Múinteoirí do Ghaelcholáiste an Phiarsaigh á lorg- le tosú Meán Fómhair 2014
Aibreán 30, 2014
Tá deiseanna iontacha ar fáil do mhúinteoirí iarbhunscoile gur mian leo a bheith ag múineadh i nGaelcholáiste an Phiarsaigh, meánscoil úrnua, lánGhaeilge i Ráth Fearnáin, Baile Átha Cliath 14.
Beidh idir phoist lánaimseartha agus pháirtaimseartha i gceist sa phróiseas earcaíochta seo. Ní gá d’iarrthóirí ach iarratas amháin a sheoladh, fiú sa chás go bhfuil ar chumas an iarrthóra níos mó ná ábhar amháin a mhúineadh. Tá gach ceapachán faoi réir coinníollacha agus ag brath ar fhaomhadh ón Roinn Oideachais agus Scileanna.
Is fostóir comhionnanas deiseanna é Bord Bainistíochta Ghaelcholáiste an Phiarsaigh.Ní mór do gach iarrthóir ardchaighdeán Gaeilge scríofa agus labhartha a bheith acu.
Spriocdháta na n-iarratas: Dé Luain, 12 Bealtaine 2014.
gach iarratas chuig: poist@gaelcholaiste.com
Gach eolas ar www.educationposts.ie
Ábhair:
- Eacnamaíocht Bhaile
- Ceol
- Oideachas Reiligiúnach
- Corpoideachas
- Stair
- Tíreolaíocht
- Eolaíocht
- Gearmáinis
- Fraincis
- Mata
- Gaeilge agus Béarla
eTwinning i nGaelscoil Mhúscraí, An Bhlárna, Co.Chorcaí
Aibreán 25, 2014
Cáit Ní Shiúrtáin, Príomh-Oide agus Mairéad Breathnach, Múinteoir Ranga & Comhordaitheoir eTwinning
Gaelscoil chomhoideachais sa Bhlárna i gContae Chorcaí is ea Gaelscoil Mhúscraí.Tá baint againn le eTwinning ó 2010. Is é is eTwinning ann ná an pobal do scoileanna san Eoraip agus tá ról gníomhach á choinneáil ar siúl againne mar scoil ina leithéid de phobal trínár gcuid oibre ar thograí eTwinning. Tá líon mór comhpháirtíochtaí déanta againn le scoileanna ar fud na hEorpa i gcaitheamh na dtrí bliana seo caite. Tá dlúthnascanna ar leith cruthaithe idir ár gcomhordaitheoir eTwinning, Máiréad Breathnach agus múinteoirí i Nancy na Fraince agus i gCille Mheàrnaig na hAlban. Bunaíodh an chomhpháirtíocht seo mar bhonn d’obair chomhthogra idir trí scoil ó cuireadh tús le eTwinning i nGaelscoil Mhúscraí.
Téann teagmháil le múinteoirí eile agus a ranganna go mór chun tairbhe dár bhfoireann agus dá ndaltaí araon. B’fhéidir nach bhfuil ach nasc neamhfhoirmiúil i gceist uaireanta nó b’fhéidir go gcomhroinntear smaointe agus eolas a d’fhéadfadh a bheith mar bhunús d’obair thogra fhairsing. D’fhéadfadh a lán réimsí ábhar a bheith cuimsithe i dtogra, rud a chabhraíonn linn an togra a chomhtháthú i gcuraclam na scoile gan stró.
Tugadh faoi cheann de na tograí a rinneadh inár scoil le linn na bliana acadúla 2012/2013 timpeall aimsir na Nollag. Rinneadh cíoradh ar na nósanna lena gceiliúrtar an t-am speisialta seo den bhliain i ndeich dtír Eorpacha eile. Rinneadh láithreoireachtaí Powerpoint agus comhroinneadh iad, uaslódáladh físeáin den amhránaíocht carúil ar Twinspace eTwinning, seoladh agus fuarthas cartaí Nollag. Comhtháthaíodh ábhair ar nós ealaíne, stair, nuatheangacha, ceol, litearthacht agus tíreolas gan aon stró sa togra seo ar shlí fíor-shuntasach ar fad.
