An M. Oid. san Oideachas Lán-Ghaeilge seolta go hoifigiúil ag an gComhairle Mhúinteoireachta i gColáiste Mhuire gan Smál
November 6, 2013
Special Offer from Forever Languages
November 5, 2013
Forever Languages is a brand new Irish company with a passion for languages. Our aim is to instil a love of languages in students of all ages and abilities.
We have a number of books for Irish-medium schools available for purchase. We have a special offer for Gaelscoileanna.ie until November 30th 2013, which gives a 10% discount and free delivery for all orders. Just mention Gaelscoileanna.ie when you place your order to avail of the discount, or use coupon code GAEL when you purchase from our website www.foreverlanguages.com
Some of the books in this special offer include:
On y va! 1 – French textbook with accompanying CD for 1st year students, specifically designed for Irish-medium schools.
On y va! 2 – French textbook with 2 accompanying CDs for the 2nd and 3rd year curriculum, also designed specifically for Irish-medium schools.
…à la française – French resource book and CD for beginners level in primary school or 1st year in secondary school. Detailed lesson plans for each subject area – maths, history, geography, science, art and P.E. This is a fully photocopiable resource.
Developed to make French language learning fun for everyone.
Please contact marie@foreverlanguages.com for further details.
You can find sample pages of all books on our website www.foreverlanguages.com/index.php/samples
The full Teachers Notes for both On y va! books can be downloaded from www.foreverlanguages.com/index.php/downloads
Corn an Earagail
November 5, 2013
Gairmscoil Chú Uladh – Bliots Cispheile idirscoile
November 5, 2013
School inspectors criticise standards of teaching in maths and Irish
November 5, 2013
Teaching quality and standards in all other subjects were found to be satisfactory Report includes assessments after announced and unannounced inspections
School inspectors have highlighted unsatisfactory quality standards in the teaching of maths and Irish in schools. However, teaching in all other subject areas holds up better, with more positive assessments, a report by the chief inspector of schools has found. The report shows that a quarter of Irish lessons at primary level during inspections were unsatisfactory. In post-primary schools, about a third of Irish lessons were ranked as unsatisfactory, as were a quarter of maths lessons. And while maths learning in primary schools was satisfactory or better in 86 per cent of cases, the report showed that only half of students were involved in collaborative working, something considered essential in this subject area.
Teaching quality and standards in all other subjects were found to be satisfactory or better, according to the Chief Inspector’s Report 2010-2012 released yesterday. The highly detailed report includes assessments after announced and unannounced inspections by staff from the department. For the first time the inspector’s report includes surveys involving parents and also students, who give their assessments of teaching standards in our schools. Inspectors judged that 86 per cent of lessons inspected in unannounced inspections were satisfactory or better in primary schools, but 14 per cent were not satisfactory. The overall figures for post-primary schools were 87 per cent satisfactory or better and 13 per cent not satisfactory. This generally good performance was repeated across all lessons, the inspectors judged, except for in the areas of Irish and maths. Baseline of data Minist er f or Education and Skills Ruairí Quinn said he had read the report with interest. It now provided a baseline of data which could be used in ongoing inspection activities.
The difficulties with maths and Irish were a problem, he said. “Does it point to a need for reform? No, it screams for reform,” Mr Quinn said of the inspector’s findings. For too long people had “unwisely” accepted the notion that Ireland had the best education system in the world, something that blocked change. The report showed that generally the school system was performing well, he said, but it also revealed some weaknesses and pointed schools in the direction of improvement. The school system had been working “in a challenging context” given the fiscal restraints, said chief inspector of schools Harold Hislop. Student numbers had grown while the number of teachers has remained fairly static. The report included the details of a l mo s t 800 whole school evaluations and 1,100 incidental inspections at primary level, he said. At post-primary there had been a l mos t 190 whole school evaluations, more than 1,400 subject inspections and 430 incidental inspections, he said.
Inspection procedures had been changed considerably and this was the first such report to be issued publicly by the inspector’s office, Mr Hislop said. Also for the first time questionnaires were completed by thousands of parents and students to assess their views on the provision of education. These surveys showed there was a “communications issue” between schools and parents. While 94 per cent of primary pupils felt safe at school, only 70 per cent of parents f elt their child’s school was dealing well with bullying. Only 70 per cent of parents said their views were regularly sought by the school. Parental surveys The responses from parental surveys were very positive from the point of view of education, the report indicates. The survey of 47,000 parents of primary school pupils showed that 97 per cent of them f elt that teaching was good in their child’s school. At post-primary school level 87 per cent of the 20,000 parents surveyed were happy about the teaching standards at their child’s school. The 29,000 post-primary student surveys showed 70 per cent of students said their classes were interesting and 74 per cent agreed that their teachers explained things clearly.
www.irishtimes.com
Embedded shortcomings in the system revealed
November 5, 2013
There was good news in this report – but it will be hard to solve the problems
Parents and students are at the receiving end of the education system but their views on the services provided are only infrequently requested. So it is interesting that their views are so well represented in the chief inspector’s report on the quality and standards in teaching and learning in our primary and post-primary sectors. Previously the results of school inspection visits were kept within the Department of Education and Skills and were not issued as public documents. It was decided to revamp the inspection procedures for this latest report, changing them in the knowledge that at the end there would be a report for publication.
