a school for more than a year.
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'Marked increase' in Junior Cert higher-level maths candidates
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 15/04/2013.Tags: Secondary School News
This year has witnessed a marked increase in the number of Junior Certificate students taking higher-level maths.
Figures released by the State Examinations Commission - a non-departmental public body supported by the Department of Education and Skills - and seen by the Irish Independent revealed 39,980 of the 61,011 candidates entered for the certificate are intending to go down this route, which marks a significant rise on the 29,000 pupils who did the same last year.
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Waterford Schoolboy enjoys gaming success
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 12/04/2013.Tags: Secondary School News
A Waterford schoolboy is enjoying marked success in the gaming world and has three games available for download in Apple's iTunes store.
Jordan Casey, aged just 13 and a first-year pupil at De La Salle College, taught himself programming at the age of nine after buying a book on computer languages, the Irish Times reports.
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Recession 'has had a big impact on pupils'
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 05/04/2013.Tags: Secondary School News
The recession has had a significant impact on secondary school pupils in Ireland, it has been noted.
Attendees at the annual conference of the Association of Secondary Teachers Ireland voiced their concerns about how some students are becoming increasingly miserable - and even going hungry - this school year, the Irish Times reports.
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Schools losing teachers, dropping subjects, despite increased student numbers
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 03/04/2013.Tags: Secondary School News
Despite increased student numbers, 98% of second-level schools have lost an average of two fulltime subject teachers since the onset of the education cutbacks in 2009, according to ... click to read full post & comments
Rockwell College 'may be hit with student charges penalties'
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 02/04/2013.Tags: Secondary School News
Rockwell College could be hit with penalties as a consequence of the level of charges it imposes on its students.
The Department of Education is taking a closer look at the matter after concerns were raised that fees faced by boarders and costs paid by day pupils at the school - which is located near Cashel, County Tipperary and has more than 500 students - are greater than approved levels, the Irish Independent reports.
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Leaving Certificate pressure 'to be reduced'
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 28/03/2013.Tags: Secondary School News
The pressure on Leaving Certificate students in Ireland is to be reduced, it has been revealed.
According to the Department of Education, plans are being introduced that form part of a commitment to relieve some of the points pressure felt by pupils .
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Blackrock College 'received highest AIF grant in 2011'
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 25/03/2013.Tags: Secondary School News
The highest donation made to a school in the Irish education system by the American Ireland Fund (AIF) in 2011 went to Blackrock College.
This is according to new figures provided by the AIF, which revealed the elite private school received 2.27 million dollars (1.74 million euros) from the philanthropic group during the 12-month period.
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Facebook cyberbullying to be brought before an Oireachtas committee
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 21/03/2013.Tags: Secondary School News
An instance of cyberbullying on Facebook is to be brought before an Oireachtas committee, it has been confirmed.
The online bullying resulted in 28 students being suspended at Colaiste Chiarain in Croom - and principal at the County Limerick secondary school Noel Malone has accused the social networking site of inaction over the incident, the Irish Examiner reports.
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Green light given to Educate Together school
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 15/03/2013.Tags: Secondary School News
The green light has been granted to plans to introduce a new Educate Together school in Dublin.
Development of the school in the city's south inner city has been confirmed by the Department of Education, with the multi-denominational school to open in September this year, the Irish Independent reports.
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Cyberbullying problem 'exacerbated by tablet use in schools'
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 14/03/2013.Tags: Secondary School News
Increasing use of new technology in Irish schools could serve to exacerbate the problem of cyberbullying.
This is the suggestion of cyber security expert Paul Dwyer, who told an Oireachtas committee that a digital revolution in schools - which will see pupils using tablet devices such as iPads much more regularly - could provide more opportunities for bullies, the Irish Independent reports.
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Cyberbullying leads to 28 school suspensions
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 12/03/2013.Tags: Secondary School News
Almost 30 pupils have been suspended from a secondary school in County Limerick due to an instance of cyberbullying on Facebook.