Bhí togra eile againn a spreag samhlaíocht na scoile agus a léirigh cumhacht na TFC i dtaobh forbairt litearthachta – is é sin, an togra ‘Storytelling/1,2,3, Il était une fois..’.Tháinig rang a trí agus rang a ceathair le chéile lena ranganna comhpháirtíochta in Albain agus sa bhFrainc chun ríomhleabhar dar teideal ‘Nancy and the Dragon’ a dhéanamh. Spreag an togra seo na daltaí chun a scileanna scríbhneoireachta cruthaithí a úsáid agus bhíodar ag tnúth leis na caibidlí a bhí cumtha ag a gcuid comhdhaltaí thar lear a léamh. Mhothaigh na daltaí go raibh mórghníomh déanta acu nuair a foilsíodh an ríomhleabhar agus é críochnaithe, ar shuíomh idirlín na scoile. Sampla iontach ab ea an togra seo de chomhtháthú na TFC i gcuraclam na scoile.
Ní i seomraí ranga áirithe amháin a dhéanaimid ár gcuid oibre TFC ach bainimid úsáid as cur chuige scoile uile. Cuirtear an obair thogra ar thaispeáint i halla na scoile agus roinntear le ranganna eile í. Bhí áthas an domhain orainn i mbliana nuair a fuaireamar scéala gur bronnadh an Bratach Gorm ar ár scoil mar aitheantas ar na gníomhaíochtaí a rinneadh mar chuid den gClár Blue Star a bhfuil mar chuspóir aige gach gné den AE a chur chun cinn. Bhí ár dtograí eTwinning ina gcuid dhílis den scéim seo.
Tá Gradam Cáilíochta Náisiúnta agus Gradam Cáilíochta Eorpach bainte amach ag ár gcuid oibre eTwinning. Tugann na gradaim seo atá faighte acu mar thoradh ar an obair chomhpháirtíochta seo a dhéanamh fianaise ar ardchaighdeán na foghlama atá déanta acu agus an obair seo idir lámha acu.
Táimid beo i sochaí domhanda. Is cuid den ngnáthshaol é idirghníomhú agus comhoibriú le daoine i dtíortha eile agus tá an saghas oibre seo ag dul i méid de shíor. Mar sin, is ullmhú den scoth le haghaidh saol an 21ú céid é gné idirnáisiúnta a shníomh isteach in oideachas na ndaltaí. Cuireann eTwinning ar ár gcumas seo a dhéanamh trí nascadh ar líne i dtograí a fhéadfar a chomhtháthú sa churaclam atá ann cheana gan aon stró. Tá tionchar fíordhearfach ag eTwinning ar chaighdeán na múinteoireachta agus an fhoghlaim inár scoil.
Craobhchomórtas Siansa Gael Linn 2014 – athchraoladh
Aibreán 24, 2014
Má chaill tú an clár iontach faoi Siansa Gael Linn 2014 ar TG4 le déanaí – ná bí buartha !
Beidh sé á athchraoladh ag an stáisiún Dé Sathairn seo chugainn, 26 Aibreán ar 8:45p.m. – scoth an cheoil agus na hamhránaíochta traidisiúnta ó ocht ngrúpa – scaip an scéal ar chairde agus gaolta… agus bain sult as!
Dréacht-churaclam Teanga na bunscoile: Comhairliúchán ar siul
Aibreán 24, 2014
Tá dréacht-churaclam teanga na bunscoile curtha amach ag an CNCM ar chomhairliúchan mar a bhaineann le gach gach páiste ó na Naíonáin Bheaga go dtí Rang 2 i Scoileanna meán Béarla agus i Scoileanna lán-Ghaeilge. Maireann an comhairliúchán ó anois go dtí 30 Bealtaine. Freagraíonn sé don aiseolas a thug múinteoirí ar bhealaí chun curaclam 1999 a fheabhsú don Bhéarla agus don Ghaeilge agus léiríonn sé taighde agus forbairtí nua i bhfoghlaim teanga páistí. Fáilteofar go mór roimh thuairimí na scoileanna lán-Ghaeilge agus cuirfear moltaí agus aiseolas san áireamh sa chéad dréacht eile a fhorbrófar. Is deis an-mhaith í seo do scoileanna lán-Ghaeilge tionchar a imirt ar fhorbairt an churaclaim agus ar fheasacht a mhéadú ar riachtanais ar leithligh na scoileanna lán-Ghaeilge i dtaobh teangacha an churaclaim.
