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Secondary School News
National CareerSkills awards ceremony
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 22/05/2012.Tags: Secondary School News
Second level students from across Ireland are being asked to think beyond mainstream professions when it comes to looking for work experiences as the number of industries where jobs need to be filled are crying out for suitable candidates. The call came from Ciaran Cannon, the Minister of State at the Department of Education and Skills.“Students that undertake work experience learn valuable skills that are ... click to read full post & comments
School expels 4 pupils for 'disparaging Facebook comments'
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 17/05/2012.Tags: Secondary School News
Abusive remarks posted on Facebook about teachers at a school in Dublin have led to four pupils being expelled.
The students, who were all in their fifth-year at Oatlands College, are alleged to have made "vile sexual allegations" about a male and female teacher, as well as disparaging remarks about the work of another female teacher, the Irish Times reports.
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Anti-bullying week initiative planned for Limerick schools
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 15/05/2012.Tags: Secondary School News
Latest statistics show incidents of bullying in schools increased by 12 per cent across the country last year, with a new initiative launched in a bid to tackle the problem.
Members of the County Limerick Comhairle na nOg (Youth Council) have announced plans to post a series of anti-bullying messages in secondary schools to raise awareness of the problem.
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PE lessons putting girls off exercise for life, research reveals
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 08/05/2012.Tags: Secondary School News
New research suggests school PE lessons are putting girls off exercise for life, with many claiming they feel self-conscious or do not enjoy the activities on offer.
A study by the Women's Sport and Fitness Foundation (WSFF) found 51 per cent of young women are put off physical exertion due to their experiences at school, according to the Irish Independent.
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New Chinese module launched in secondary schools
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 03/05/2012.Tags: Secondary School News
A new Transition Year module is to be rolled out in Irish secondary schools today (May 3rd), as part of a plan to introduce a short course in Chinese for Junior Cert students.
By 2014, pupils will have the option of studying the language and culture with Chinese eventually becoming a Leaving Cert subject, the Irish Independent reports.
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School eBooks launch 'heralds digital learning'
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 25/04/2012.Tags: Secondary School News
Pupils may no longer have to carry backpacks full of heavy books, as a new range of eBooks designed for students has been launched.
Folens Publishers has created a free app which contains 26 Junior Certificate titles and 16 Leaving Certificate titles and will be available for Android, Apple iOS and Windows digital platforms, the Journal reports.
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Study finds 25 per cent of teens bullied
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 24/04/2012.Tags: Secondary School News
More than a quarter of secondary school pupils have been the victim of bullying or know someone who has, according to new research.
The Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (ISPCC) conducted a study into the problem ahead of the launch of its Anti-Bullying Week campaign on April 23rd, the Journal reports.
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Fee-paying students lead the way in reading skills
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 13/04/2012.Tags: Secondary School News
New research has revealed students in fee-paying secondary schools have higher literacy skills than their vocationally educated counterparts.
The results of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development's (OECD's) latest Programme for International Student Assessment found the former were two years more advanced than those in state schools.
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Cuts to guidance support 'will lead to more school dropouts'
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 12/04/2012.Tags: Secondary School News
Guidance funding cuts announced by the government will lead to a rise in the number of early school dropouts, it has been claimed.
Speaking at the Association of Secondary Teachers Ireland (ASTI) conference, the body's president Brendan Broderick suggested counselling for teenage pupils is vitally important, Inside Ireland reports.
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Pupils 'perform better if pre-school learning is encouraged'
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 04/04/2012.Tags: Secondary School News
New research has revealed children who have a stimulating home life before starting primary school are more likely to perform well at the age of 14.
The UK's Institute of Education's Effective Pre-school, Primary and Secondary Education Project (EEPSE) has followed 3,000 youngsters since 1997 to discover how parental interaction influences achievements, the Irish Independent reports.
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Exam fatigue blamed for poor test results
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 03/04/2012.Tags: Secondary School News
Poor performance among 15-year-olds taking part in international reading and maths tests has been attributed to exam fatigue.
The results of last year's OECD Programme for International Student Assessment (Pisa) revealed a significant fall in the scores achieved by students in Ireland, the Irish Independent reports.
