Iarratas ar Thairiscint – COGG

It seems to many of the principals to whom I have spoken that if the current proposals on school admissions are implemented a valuable and historic opportunity will be lost.

Limerick has grappled with the issue of educational inequality for years. It is the only area where a common applications system applies, arising from an intolerable situation in which children found themselves without any second-level place.

The then minister insisted that all schools in Limerick city operate a common enrolment system, administered by Limerick Education Centre, the purpose of which was to ensure that all children had a school place. All students are placed, eventually, but it has also brought about considerable anguish and uncertainty among parents and children. If children do not get their first/second preference, they may be left with their least-favoured school – and travelling up to 12 miles from home by private bus.

Participant schools are accorded a certain level of protection from any perception of perpetuating inequality. The reality is much different. Schools still operate independently in terms of their admission criteria, and can decide their selection criteria with no independent scrutiny. It is only an issue for the so-called good schools, as they invariably have a surfeit of applications over places.

Some favour children living in certain affluent parishes, so-called traditional feeder schools, brothers/sisters of current or past pupils, sons/daughters of past pupils and so on, and finally, ‘all others.’ In effect, very few places exist in this category. So, some children have right of entry although they live some distance from the school and others are refused, even if they live close by, or attend the local feeder primary.

Surely it is the right of every parent to send their child to their local school, if they so choose? By ignoring this, the proposed legislation gives free rein to schools to continue what is effectively educational apartheid.

There is no justification for giving preference to siblings of former pupils, or indeed children of past pupils.

The proposed limit of 25pc is a capitulation to vested interests. Surely proximity to a school should have a higher ranking than whether a child’s father/mother attended? This is a means to reproduce a social class and cherry-pick the best students. Who will oversee this 25pc, and where is the transparency? Some schools will continue to favour the socially advantaged, academically gifted, or those with exceptional sporting prowess.

In the context of the Limerick Area Common Application System, I believe that the minister should insist on a common admissions policy across all participant schools, with geographical location claiming first priority, after brothers/sisters of existing students. A three-mile radius of any particular school in a city location, or, perhaps, 10 miles in a rural area, would be reasonable. Where there are too many applications for that school, other priorities can be addressed.

The minister has included the right of the Department of Education and Skills to impose a similar system elsewhere. This is to be welcomed. However, unless these fundamental flaws are addressed, the current highly iniquitous system will be preserved under a veneer of fairness.

The minister praises the “value of tradition”. But tradition can be merely an excuse to maintain the status quo.

First published in The Irish Independent, 11 September 2013

www.educationmatters.ie

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Junior Cert replacement of ‘huge benefit’ to pupils

September 17, 2013

The replacement of the Junior Certificate by schools assessing their own students will bring major benefits, says the head of the organisation leading the changes.

National Council for Curriculum and Assessment chief executive Anne Looney said the impact will be mostly positive for young people in comparison to those now studying up to a dozen subjects for the Junior Certificate. “Students will have had a much wider range of learning experiences in school, more use of technology, lots of different kinds of assessment and not just written exams, even though they will have covered fewer subjects for assessment purposes,” said Ms Looney. “They are going to have to work a bit harder because the active learning, group learning, and project work mean there is nowhere to hide down the back of the classroom.” There is still reluctance among teachers about assessing their own students and the absence of a nationally certified exam after the first three years.

Ms Looney said there is also understandable anxiety among principals and teachers, but she said it should be remembered they will be judging students’ work rather than students. In order to encourage consistency across schools, samples of students’ work will be placed online to guide teachers, students and parents on expected standards. She addressed more than 500 school leaders at an event run by Joint Managerial Body, which represents 370 secondary schools, where the impacts on day-to-day teaching and learning, timetabling and developing short courses were discussed, along with the national literacy and numeracy strategy, and school self-evaluation. English is the first subject for which junior cycle changes are being introduced, with a final curriculum due out next month to be taught to children starting second-level education in a year’s time. It will set out the kind of school work that teachers should set and mark students on for the 40% of final marks going for assessment of oral, reading, and writing skills. JMB general secretary Ferdia Kelly said all schools welcome the student-centred focus of the revised junior cycle. However, he said, a day of training for teachers of all subjects on new approaches to assessment should be given in every school this year, rather than just to teachers of each subject as new curricula are introduced over the next four or five years.