Tá dréacht churaclam teangacha na bunscoile ar fáil anseo: Curaclam Teanga na Bunscoile. Freisin, gheobhaidh tú sa nasc seo achoimre fheidhmeach ar an tuarascáil taighde a scríobh Pádraig Ó Duibhir agus Jim Cummins, 2012.
Fáiltítear roimh aiseolas ar líne, de réir na dtreoracha atá leagtha amach sa nasc thíos, nó más maith leat aiseolas ar ríomhphost a chur chugainn (blathnaid@gaelscoileanna.ie) roimh an Aoine, 17ú Bealtaine, cuirfear san áireamh é in aighneacht Gaelscoileanna Teo.
Litríocht na nÓg – Coláiste Mhuire gan Smál, 22-23 Bealtaine
Aibreán 24, 2014
Beidh comhdháil ar litríocht na n-óg ar siúl i gColáiste Mhuire gan Smál don chéad uair ar an 22ú agus 23ú Bealtaine 2014. “Gafa le Leabhair”/”Buzzing with Books” …. Tá an Chomhairle Náisiúnta Curaclaim agus Measúnachta (CNCM); Coláiste Mhuire gan Smál, Luimneach; Coláiste Phádraig, Droim Conrach; Frostburg State University, SAM agus an tionscnamh Claochlú Oideachais trí Chomhphlé i measc comhpháirtithe na comhdhála, agus tá an Chomhairle um Oideachas Gaeltachta agus Gaelscolaíochta ag tabhairt tacaíochta di freisin. Is í an an Dr. Fíodhna Ní Ghairnéir Uí hAoláin stiúrthóir na comhdhála.
Tabharfaidh an chomhdháil grúpaí a bhaineann le cruthú, le scaipeadh agus le ceiliúradh ar litríocht na n-óg in Éirinn le chéile. Tá sí geallta le bheith ina pointe comhtheagmhála i gcomhair plé ar threochta agus ar cheisteanna in oideachas teanga agus litearthachta. Cuirfidh múinteoirí, údair, leabharlannaithe agus gairmithe oideachais suim ar leith inti. Beidh sé mar chuspóir thábhachtach ag an gcomhdháil litríocht na n-óg a chur faoi chaibidil agus cabhrú le múinteoirí grá don léitheoireacht a chothú ina ndaltaí trí idirghabháil fhiúntach le téacsanna. Beidh ceardlanna comhuaineacha agus fóraim againn d’fhonn malartú áiseanna agus smaointe múinteoireachta a éascú.
Cuirfear béim ar mhúineadh agus ar léitheoireacht na Gaeilge ag an gcomhdháil.
Beidh Áine Ní Ghlinn agus Colmán Ó Raghallaigh ag cur i láthair ag ceardlanna comhuaineacha do mhúinteoirí, leabharlannaithe, srl. ar an gcéad lá (22 Bealtaine 2014). Beidh seastán Gaeilge ag COGG ag an gcomhdháil ar an lá seo freisin. Beidh Tadhg Mac Dhonnagáin ag cur i láthair do pháistí ó Ranganna a Ceathair go dtí a Sé ar an dara lá (23 Bealtaine 2014).
Tá a thuilleadh eolais faoin gcomhdháil ar fáil ar http://www.buzzingwithbooks.com/ga/
Príomhoideacht – Coláiste an Phiarsaigh
Aibreán 24, 2014
Meánscoil lán-Ghaelach comhoideachais, 530 dalta sa scoil, daltaí cónaithe ina measc.
