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Parenting Kids News
School book costs 'can vary widely'
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 11/14/2013.Tags: Parenting Parenting Kids
The cost of textbooks for the same subjects in schools can vary widely, it has been claimed.
Speaking at the Oireachtas Education Committee, Kerry TD Brendan Griffin noted school books can be twice as expensive depending on the publications used by the school, the Irish Independent reports.
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Irish children 'are more sociable than UK counterparts'
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 11/11/2013.Tags: Parenting Parenting Kids
Parents in Ireland believe their children are more sociable than their UK counterparts.
This is according to results based on the Growing Up in Ireland study, which have been unveiled at the Psychological Society of Ireland conference in Sligo, the Irish Times reports.
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Parents with depression or stress 'need more help'
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 11/04/2013.Tags: Parenting Parenting Kids
New parents with depression or stress may require greater support than they are currently receiving, according to a study published today (November 4th).
The Growing Up in Ireland report is the result of research beginning in 2006, which has seen 11,000 children monitored from the age of nine months, with a focus on the way parenting affects the child's development.
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Fewer families to receive back to school grants
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 10/31/2013.Tags: Parenting Parenting Kids
This year has seen fewer low-income families being given grants to help with the costs associated with going back to school.
Just over €47 million has been paid out by the Department of Social Protection under the Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance, with 174,000 families benefiting from the payments, the Irish Examiner reports.
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Parents 'dismayed by increased class size'
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 10/14/2013.Tags: Parenting Parenting Kids
Parents have voiced concern after it was revealed their children will be taught in classes of increased size at a County Cork school.
While classes at the Passage West school should not include more than 28 children, it has been confirmed that one teacher will have 35 pupils in their classroom after the mid-term, the Irish Examiner reports.
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Anti-Bullying sessions for parents proving popular
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 10/11/2013.Tags: Parenting Parenting Kids
A new anti-bullying programme is proving such a hit with parents in Ireland that extra funding is being released for the initiative.
The Department of Education's Anti-Bullying Action Plan - which sees parents taking part in free two-hour sessions on the subject - was launched just days ago, but full attendances at venues have led to more money being allocated to the scheme and extra training nights added, the Irish Independent reports.
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School holiday extension 'would create jobs and boost tourism'
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 10/09/2013.Tags: Parenting Parenting Kids
An extension to school summer holidays in Ireland would prove beneficial for both tourism and job creation in the country, it has been claimed.
Fine Gael's Brendan Griffin has recommended that children should return to school later than they do at present, with these extra days made up during the winter months, the Irish Examiner reports.
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Anti-bullying training to include parents
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 09/16/2013.Tags: Parenting Parenting Kids
Efforts to combat bullying at schools in Ireland will include parents over the coming months, it has been revealed.
Education Minister Ruairi Quinn said schools cannot tackle the problem alone, rather it needs to be a joint effort between schools, families and the wider community, the Press Association reports.
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Parents 'to be informed of school anti-bullying practices'
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 09/13/2013.Tags: Parenting Parenting Kids
Parents are to be informed of the actions schools in Ireland are taking to tackle bullying complaints.
New anti-bullying procedures are being launched by Education Minister Ruairi Quinn today (September 13th) - and, for the first time, the rules will also focus on abuse conducted via the internet, otherwise known as cyberbullying, the Irish Examiner reports.
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Proposed school admissions legislation revealed
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 09/02/2013.Tags: Parenting Parenting Kids
Proposals for new school admissions legislation in Ireland have been revealed by Minister for Education Ruairi Quinn.
Published today (September 2nd), the rules are aimed at preventing schools from cherry-picking students by targeting enrolment policies that enable such practices to take place.
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College cost debt fear for Irish parents
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 08/21/2013.Tags: Parenting Parenting Kids
Many parents in Ireland are worried that they may experience debts as a result of paying for their children to go to college.
This is according to new research from Standard Life, which showed that 51 per cent of the 352 parents surveyed are concerned they may have to take out a loan so that their son or daughter can progress to third-level education.