There was a considerable effort made to sample sentiment, given that 132,000 questionnaires were issued to parents and students at primary and post-primary level, and the results add significantly to the value of the report. It will be reassuring for the department to see relatively high percentages of “satisfactory” and “better than satisfactory” assessments across the full range of subjects. The report looked at both the teaching approaches taken but also the learning outcomes in the students. Lower performance levels were seen in maths and Irish however, evidence that our educational system needs to improve in these subject areas. The chief inspector Harold Hislop said that these results could not inform on whether the revised maths syllabus, Project Maths ,was having any impact in the classroom. There was confidence, however, that this would make a difference when the syllabus was fully implemented.
There are embedded shortcomings in the system, however, such as the fact that many teachers teaching maths are graduates of subjects other than maths or a science. This does not help when it comes to helping students with this sometimes difficult subject. Preparation It is difficult to know what to do with Irish. The report showed that far too often there was a low level of preparation for the classroom. The inspector speculated on whether having better in-class teaching materials might help bring improvements, although it is clear there are problems when almost a third of lessons at post-primary were considered unsatisfactory. The parent survey proved interesting because it revealed a communications gap between school management and parents, a point highlighted by Ruairí Quinn. At primary level only 70 per cent said their views were sought on school matters, and only 65 per cent knew about the work of the school board of management.
The gap apparently widens at post-primary where just 44 per cent of parents agreed their views were sought, with 32 per cent disagreeing and 24 per cent saying they don’t know. And the schools’ parents’ association does not seem to link with parents given only 51 per cent of parents said they were being informed, while 28 per cent disagreed and 20 per cent didn’t know.
www.irishtimes.com
10pc of lessons given in our schools are sub-standard
November 5, 2013
SERIOUS weaknesses have been found in the teaching of Irish and maths in schools.
The most comprehensive snapshot ever of quality and standards in primary and post- primary education reveals some disturbing evidence of poor practice. While it found that the majority of schools were well- managed, most teachers work effectively and the learning of students is generally satisfactory, there are significant problems in some areas. Chief schools’ inspector Harold Hislop expressed concern about the overall minimum of “10pc to 15pc of schools and lessons where less-than-satisfactory practices exist”. “Fundamentally, there are weakness in the teaching and learning of Irish in particular and, to a lesser degree, in maths, in a significant proportion of our schools,” he said.
The Chief Inspector’s Report, published for the first time, gives a detailed overview of the quality of teaching and learning, based on inspections in the majority of schools over the period 2010-12. For first time also, the report includes the views of parents and pupils on their experiences of the education system, with 65,000 students and 67,000 parents completing questionnaires. The findings on the quality of teaching and learning are based on a range of inspections carried out in half of primary schools and more than 90pc of post-primary schools. In primary schools, it found that a “very significant” 24pc of Irish lessons were less than satisfactory. In post- primary schools, teaching of Irish was “satisfactory or better” in only 72pc of classes, and in some cases teachers’ own skills in the language were deficient. Shockingly, the quality of student learning in Ireland was found to be problematic in 32pc of cases.
Moves to improve the quality of Irish teaching and learning include longer teacher training and a new strategy on numeracy and literacy in schools. Mr Hislop’s report also highlighted issues around maths teaching in post-primary schools, which have been publicised before, and which are blamed for Ireland’s disappointing showing in international student tests. Mr Hislop said it was of concern that the quality of teaching was only “satisfactory or better” in 77pc of classes and the quality of learning was less than satisfactory in 26pc of lessons.