Tuilleadh eolais: gaelteo@eircom.net agus www.educationposts.ie
Príomhoideacht – Scoil na gCeithre Máistrí
Aibreán 24, 2014
Is bunscoil lánghaelach do bhuachaillí agus do chailiní faoi phátrúnacht Easpag Caitliceach Ardach agus Cluain Mhic Nóis í Scoil na gCeithre Máistrí. Tá foirgneamh breá nua ag an scoil ó 2008.
Duine fuinniúil, le sárscileanna ceannasaíochta, múinteoireachta, cumarsáide agus riaracháin, maraon le ardchaighdeán Gaeilge labhartha agus scríofa atá de dhíth.
Iarratais poist amháin i nGaeilge ar an bhfoirm chaighdeánach do phost mar Phríomh Oide chuig an seoladh thuas luaite roimh 3i.n. ar an Luan 19ú Bealtaine 2014. Marcáil ‘Iarratas’ chun tosaigh ar an gclúdach litreach.
Tuilleadh eolais: oifig4maistri@gmail.com agus www.educationposts.ie
Príomhoideacht – Scoil an Duinnínigh
Aibreán 24, 2014
Spriocdáta: 30 Aibreán 2014
Tuilleadh eolais: oifig@scoiland.ie nó www.educationposts.ie
Speech by Ruairí Quinn, T.D.Minister for Education And Skills, at TUI Congress, Kilkenny
Aibreán 23, 2014
I would like to begin by thanking you for the invitation to address your Congress – my fourth opportunity to do so as Minister for Education and Skills.
In any given year, there are always many issues for discussion over Easter.
But this year, it is clear that one issue will dominate your congress.
Today, I want to take the opportunity offered by your invitation to discuss the introduction of the JCSA in some detail.
I also want to take some time to outline some of the reforms which are underway in the further and higher education sectors.
The current reforms can be summarised under three headings;
· Supporting inclusion and diversity;
· Improving quality and accountability; and
· Creating opportunities
My remarks today will focus on the idea of creating opportunities for Irish citizens – an idea which revolves around the reconfiguration of Higher Education and Further Education and Training.
But I would like to begin by spending a few moments detailing my rationale for reform of Junior Cycle.
JCSA
The most significant body of research we have on the lived experiences of post-primary students is the longitudinal study carried out by the ESRI.
Sadly, this research shows us, to quote Emer Smyth and Frances Ruane: “the current junior cycle is not providing an engaging and challenging experience for young people. Their learning is often well below its potential.”
That research tells us that many students experience fear and trepidation during their first year of post-primary education.
This perhaps, will always remain the case, as children move from ‘small school’ to ‘big school’.
Though it is a transition we could surely do more to ease.
More worryingly, the research tells us that during second year, many students – too many students – disengage from their education.
By this point, the play and imagination of primary school has been utterly disrupted by the backwash effect of the Junior Cert.
From that point, many young people will never fully re-engage with education.
They have already entered a departure lounge from education.
And some drop out as soon as they can after or even before the Junior Cert.
Moving away from centralised state certification at the end of junior cycle will certainly benefit those students.
But it will also benefit all others.
The learning approaches which post-primary students best engage with, are those which capitalise upon their natural creativity and imagination.
Participating in discussion and debate, testing themselves against those around them – these are approaches which capture the interest and imagination of our young people.
But for you, our teachers, there is little space for such approaches by the time students reach third year.
A quote by Mark Patrick Hederman, former headmaster at Glenstal Abbey, comes to mind:
“Imagination is what we should be cherishing, encouraging, cultivating. Instead of which we are systematically deleting it from the desktop of every child who wants to get enough points… to enter our third level institutes.”
We have to ask ourselves if this is what we want for our 15 year old children?
And to what end?
There are some who argue that the Junior Cert is an essential dry-run for the high-stakes Leaving Cert.
The Junior Cert serves such a purpose poorly.