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Parents 'should push for cheaper uniforms and books'
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 08/02/2013.Tags: Parenting Parenting Kids
It is up to parents in Ireland to push for cheaper school uniforms and books, it has been claimed.
Education Minister Ruairi Quinn said parents should take it upon themselves to encourage schools to make preparations for the classroom cheaper, adding he cannot force schools to bring the prices down, the Irish Independent reports.
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'Lack of qualifications' among Irish childminders
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 07/23/2013.Tags: Parenting Parenting Kids
There is a lack of qualifications among home-based childminders in Ireland, a new report has indicated.
Children's Minister Frances Fitzgerald has launched the latest report from the Growing Up in Ireland study - and it has been revealed that 55 per cent of childminders in the country have no recognised qualification or training, the Irish Independent reports.
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Parents lend support to Educate Together bids
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 07/17/2013.Tags: Parenting Parenting Kids
Educate Together's plans to become the patron of six new secondary schools in Ireland are being supported by thousands of parents, it has been claimed.
According to the patron body, more than 6,000 mums and dads are backing the bids to run multi-denominational schools in north County Wicklow, Carrigaline and Midleton/Carrigtwohill in County Cork, Celbridge in County Kildare and Balbriggan and Ballinteer in County Dublin, the Irish Independent reports.
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Financial pressures on parents 'should be considered by schools'
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 07/05/2013.Tags: Parenting Parenting Kids
The financial pressures parents are under should be taken into consideration by the schools their children attend.
This is according to Minister for Education Ruairi Quinn, who has called on schools to be more sensitive to the issue and to demonstrate greater leadership over it, the Irish Times reports.
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School book cost 'should be covered by councils'
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 06/17/2013.Tags: Parenting Parenting Kids
The cost of school books should be covered by councils in Ireland, it has been suggested.
According to the Oireachtas education committee, financing book rental schemes could be left down to local authorities in an effort to bring down school-related expenses faced by families throughout the country, the Sunday Times reports.
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Ensuring the whole family enjoys the school summer holidays
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 06/14/2013.Tags: Parenting Parenting Kids
The thought of not having to go to school for a number of weeks is something that is sure to appeal to most young people in Ireland - yet the summer school holidays represent a time when all of the family can enjoy themselves - not just the kids!
There are lots of ways to keep the children occupied during this break, regardless of whether or not the parents are available to get involved too.
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Ruairi Quinn lends support to school cost reduction campaign
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 05/16/2013.Tags: Parenting Parenting Kids
Education Minister Ruairi Quinn has lent his support to a campaign aiming to limit the cost of school books and to bring down the price of uniforms.
Mr Quinn said he backed the expansion of school book rental initiatives and would like to see the replacement of uniforms with school badges being considered by primary school boards of management, the Irish Independent reports.
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Search for a Dry bed campaign launches new research
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 05/15/2013.Tags: Parenting Parenting Kids
Almost a third (27%) of parents of children who wet the bed say their child “misses out” on summer activities such as sleepovers with friends and family (60%) and camping trips (24%) due to wetting the bed, according to new research published today by the Search for a Dry Bed campaign and bedwetting.ie, a website that ... click to read full post & commentsFirst phase of new afterschool childcare scheme launched
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 04/24/2013.Tags: Parenting Parenting Kids
The Minister for Social Protection Joan Burton T.D., and Frances Fitzgerald T.D., Minister for Children and Youth Affairs have today (24 April 2013) announced that the first pilot phase of the new afterschool childcare scheme will begin on 29 April.In this first phase, up to 500 childcare places will be made available to people who have been ... click to read full post & comments
Government confirms First Communion grant cancellation
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 04/11/2013.Tags: Parenting Parenting Kids
Thousand of families in Ireland could be affected after the government revealed it is to put a stop on First Communion grants.
It has been confirmed by the Department of Social Protection that exceptional needs payments (ENPs) will no longer be made for religious ceremonies in 2013, the Irish Independent reports.
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Parents 'could face school places lottery' following admissions changes
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 04/03/2013.Tags: Parenting Parenting Kids
Proposed changes to admission policy rules in Ireland could result in parents facing a lottery when it comes to which school their children can attend.