Colaiste Chiarain in Croom suspended 28 students after they admitted to 'liking' a post on the social networking site that was deemed to victimise numerous individuals in the school community.
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Hurling star speaks out against homophobic bullying
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 07/03/2013.Tags: Secondary School News
A hurling star has spoken out against the homophobic bullying of school children.
Donal Og Cusack has helped to launch the Stand Up Against Homophobic Bullying campaign - an initiative that has the support of Education Minister Ruairi Quinn, the Irish Independent reports.
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Leinster schools to benefit from faster broadband
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 06/03/2013.Tags: Secondary School News
Schools in Leinster are set to benefit from faster broadband later this year, it has been revealed.
Speaking at an event at Presentation Secondary School in Warrenmount, Dublin, Minister for Education Ruairi Quinn and Minister for Communications Pat Rabbitte announced all second-level schools in Dublin, Kildare and Meath will receive an internet upgrade by September.
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Disposable income of private schools revealed
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 05/03/2013.Tags: Secondary School News
An additional revenue boost of 81 million euros is enjoyed by fee-paying schools in Ireland compared to schools of a similar size in the free education scheme.
This is according to a new report from the Department of Education, which showed the country's 55 private schools enjoy an extra 1.5 million euros a year to be used for numerous reasons, including staff recruitment and extra-curricular activities.
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Schools call for dedicated Facebook cyberbullying staff
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 04/03/2013.Tags: Secondary School News
Schools in Ireland have called for social networks to introduce staff members dedicated to dealing with cyberbullying.
The National Association of Principals and Deputy Principals (NAPD) would like to see Facebook and similar sites appointing people who will be able to take calls from schools and parents in an attempt to combat the problem.
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Newspaper prize for Dublin student
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 28/02/2013.Tags: Secondary School News
A pupil from Dublin has won a prestigious newspaper prize after his journalistic skills impressed the competition's judges.
Fiachra O'Braonain, who is a transition year student at Colaiste Cois Life in Lucan, was handed the top award in the National Newspapers of Ireland (NNI) Press Pass contest , which is aimed at encouraging reading among post-primary school children, the Irish Times reports.
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Kilkenny College to stop charging tuition fees
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 21/02/2013.Tags: Secondary School News
Kilkenny College has announced it is to stop charging tuition fees from September this year.
The Protestant day and boarding school, which is one of the oldest schools in Ireland, explained it is changing its status because of reductions in State support and falling levels of family income.
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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, Ruairķ 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 & commentsIrish 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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Boys school to admit girls for first time
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 10/01/2013.Tags: Secondary School News
Girls will be allowed to enrol at a fee-paying boys school in Dublin for the first time in its 91-year history, it has been announced.
Sandford Park School in Ranelagh will begin admissions for girls of all age groups from September 2013 after suffering a drop in the number of enrolments, the Irish Independent reports.
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Concerns that students are being 'taught to pass tests'
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 09/01/2013.Tags: Education And Politics Secondary School News
Teachers may be compromising the education of their pupils by focusing on teaching them how to achieve Central Applications Office (CAO) points instead of traditional learning.
The National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) has admitted to being concerned about the reliance teachers are placing on previous Leaving Cert exam results when deciding what and how to teach students, the Irish Independent reports.
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Digital assessments to replace traditional Junior Cert exams
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 04/01/2013.Tags: Secondary School News
Secondary students may soon find themselves giving presentations and interviews instead of sitting traditional exams under planned changes to the curriculum.
Over the next eight years, the standard June examinations for the Junior Cert are to be phased out and the Irish Independent reports officials are planning to replace them with a digital portfolio of work assessed by teachers.
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Two-thirds of 13-year-olds enjoy their education
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 03/01/2013.Tags: Secondary School News
Despite the fact that the majority of 13-year-olds display a positive attitude towards school, some are beginning to demonstrate a disengagement even at such an early age.
Almost two-thirds of those studied as part of the Growing Up in Ireland investigation said that they like school "very much" or "quite a bit", but researchers are worried about the proportion of pupils with negative experiences as this suggests they may leave school early or perform poorly in the Junior or Leaving Certificates.