The ESRI has found, and I quote, that “students report increasing demands between junior and senior cycles, with schoolwork becoming harder and more investment in homework required.
As a result, students become less confident about their capacity to cope with schoolwork and less positive about school in general.”
Again, I must stress that this ESRI study is the most significant evidence of the experiences of post-primary students available to us.
We have a responsibility to pay attention to that evidence.
These findings clearly show that students do not believe the Junior Cert is preparing them to study at Senior Cycle.
But even if the Junior Cert did serve this purpose as a dry-run, as some teachers and parents believe it should, would it really be worth the price?
Is it really acceptable to say that memorisation and rote learning, should be allowed dominate other learning in post-primary schools?
Clearly, the answer is no.
As teachers, you are more ambitious for the young people you teach than that.
You want them to develop as people, as citizens.
Not simply develop the wrong skills, for the wrong time, in this globalised world we now inhabit.
The Netherlands, New Zealand, Singapore and many others – countries who are achieving many of the standards we aspire to – these countries are already transitioning away from any state certification at the end of junior cycle.
Finland, until recently the poster child of the education world, utterly avoids any examinations until the point of matriculation.
We are almost unique in retaining a high-stakes terminal exam at the end of junior cycle.
And we know it doesn’t work.
That, plainly speaking, is why I made the decision to introduce the JCSA.
These issues are not new.
A century ago, Padraig Pearse wrote the Murder Machine.
In it, he argued, and I quote:
“I would urge that the Irish school system of the future should give freedom –
freedom to the individual school, freedom to the individual teacher,
freedom as far as may be to the individual pupil.
Without freedom there can be no right growth, and education is properly the fostering of the right growth of personality”.
There have been many calls since to give schools and teachers that freedom.
Almost 25 years ago, the Junior Cert replaced the Inter Cert and the Group Cert.
Acclaimed originally as a more flexible entity than its predecessors, it was hoped it would be accompanied by new modes of assessment.
But the opportunity was lost.
A generation later, the NCCA published “towards a framework for junior cycle”.
That document made a compelling argument for change, building upon the ESRI research I referred to earlier.
It is worth noting – that that NCCA document, which your union now states was welcome – was presented to me with an accompanying objection from the TUI.
So it is not accurate to suggest that TUI would have supported the proposals published by the NCCA.
I gave serious consideration to the NCCA proposals – for over a year.
But ultimately, I came to believe that we risked repeating the error we made a generation ago.
Reform that does not fundamentally alter the assessment at the end of Junior Cycle cannot deliver meaningful change.
In making my decision, I looked again to the evidence provided by the ESRI.
I was convinced that the quality of our education system would not ultimately change unless the high stakes exam was replaced.
Since I made that decision, time was lost as a result of your consideration of the Haddington Road Agreement.
That was understandable, but in retrospect I think that delays in sitting around a table to discuss JCSA were unfortunate.
But there is time.
This is a long project.
Almost a decade before full implementation.
And the first assessment event in the subject of English is almost two years away.
I encourage you to take the chance to put your mark on this significant change.
I am providing every opportunity I can for this to happen.
In January of this year, I established a National Working Group to explore issues of concern to the various education partners.
The views of stakeholders have already resulted in changes to the timing of the introduction of these reforms – giving schools more time to prepare.
Additional CPD has been sanctioned for subject teachers and school leaders, while whole school days are being provided for planning these changes at school level.
A sub-group is considering in detail the issue of quality assurance and support for teacher assessment.
As part of its remit it is addressing external supports for moderation to reassure and support teacher assessment, and to help to ensure standards.
I trust you as our teachers to act professionally and assess your own students without fear or favour to anybody.
Teachers already do that in further and higher education where the stakes are much greater.
So why this fear of change in what is essentially a low stakes exam?
It would be dishonest of me to pretend that your union has been fully engaged in the National Working Group.
All other education partners – parents, management bodies and school leaders – have made written submissions to the sub-group, which we are considering, and continuing to discuss.
Regrettably, neither TUI nor ASTI have made any such proposals so far.