These alterations have been put forward by Education Minister Ruairi Quinn and, if implemented, would lead to admission controls for primary and secondary schools being tighter than ever before.
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Monaghan 'is cheapest for childcare costs'
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 03/27/2013.Tags: Parenting Parenting Kids
Monaghan has been found to be the cheapest county in Ireland with regard to childcare costs.
According to a nationwide survey carried out by Newstalk 106-108fm, creches in the region are charging an average of 138 euros a week per child, which is below the national average of 162 euros a week paid by Irish parents.
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Parents 'are worried about online bullying'
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 03/19/2013.Tags: Parenting Parenting Kids
Parents in Ireland are growing increasingly concerned about the issue of cyberbullying, new research has suggested.
Commissioned by the National Association of Principals and Deputy Principals (NAPD), the survey revealed almost one in five respondents believe their son or daughter has been the victim of online bullying, while more than half admitted to checking their child's internet activity on a weekly basis.
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'Worst case of truancy' leads to fine for Dublin mother
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 02/27/2013.Tags: Parenting Parenting Kids
An officer from the National Education Welfare Board has described a case of truancy in Dublin as the worst ever seen by the board.
Speaking at Dublin District Court, the representative detailed how a 15-year-old girl skipped 89 out of 114 days in a school year - a total that has resulted in the teenager's mother being fined 300 euros.
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Irish teens 'continue to receive lots of pocket money'
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 02/25/2013.Tags: Parenting Parenting Kids
Teenagers in Ireland are still receiving lots of pocket money, despite their parents facing considerable financial pressures.
This is the finding of new research carried out by the Irish League of Credit Unions (ILCU) - the representative body for 487 credit unions in Ireland - and Youth Work Ireland, which showed 51 per cent of youngsters are regularly given a personal allowance, with 25 per cent being handed between 20 and 25 euros each week.
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Court convictions secured for poor school attendances
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 02/20/2013.Tags: Parenting Parenting Kids
A total of 30 court convictions were secured against parents in Ireland last year due to the poor school attendance records of their children.
Taken by the National Educational Welfare Board - which was set up in 2002 under the Education (Welfare) Act 2000 - these cases illustrate the importance of parents making sure their kids go to school on a regular basis and only miss lessons when there is a valid reason for doing so.
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Primary school children banned from using certain words
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 02/07/2013.Tags: Parenting Parenting Kids
A primary school in England has banned its pupils from using certain words.
The initiative - which could lead to schools in Ireland following suit - has seen parents issued with a list of words their kids should be discouraged from saying, the Daily Telegraph reports.
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Parents 'unaware of online bullying'
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 02/04/2013.Tags: Parenting Parenting Kids
Knowledge of cyber-bullying among parents in Ireland is low, new research has found.
Conducted by Dr Brian O'Neill and Thuy Dinh from European Union (EU) Kids Online and Dublin Institute of Technology, the study revealed almost seven in ten mums and dads did not know their child had been victimised online, the Irish Independent reports.
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Training for parents to spot cyberbullying?
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 01/30/2013.Tags: Parenting Parenting Kids
Training courses could be set up for parents of schoolchildren in Ireland in a bid to tackle cyberbullying.
The recommendation forms part of a new national action plan on bullying and Minister for Education and Skills Ruairi Quinn has given the proposal the green light, the Irish Independent reports.
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Mother jailed for keeping kids off school
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 01/18/2013.Tags: Parenting Parenting Kids
A Dublin mother has been sentenced to 28 days in jail for failing to ensure her three children attended school.
The woman, who has not been named, allowed her children to miss more than one-third of the school term since September.
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Impact of potential tax on child benefit revealed
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 01/02/2013.Tags: Education And Politics Parenting Kids
Plans to tax child benefit could cost families up to EUR640 per child, according to figures released by the Department of Finance.
The Department of Social Protection is required to make cuts of around EUR500 million to its annual budget and the Irish Times reports that introducing taxation on child benefit at the current income tax rates would account for approximately 80 per cent of these savings.