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Initiative tackles racism in the classroom
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 08/03/2012.Tags: Secondary School News
School children are actively being encouraged to help stamp out discrimination through an initiative designed to educate youngsters about the importance of accepting others.
The Irish Independent spoke to Garrett Mullan, who established a Dublin-based branch of the organisation Show Racism the Red Card, about how the organisation aims to raise awareness of the problem.
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Secondary teaching cuts 'will cause long-term damage'
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 02/03/2012.Tags: Secondary School News
Plans to introduce cuts to guidance councillor provision in secondary schools has been criticised by a principal who claimed the move will be damaging in the long term.
Speaking at the ASTI seminar for principals and deputy principals, the committee's chairperson John O'Donovan accused the Department of Education and Skills of playing down the impact of the Budget 2012.
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Catholic pupils 'make up a quarter of Protestant school students'
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 01/03/2012.Tags: Secondary School News
Roman Catholic pupils make up almost a quarter of students at Protestant primary schools, according to new research.
The Our School Community questionnaire revealed Protestant individuals make up just over a third (38 per cent) of youngsters, with others ranging from a variety of different religious backgrounds.
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Report finds just half of Travellers in secondary education
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 29/02/2012.Tags: Secondary School News
A new report has revealed just over half of Traveller children make it to post-primary schooling.
The Irish Examiner described how the document outlines the findings of the first comprehensive overview of the human rights situation of the Travellers and Roma in the European Union.
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Disabled teens to see 5 per cent reduction in teaching support
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 28/02/2012.Tags: Secondary School News
The Department of Education has announced plans to cut teaching support for teenagers with disabilities by five per cent.
A communication issued to second-level schools outlines an initiative that will see fewer hours set aside for children with conditions such as dyslexia, RTE reports.
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Secondary schools move towards ebook learning
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 27/02/2012.Tags: Secondary School News
Secondary schools in Ireland are making the digital switchover, as ebooks increasingly replace traditional texts.
The Sunday Times reports how the Educational Company of Ireland has already sold the digital devices to 30 schools nationwide, with this figure expected to top 100 by September.
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ASTI responds to DES Circular letter on Staffing Arrangements
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 17/02/2012.Tags: Education And Politics Secondary School News
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Yesterday the Department of Education and Skills issued it's annual circular letter setting out staffing arrangements in post-primary schoolsfor the 2012/13 school year. The purpose of the circular letter is "to inform all post primary school management and staff of the staffing arrangements for post primary schools for the 2012/13 school year including, in particular, the requirement to ... click to read full post & comments
Secondary school completion rates above average, report finds
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 10/02/2012.Tags: Secondary School News
A new report has revealed the proportion of 25 to 34-year-olds who have completed upper secondary education in Ireland is above average.
Figures from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) show 19 per cent of students in OECD assessed countries drop out of school early, compared with 14 per cent in Ireland.
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All second level schools to get high speed broadband
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 01/02/2012.Tags: Education And Politics Secondary School News
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All second level schools are to get high speed (100Mbps) broadband, the Minister for Communications, Energy & Natural Resources, Pat Rabbitte T.D. and the Minister for Education and Skills, Ruairķ Quinn T.D. announced yesterday. The national roll-out will be completed over three stages with 200 schools being connected by September 2012, a further 200 being connected next year and the remaining 250 schools being connected in ... click to read full post & commentsChildren to be taught about internet safety
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 31/01/2012.Tags: Secondary School News
On February 7th, education establishments across Ireland will host a range of activities for school kids aimed at teaching them about how to stay safe when online.
Safer Internet Day (SID) is a global event that aims to make the public more aware of how to avoid issues such as cyberbullying and identity theft.
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UL marks 40th Anniversary with €2,000 Scholarships for 40 Incoming Students
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 06/01/2012.Tags: Education And Politics Secondary School News
The University of Limerick is offering €2,000 entrance scholarships to 40 students to mark the occasion of its 40th Anniversary this year. The 40 scholarships will be offered to students who will begin their undergraduate studies in the Autumn Semester for the Academic Year 2012/13. Speaking about the UL40 Scholarships Professor Paul McCutcheon, Vice President Academic & Registrar of the University of Limerick said ... click to read full post & comments
Junior Cycle reforms 'should be put on hold'
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 23/12/2011.Tags: Secondary School News
Proposals to radically reform the Junior Cycle need to be postponed until after cuts to education in Ireland have been reversed.