Your union has refused to provide any written views on ICT, resources, supports for moderation, or other matters.
I believe we can make progress by working together.
I hope that your union will now engage more fully.
Creating Opportunities
I am conscious that the TUI also represents educators in further and higher education.
With that in mind, the theme which I want to primarily focus on today, is the idea of creating opportunities for our people – providing them with pathways to work.
This is not simply an idea that we should educate people to be economic actors alone.
We want all of our people to participate in our society, and in our culture.
And of course, to have fulfilling and rewarding lives of their own.
But central to that aim, is providing people with sustainable work in which they can take pride.
I firmly believe in the benefits and dignity of work.
Not just for individuals but for society as a whole.
Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore has set a target of getting back to full employment by the end of this decade.
I fully agree with that.
But we must go even further.
We must strive to return to full employment by 2020, and then work to hold those gains instead of throwing them away.
This happened in the recent past.
It must not happen again.
The dignity of work must be a sustainable offer made to each of our citizens.
There are many, many areas of our society that need to be reformed.
But no single area is as important, to the very texture and fabric of our society, as ensuring that our people are able to find work and get paid a decent wage for it.
The education system at all levels has an enormous role to play in supporting these ambitions.
Further Education and Training
For many years, the further education and training sectors, have been the Cinderella of the broader education system.
I was, and remain, determined to change that.
The British academic, Guy Claxton, has often written about a need to reimagine the types of learning we value.
He tells a story of how, several years ago, there was media outrage across the UK when a young woman turned down a place at Oxford, to take up an apprenticeship as a hairdresser.
As he notes, and I quote:
“Behind the outpourings of opinion one could hear the rumblings of a very deeply entrenched set of social attitudes about the relative merits of the academic and the vocational”.
In Ireland, that set of social attitudes is arguably even more entrenched.
It is absolutely right, that as a small open economy, we continue to strive to have very high numbers of our young people studying at third level.
But that alone is not enough.
We also need a stronger further education and training sector, that provides alternatives to third level, valued routes to work, as well as a set of different routes towards third level.
And we need to persuade young people and their parents that the choice of a course in the FET sector is a rational and valuable one – not one that is lesser to the higher education options which exist.
We have introduced very significant reforms to the FET sector over the last three years.
FÁS no longer exists, having been replaced by SOLAS –
An organisation that will oversee the modernisation and reform of our Further Education and Training sector.
33 VECs have been amalgamated into 16 local Education and Training Boards –
Each with the scale and capacity to improve the opportunities offered to those out of work.
And by July 1st, the transfer of all remaining training centres to the ETBs will be complete.
These, as you know, are huge changes to the architecture of FET in Ireland.
And the changes have been achieved without any disruption to day to day operations.
I acknowledge and salute that progress.
The next step in this evolution is to match a strategy for the sector to this overhauled architecture.
SOLAS was tasked with preparing a 5 year strategy for further education and training in Ireland –
The first time that a consolidated strategy for FET has been produced.
Though only newly formed, they have achieved their first objective, and submitted that strategy to me on 31st March.
It was devised through an exemplary consultation process, which involved the views of everyone involved in the sector – from learners to Government, from employers to trade unions.
It was with great pleasure that I was able to approve that strategy unaltered.
SOLAS will formally launch the strategy over the next few weeks.
It will seek to rebuild the entire sector, brick by brick.
An enormous body of work, but one that is very timely.
As we work together to implement that strategy, choices will inevitably have to be made.
Some of them will be difficult choices.
They may involve parking the practices of the past.
To reinvent and reinvigorate further education and training in Ireland.
For today, there are a couple of elements of the strategy I wish to raise – as they will be issues that we will need to cooperate on over the coming months.
The first is the future funding policy for the FET sector.
The strategy points out that funding across further education and training has often been determined by legacy formulae.
In the reconfigured FET sector this cannot continue – we have to move towards a funding system that is centred on evidence-based needs.
To say that this is a challenge would be an understatement.
In essence, this means that we must continually look – not to preserve what exists, but at what we need next.