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Four out of five smartphone apps for kids 'could record data'
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 12/21/2012.Tags: Parenting Parenting Kids
An alarming report has revealed that 80 per cent of the smartphone applications designed for children do not reveal if they are recording data such as the user's location or phone number.
The research was carried out by the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and is especially worrying as many children will receive new phones or tablet devices this Christmas.
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Parents to be allowed further leave to care for young children
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 12/19/2012.Tags: Parenting Parenting Kids
The amount of time that parents can take off work to look after their children will be increased in the new year, Justice Minister Alan Shatter has announced.
Following a directive from the European Union (EU) in 2010, the new Family Leave Bill will raise the minimum amount of unpaid leave that parents of children under eight years old are entitled to from 14 to 18 weeks. The EU Directive must be transposed into law by March 8th 2013, the Irish Independent reports.
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Irish parents 'highest spenders in Europe' on toys
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 12/10/2012.Tags: Parenting Parenting Kids
Parents in Ireland are set to spend more on toys for their children than those in any other nation in Europe, a new survey has found.
Research by eBay Ireland revealed mums and dads will shell out an average of €278 on presents for their offspring, the Irish Independent reports.
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Maternal smoking leads to child behavioral problems, report finds
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 11/13/2012.Tags: Parenting Parenting Kids
Children whose mothers smoked during pregnancy are 1.4 times more likely to display behavioural problems in the classroom.
This is according to a new report from the Economic and Research Institute that was conducted by Dr Cathal McCrory and Professor Richard Layte.
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More sleep leads to better school behaviour, study finds
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 10/18/2012.Tags: Parenting Parenting Kids
New research has proven that primary-aged children who get at least the recommended ten hours sleep a night behave better in school.
A study led by Reut Gruber of Montreal's McGill University and Douglas Research Center revealed that the more shut-eye a child gets, the less likely they are to be restless throughout the day.
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Parents warned about online bullying
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 10/02/2012.Tags: Parenting Parenting Kids
Parents have been warned about the dangers of online bullying by the father of a young girl who took her own life.
Jonathan Pugsley spoke to the Irish Independent about the tragic circumstances surrounding the death of his daughter Ciara.
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Major changes announced for First Communion
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 10/01/2012.Tags: Parenting Parenting Kids
Archbishop Diarmuid Martin is set to announce changes to how children are prepared for First Communion in Dublin, with an announcement to be made later today (October 1st).
Under the proposals, there will be greater parental involvement, as the responsibility for preparing youngsters moves from schools to parents and the parish, the Irish Times reports.
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Kids too embarrassed to read, study finds
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 09/07/2012.Tags: Parenting Parenting Kids
Embarrassment is preventing children from reading in their spare time, according to new research.
A study carried out by the National Literacy Trust in the UK revealed just 30 per cent of youngsters read every day, which is down from 40 per cent seven years ago.
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Appeal for shops and pubs to clamp down on underage alcohol sales
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 08/13/2012.Tags: Parenting Parenting Kids
Premises selling alcohol have been told to be vigilant this week ahead of the release of Leaving Certificate results this Wednesday.
An appeal by drinkaware.ie has asked for shops and pubs to be extra careful when checking young people's ID to ensure they only serve alcohol to those over 18, The Journal reports.
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Childcare costs more expensive than mortgages, study finds
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 08/07/2012.Tags: Parenting Parenting Kids
Covering the cost of childcare is now the largest monthly outgoing for families, eclipsing mortgage payments.
A survey conducted by the Irish Independent revealed parents are having to fork out up to €1,100 per month for a creche place for one child.
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Parents' activity levels influence kids, study finds
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 08/03/2012.Tags: Parenting Parenting Kids
The amount of time a parent spends exercising has a direct effect on a child's attitude towards activity, according to new research.
A study published in the Journal of Physical Activity and Health revealed that when adults increase their daily exercise, offspring will also boost theirs.
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Parents going without food to afford back to school costs
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 08/01/2012.Tags: Parenting Parenting Kids
New research has revealed a number of parents are going without food in order to ensure they can afford back to school costs.
A study by children's charity Barnardos revealed some individuals are also forgoing paying household bills as they struggle to meet the expense of back to school clothing, the Journal reports.
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