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Suicide prevention guidelines to be issued to schools
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 17/12/2012.Tags: Secondary School News
Guidelines on suicide prevention are to be issued next month to all secondary schools across the state as part of a campaign to improve mental health support for students.
Minister for Education Ruairi Quinn and Minister of State with responsibility for mental health Kathleen Lynch are due to outline advice which promotes a "whole school" approach to promoting mental health needs.
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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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Schools advised to ban student pictures
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 04/12/2012.Tags: Secondary School News
In a bid to combat cyber bullying, schools have been advised to ban students from taking photographs of other pupils or members of staff.
The Joint Managerial Body (JMB) made the recommendation under new guidelines to combat the increasingly common problem of harassment via social media, text and picture messaging, email and chatrooms.
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Cyber bullying affects 17 per cent of children
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 03/12/2012.Tags: Secondary School News
A new study has revealed 17 per cent of children have been the victims of cyber bullying, with a quarter of victims choosing not to confide in anyone.
The National University of Maynooth asked Irish second-level students aged between 12 and 18 about their experience of this form of harassment.
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Younger people 'better educated than older counterparts'
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 27/11/2012.Tags: Secondary School News
News statistics have revealed that younger people are significantly better educated than their older counterparts.
Figures released by the Central Statistics Office show that educational attainment improved significantly in the 20 years to 2011.
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Students-Film-Reports-on-Issues-That-Matter-to-Them
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 26/11/2012.Tags: Education And Politics Secondary School News
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In a new survey commissioned by the BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition, the clear message was that students desperately want their opinions and ideas to be heard. Over 200 students, aged between 12 and 19, from across the island of Ireland participated in the survey which showed that more than 70% of students feel that adults today do not value their opinions.Following these results the BT Young Scientist Exhibition decided it’s time to give ... click to read full post & comments
Advice events planned for disabled students
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 22/11/2012.Tags: Secondary School News
Two one-day events have been scheduled in order to provide help and advice to students with disabilities who are considering entering third level education.
The Association for Higher Education Access and Disability (Ahead) is hoping to encourage and reassure those who do not have the confidence to pursue the college option that there is help on hand, the Irish Independent reports.
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More students than ever completing Leaving Cert
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 08/11/2012.Tags: Secondary School News
The number of students completing their second level education has risen to the highest ever level, according to a new report from the Department of Education.
Minister for Education and Skills Ruairi Quinn announced the results of the Report on Retention Rates of Pupils in Second Level Schools, claiming he is "extremely heartened" by the findings.
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Almost a third of teens sleep with mobiles under their pillows
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 25/10/2012.Tags: Secondary School News
A new study has revealed that some secondary school pupils are so attached to their mobile phones they sleep with them under their pillow.
According to the results of the latest CensusAtSchool Phase 11 questionnaire, 30 per cent of students like to have their phone right beside them as they sleep.
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Second-level schools to produce self-evaluation reports
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 23/10/2012.Tags: Secondary School News
Annual reports are to be presented to parents by second-level schools based on their own self-evaluations of their performance.
Minister for Education Ruairi Quinn made the announcement at a meeting of the National Association of Principals and Deputy Principals in Galway.
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Schoolgirl fight footage sparks outrage
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 12/10/2012.Tags: Secondary School News
Footage of two girls fighting in a Douglas park in Cork has sparked outrage after it was uploaded to video sharing site YouTube.
Both the teenagers involved in the fracas were dressed in tracksuits, while a large crowd of children cheering on the pair could be seen wearing identifiable school uniforms.
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Ireland's mothers 'must urge children to study IT'
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 11/10/2012.Tags: Secondary School News
Mothers have been called upon to help secure the future of Ireland's IT sector by encouraging their children to pursue careers in the industry.
Higher Education Authority chief executive Tom Boland claimed the "mothers of Ireland" hold the key to the country's current IT recruitment crisis, the Irish Independent reports.
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