The other area I want to highlight today, is the need to move towards year-round provision across the FET sector.
In our training centres, year-round provision has always been the norm.
But this has not been the case in the further education sector.
If the focus of this sector is on creating the opportunities which our people need, this must change.
People cannot dictate when they will become unemployed.
Equally, we cannot dictate that education opportunities will only appear at certain times of the year.
We need to be much more flexible than that.
This Government has supported over 60,000 people back into employment over the last year.
But an unemployment rate of 11.8% still demands that we focus relentlessly on providing people with pathways back to work.
The Further Education and Training Strategy will have a strong focus on meeting the needs of the unemployed and on connecting with employers.
In addition, within the next few months, I will also be publishing an implementation plan for the reform of the apprenticeship system in Ireland.
To allow more people to access high-quality apprenticeships across a broader range of sectors.
Higher Education
I have spoken today of the need for the FET sector to provide valid alternatives to higher education.
But creating opportunities for our people also means continuing to reform the higher education sector itself.
The third-level sector has made an enormous contribution to the challenges that this country has faced in the last number of years.
Our highly skilled workforce is the key to increasing Ireland’s competitiveness for foreign investment,
As well as for the growth of indigenous industries that will lead our country out of recession.
We must continue to raise the profile and international reputation of Ireland’s higher education system;
We need to make sure that we provide appropriate, relevant and high quality learning opportunities, for all of our citizens, in all of our regions.
We need to leverage every advantage now so that we can create jobs in Ireland and keep our high quality graduates here.
In May of last year, I announced significant structural changes to the higher education landscape, in response to the advice on system configuration from the HEA.
Much needed clarity has been brought to bear on the destination towards which we are all headed –
We are developing a top quality system of higher education institutions, collaborating to achieve the outcomes required for Ireland.
When I first met with all of the Presidents of the IoTs, I reinforced with them the need to consolidate the Technological Sector.
I informed them clearly that I would not go down the Margaret Thatcher route, of renaming every Polytechnic as a University.
Allowing institutes of technology to move towards merger and designation as Technological Universities is a very significant development.
I know this is one that has been the cause of considerable interest in the institutes involved.
The creation of regional clusters will allow us to improve efficiency,
While also building stronger links between our universities and institutes of technology,
And between those institutions and the businesses in their regions.
The two sectors of third-level education in Ireland must collaborate and co-operate.
All institutions will be expected to develop structures in the coming year, that will allow regional plans to be developed and agreed by each cluster.
A new System Performance Framework is being rolled out from this year.
It is intended to build on the contribution which the third-level sector can make to the development of our country.
It has been designed to bring about a better balance in the level of accountability in the HE system, particularly given that the system is comprised of a series of autonomous institutions.
National priorities of Government, and a number of key system objectives, have now been clearly expressed for the period to 2016.
These, along with a set of system indicators, have been published and communicated to the Higher Education Institutions.
Allowing the HEA to assess the performance of the system as a whole in relation to national priorities, and report back to me on an annual basis in a system report.
I am expecting the first Annual System Performance Report from the HEA very shortly.
This overall framework will inform the first phase of strategic dialogue.
I understand that draft compacts from all HEIs have been received by the HEA and that they are now being finalised.
This will provide much greater transparency and visibility for the sector.
And will help to show the contribution being made to the national recovery effort by our third-level institutions.
Many elements of the reform agenda at third-level must be underpinned by legislation.
I am planning two very significant pieces of legislation in relation to higher education.
The Oireachtas Committee submitted their pre-legislative report to me on the Technological University Bill last Thursday.
That legislation will allow for the creation of Technological Universities, and will improve the governance of our Institutes of Technology.
I hope that TUI will continue to have the opportunity to feed into that legislation as it passes through the Oireachtas.
The process to achieve TU status has been clearly set out in the draft legislation.
A panel of international experts will be the independent adjudicator of whether applications for TU status should be approved.
This will be no political rebranding of existing institutions.
To allow that would devalue our entire third level sector.