This is according to the Association of Secondary Teachers Ireland, which stated such changes cannot be sustained with the second-level system in its current weakened state.
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Report highlights "clear lessons" for education system
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 14/12/2011.Tags: Secondary School News
A review of secondary schools in Ireland has identified a number of areas in which the quality of the education system can be improved.
The Improving Second-Level Education: Using Evidence for Policy Development report from the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) highlighted three key areas where the country could do better.
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League tables criticised by teaching union
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 24/11/2011.Tags: Secondary School News
One of Ireland's largest teaching unions has criticised the use of college entry league tables, arguing they do not give a true reflection of a school's performance.
Pat King, general secretary of the Association of Secondary Teachers Ireland (ASTI), stated the rankings "present a shallow, incomplete and distorted picture of the work of schools."
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Secondary school inspections to start this month
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 13/10/2011.Tags: Secondary School News Teachers
Secondary schools will begin seeing the arrival of inspectors examining the standards of education at the facilities from later this month.
The one-day visits will be focusing on aspects of teaching, student achievement and the support services available to pupils.
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Minister Quinn meets with Educational Book Publishers to Reduce School Book Costs
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 11/10/2011.Tags: Secondary School News Primary School News
The Minister for Education and Skills Ruairi Quinn TD has welcomed the commitment by the main educational publishers to give substantial discounts to schools that run book rental schemes.The commitment was made at a meeting yesterday with representatives of the publishers which was called to discuss proposals to reduce the cost of school books for parents. This was the second meeting with the publishers since the Minister took up office.
Mr Quinn had proposed that schools ... click to read full post & comments
NCCA approves Junior Certificate replacement plans
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 26/09/2011.Tags: Secondary School News
Proposals for replacing the Junior Certificate could result in children sitting fewer exams and being able to use roles in school musicals or other activities to count towards their qualification.
The new plans may come into force as soon as 2014 if they are given the go-ahead by Minister for Education Ruairi Quinn, with the first students to be examined for the revised qualification in 2017.
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Technology 'set to replace' bulky textbooks
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 22/09/2011.Tags: Secondary School News
Thousands of students in Ireland may have their school books replaced this year with gadgets such as e-readers and tablet PCs.
The Irish Independent reports that 27 schools around the country are taking part in an initiative led by publisher Edco to introduce digitised versions of textbooks into the classroom.
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Exam focus 'leads to narrow Leaving Certificate courses'
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 21/09/2011.Tags: Secondary School News
Many Leaving Certificate subjects offer students a narrow range of learning experiences, with a heavy focus on "covering the course", according to a new report.
A study by the Economic and Social Research Institute also revealed many sixth-year students feel they have a very heavy workload, with exam preparations revolving around practising previous papers.
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Junior Certificate reforms 'must improve learning experience'
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 16/09/2011.Tags: Secondary School News
Planned reforms to the Junior Certificate must be implemented carefully to ensure a new system is beneficial to students' learning.
This is according to president of the Association of Secondary Teachers Ireland Brendan Broderick, who stated that while his union is broadly in favour of the plans, modifying the system for the sake of change or simply to cut costs "would be detrimental".
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Junior Certificate students learn results
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 14/09/2011.Tags: Secondary School News
Nearly 57,000 students across Ireland will find out the results of their Junior Certificate exams today.
Education Minister Ruairi Quinn congratulated all those who sat the tests for their hard work, stating that pupils, teachers and parents should all be proud of their achievements.
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University lottery system 'may be a disincentive'
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 08/09/2011.Tags: Secondary School News
Professor Aine Hyland has raised concerns regarding the introduction of a new lottery system for school kids applying for university places.
The former Vice-President of University College Cork admitted this kind of scheme could mean students do not have an incentive to do well, the Independent reports.