“Every school should also be allowed appoint a teacher to work for 10 hours a week preparing materials to help staff introduce these reforms properly,” he said. Department of Education chief inspector Harold Hislop agreed that there is a subject-centred approach to professional development for teachers, but said it will be more balanced towards whole-school changes as training programmes are widened for more subjects. The new curricula in Irish, business studies, and science will be taught to students beginning in Sept 2015.

www.irishexaminer.com

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Irish language evening classes starting next week – Special offer

September 16, 2013

Coláiste na hÉireann/Gaelchultúr’s Irish language evening classes for adults will commence next week (23-26 September 2013) in Dublin and Carlow. We’re offering one month’s free subscription to a course on ranganna.com our e-learning website, to everyone who books an evening class with us this autumn.

The Intensive Course in Written Irish will begin Saturday, 21 September, and our next Irish Language Course for Hibernia Applicants will start 9–12 October.

Information: www.gaelchultur.com | eolas@gaelchultur.com | (01) 484 5220 | 1890 252 900

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Gael Linn announce an exciting programme for young people

September 16, 2013

Young Irish speakers will be given the opportunity to take part in various projects relating to the language through an inclusive programme of schemes for 2013/2014 recently announced by Gael Linn.

Primary schools, secondary schools and third level colleges take part in a range of various schemes every year including debates, music, radio programmes and public speaking.

The demand for the Gael Linn schemes is always very high and as competitions are due to begin shortly, applications are now being accepted for the following schemes:
Comórtas Díospóireachta Uí Chadhain: A debating competition for schools in which subjects are taught through Irish. The winners of the junior competition will be presented with Corn Uisne and a cheque for €1,000 and the winners of the senior competition will be presented with Corn Gael Linn and a cheque for €1,000.The closing date for this competition is the 20th of September, 2013.

Comórtas Díospóireachta an Phiarsaigh: A debating competition for schools in which subjects are not taught through Irish. The winners in both the junior and senior competitions will be presented with Buanchorn Gael Linn and a cheque for €1,000. The closing date for this competition is the 27th of September, 2013.

Siansa: A competition for young traditional music and singing groups with a prize fund of €4,500. Help and advice is given to young participants through workshops given by well-known professional musicians. The Siansa finals will be held in the National Concert Hall on the 14th of April, 2014. The closing date for this competition is the 8th of November, 2013 and the discs have to be in before the 9th of December, 2013.

Comórtas Clár Raidió Gael Linn: This competition is open to all senior cycle second level students, North and South, and is particularly suitable as a Transition Year project. The winners will be presented with generous cash prizes in a studio of and on a programme in RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta. Also, if the winning entry is of a high standard it will be broadcast by RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta. The closing date for this competition is the 7th of February, 2014 and the radio programmes must be in by in by the 14th of March, 2014.

Coirm: A series of festivals in top class theatres throughout the country at which children, mainly from gaeltacht schools and gaelscoileanna, perform a variety show of 20 minutes duration. The closing date for this competition is the 16th of December, 2014.

Abair: A public speaking competition for second level schools in Ulster. A prize will awarded to those who finish in first and second place in each section. The closing date for this competition is the 15th of November, 2013.

Tráth na gCeist: A series of Irish language table quizzes for second level schools in Northern Ireland. Those who come in first and second place will be presented with prizes. The closing date for this competition is the 15th of November, 2013.

Bréagchúirt Uí Dhálaigh/Gael Linn: Bréagchúirt Uí Dhálaigh is organised by Gael Linn in honour of the late Cearbhall Ó Dálaigh, ex-President and ex-Chief Justice of Ireland. The competition, in the form of a moot court, is for third level students who are studying law and are fluent in Irish. The winners will be presented with the Cearrbhall Ó Dálaigh Memorial Trophy as well as a cheque for €600. This year’s court will be held in the Four Courts, Dublin on Friday 8th of November 2013.

Díospóireachtaí Tríú Leibhéal: Gael Linn provides funding and support for Irish debating competitions in various third level institutions. The final of this year’s intervarsities debating competition will take place during the Oireachtas festival in Killarney on the 2nd of November. The winners will be presented with the Irish Times Cup as well a cash prize.

Further information and application forms are available at www.gael-linn.ie or through contacting Gael Linn: 01 6751200 / seanc@gael-linn.ie.

Foilsithe ar Gaelport.com

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