Over the next while, I’ll also be publishing another Bill, which will improve the governance of the entire third-level sector.
Again, I hope that Bill will provide a further opportunity to enshrine the voice of educators in the governance of our institutions.
As we reform both the FET and Higher Education sectors, we must also develop the connection between the sectors.
The creation of the ETBs and the Higher Education regional clusters will greatly assist this.
As I stated at the outset, all of this – junior cycle reform, the rebuilding of a unified FET sector, and the reconfiguration of higher education – must be focussed on creating opportunities for Irish people.
Conclusion
I have only had the opportunity to touch upon some of the many issues which are of concern to your members.
I have tried to clearly outline my arguments for the necessity of introducing JCSA.
And I have outlined how I believe the reforms to higher and further education will help us to create opportunities for our citizens.
Before I conclude, I also want to underline our commitment to enhancing the infrastructure which underpins these developments.
We will spend almost €550 million on infrastructure this year, continuing the five-year building programme.
Round 1 of the Summer Works Scheme has seen funding made available to 386 schools to keep them safe and warm.
And round 2 of that scheme will be announced next week.
Meanwhile, the last batch of post-primary schools will receive a free connection to high-speed broadband by September.
There are many, many other issues which I would have liked to address today.
The development of new models of middle management in schools deserves further consideration.
You have concerns about multiple pay scales, about the future funding of our schools, about investment in technology.
I look forward to engaging with your leadership on these, and many other issues over the coming weeks and months.
Thank you once again for your invitation to be here with you today.
Féile Pan Cheilteach: Léachtaí agus Blaschúrsaí Teanga ar fáil an tseachtain seo ar fad
Aibreán 23, 2014
Beidh sraith imeachtaí teanga ar siúl ón Chéadaoin 23ú Aibreán go dtí an Satharn 26ú Aibreán a thaiscéalfaidh teangacha, cultúir agus traidisiúin ár gcomharsan Ceilteach.
Tá gach imeacht saor in aisce agus beidh fearadh na fáilte romhat bheith linn!
Féile Pan Cheilteach 2014
Clár na dTeangacha
Céadaoin 23 Aibreán
10.30-12.00
Blaschúrsa Gaeilge
Cultúrlann Uí Chanáin, 37 Mórshráid Shéamais, Doire
1.00-2.00
Léacht: Logainmneacha Dhoire
Iarsmalann an Túir, Doire
1.00-3.00
Blaschúrsa Ghaeilge na hAlban
Cultúrlann Uí Chanáin, 37 Mórshráid Shéamais, Doire
Déardaoin 24 Aibreán
10.30-12.00
Léacht: Oidhreacht Ind-Eorpach, Cheilteach agus Ghaelach
Cultúrlann Uí Chanáin, 37 Mórshráid Shéamais, Doire
1.00-2.00
Léacht: Gaeilge na hÉireann agus Gaeilge Mhanann
Iarsmalann an Túir, Doire
1.00-3.00
Blaschúrsa Ghaeilge na hAlban
Cultúrlann Uí Chanáin, 37 Mórshráid Shéamais, Doire
Aoine 25 Aibreán
10.30-12.00
Cèilidh Cholmcille
Comhrá, ceol agus damhsa
Cultúrlann Uí Chanáin, 37 Mórshráid Shéamais, Doire
1.00-2.00
Léacht: Béaloideas Éireann agus Alban
Iarsmalann an Túir, Doire
Satharn 26 Aibreán
10.30-12.00
Blaschúrsa Breatnaise
Cultúrlann Uí Chanáin, 37 Mórshráid Shéamais, Doire
1.00-2.00
Léacht: Ceiltigh Chomharsanacha/Ceiltigh Thar Lear: Na Breatnaigh agus na Briotáinigh
Tá tuilleadh eolais ar na himeachtaí seo ar fáil ó: Pól Ó Frighil, Oifigeach Gaeilge, Comhairle Cathrach Dhoire, T: (028) 71376579 nó trí theagmháil a dhéanamh le Cultúrlann Uí Chanáin, T: 028 7126 4132.