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Proposals 'could spell changes for college admissions'
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 07/09/2011.Tags: Secondary School News
A new report due for publication today (September 7th) may mean major changes for school kids who have just received their Leaving Cert results.
Proposals suggest college places could be allocated to students in two different ways, the Irish Times reports.
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Teachers express concerns over education reforms
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 19/08/2011.Tags: Secondary School News
Secondary school teachers have stated their opposition to several key proposals to reform the education system that have been put forward by the government.
A meeting of the Association of Secondary Teachers Ireland (ASTI) set to take place next week is expected to raise objections to ideas such as more continuous assessment and unannounced inspections, the Irish Times reported.
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Minister stresses commitment to broadband for schools
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 08/08/2011.Tags: Secondary School News
More secondary schools in Ireland may be able to take advantage of a high-speed broadband connection as plans to equip every establishment in the country with the technology move forward.
Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources Pat Rabbitte stated the rollout will be a vital part of improving ICT teaching and building a skilled workforce for the future.
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Changes to pupil-teacher ratios 'will damage key subjects'
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 05/08/2011.Tags: Secondary School News
Proposals to change the pupil-teacher ratio (PTR) for secondary schools will cause "irreparable" damage to several key areas such as maths and physics.
This is the warning of general-secretary of the Teachers' Union of Ireland Annette Dolan, who stated such a move would threaten the survival of minority subjects.
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Junior Certificate set for major reforms
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 12/07/2011.Tags: Education And Politics Secondary School News
Large-scale changes to the way in which the Junior Certificate is assessed may take place in the future if plans detailed yesterday (July 11th) by the Education Minister Ruairi Quinn are put in place.
Over the next five to ten years, the current method of grading pupils' performance based solely on exams is likely to be replaced with a system of continuous assessment where coursework is given a much higher priority, the Irish Independent reports.
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Thousands of students complete exams
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 27/06/2011.Tags: Secondary School News
Last Friday (June 24th) saw thousands of students across the country complete their Junior Certificate and Leaving Certificate exams.
According to figures from the Department of Education, over 116,000 candidates successfully completed the two and a half week exam period, which saw tests being taken in over 90 curricular subjects at higher, ordinary and foundation levels.
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Higher maths paper "difficult", teachers say
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 13/06/2011.Tags: Secondary School News
Students taking higher maths as part of their Leaving Certificate may have found the first paper they sat last week very challenging, as it contained several tricky questions.
This is the analysis of the examination by maths spokesperson for ASTI Brigid Cleary, who highlighted questions four and six as especially tough, RTE reports.
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Quinn launches Discussion Paper on School Enrolment Policies
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 13/06/2011.Tags: Education And Politics Primary School News Secondary School News
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Education Minister Ruairi Quinn has today launched a discussion document on the issue of how schools select pupils. “The purpose of this discussion paper is to inform consideration by the education partners and other interested parties, of the range of issues and options to be considered in creating a new regulatory framework for application to recognised schools, both in terms of the content of schools’ enrolment policies and the processes operated by schools when enrolling children. “
After the consultative process, the Minister proposes ... click to read full post & comments(1)
'Balanced approach' vital to exam success
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 09/06/2011.Tags: Secondary School News
Students who have begun sitting their Junior and Leaving Certificate exams this week have been advised to take a balanced approach to their timetable.
Jack Keane, president of ASTI, explained that careful planning during revision will help keep stress levels to a minimum, while it is essential to take frequent breaks to maintain clarity and stamina.
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Fewer Leaving Certificate students to take higher maths exam
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 07/06/2011.Tags: Secondary School News
The number of students who will take higher maths exams for the Leaving Certificate this week has fallen to its lowest total ever, new figures have revealed.
A total of 10,435 candidates are registered for the exam on Friday (June 10th), but the Irish Times reports that around one in five are expected to drop down to ordinary maths on the morning of the assessment.
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'Fewer students' heading to Gaeltacht for summer courses
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 06/06/2011.Tags: Secondary School News
The impact of the recession has led to a reduction in the number of students travelling to summer colleges in the Gaeltacht to improve their spoken Irish.
According to the Irish Independent, numbers are down from a peak of around 28,000 in 2008 to an expected 25,000 this year.
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