Upskill
Efforts are under way to upskill maths teachers, where necessary, while hopes of improving national student performance are also pinned on the new Project Maths syllabus. However, inspectors also noted that the depth of mathematical understanding required to teach Project Maths was challenging for some teachers. The inspectors found a much more positive picture around the teaching and learning of English, at both primary and post-primary level. Mr Hislop said among the issues raised by the inspections are the “definite shortcomings” in approaches to planning and preparing classes, at both primary and post-primary levels. He also said there were crucial issues to be addressed about how students were assessed. “Improvements in how schools assess and monitor the learning experiences and performance of their learners and in how they use the resulting information to plan for future teaching and learning are particularly important,” he said. Education Minister Ruairi Quinn said while the report acknowledged all the good practices taking place on a daily basis in schools, it also showed a system “screaming for reform” in some areas.
www.independent.ie
If our schools scream for reform, let’s reform them
November 5, 2013
IT is hardly news to anyone that there are “weaknesses in the teaching and learning of Irish”, as pointed out by the Chief Inspector of Schools in his report for the years 2010-2012.
This is self evident from the fact that successive generations of students emerge at the end of their primary and second-level education with only a vague idea of the language and an inability to carry out a conversation in Gaeilge. More worrying perhaps is the fact that the Chief Inspector, Harold Hislop, has identified weaknesses “to a lesser” extent than Irish, in the teaching of maths and it is hoped the newly introduced Project Maths syllabus will help to eradicate some of these problems. The Chief Inspector’s report is based on visits by inspectors to over half of primary schools, and more than nine in 10 post-primary schools over the two-year period.
While his report says that a majority of schools are well managed and most teachers work effectively there are, he declares, “dimensions of education delivery that are, to varying degrees, problematic”. What this means is that “definite shortcomings in approaches to planning and preparation for students” exist in both primary and post-primary sectors. For those with school-going children this is indeed worrying. Whatever about Irish, and for many it remains an important part of our educational system and our culture in general, it is not good enough that serious deficiencies have been identified in the teaching of mathematics. This is now a subject of fundamental importance in the digital age and the Chief Inspector’s report is not the first to point out that Irish teachers and schools need to do better.
The survey also found that communication with parents is another area where schools must do better. Parents do not believe they get enough advice when it comes to the subjects their children choose for the Leaving Certificate. There is also widespread dissatisfaction at the response to the problematic area of bullying, which has become an issue of so much importance. “The picture that emerges in this report lays down challenges for everyone who works in the educational system,” concludes Mr Hislop. It is reassuring that he believes “excellence in terms of learning experience and standards can be achieved” but that does not detract from the Education Minister Ruairi Quinn’s contention that in some areas education is “screaming for reform” and maths and Irish would seem like a good starting point.
WHEN DID OUR PUBLIC SERVICE FORGET IT EXISTS TO SERVE THE PUBLIC?
www.independent.ie
Minister Quinn Launches Chief Inspector’s Report 2010-12
November 4, 2013
Standards of teaching and learning were satisfactory or better in the majority of lessons inspected
Confidential Parental Surveys show very high levels of satisfaction with schools
The Minister for Education and Skills Ruairí Quinn T.D., has today launched the Chief Inspector’s Report on quality and standards in primary and post-primary schools and centres for education. The report, which is based on inspections carried out by the Department between 2010 and 2012, found the standards of teaching and learning were satisfactory or better in the majority of lessons inspected. Chief Inspector, Dr Harold Hislop, also noted there was room for improvement in a significant minority of lessons.
For the first time the Chief Inspector’s Report includes parental surveys that show very high levels of satisfaction with schools. Some 97 per cent of the more than 47,000 parents surveyed in primary schools felt that teaching was good in their child’s school. In post-primary schools, 87 per cent of the 20,000 parents surveyed held similar views.
This report follows a period of significant reform in how school inspections are carried out since 2010. Many inspections are now unannounced and while the number of inspectors has fallen, inspections of schools have become more frequent. Confidential surveys of parents and students now also form part of all whole-school evaluations.
“The reform of inspection has led to the introduction of a range of new models of inspection including unannounced inspections, follow-up inspections and a re-modelling of whole-school evaluation,” Minister Quinn said. “The Inspectorate also gathers the views and opinions of parents and learners and I am delighted to see how these important views are reflected in the Chief Inspector’s Report.”
Minister Quinn welcomed the report’s findings. “The Chief Inspector’s Report acknowledges all the good practice that takes place on a daily basis in our schools in terms of quality leadership, management, teaching and learning. It reveals some weaknesses and points schools firmly in the direction of improvement,” he said.
“Our school system has many strengths, thanks in large measure to the efforts of so many dedicated teachers and school leaders. In the past there has been a marked reluctance to acknowledge its failings and tackle its shortcomings,” Minister Quinn said. “This report gives us the information that we need, both qualitative and quantitative to allow us to see the strengths and weaknesses in teaching, learning, management and leadership in our schools.”
Inspectors judged that 86 per cent of lessons inspected in unannounced inspections were satisfactory or better in primary schools, while 14 per cent were not satisfactory. Similar findings emerged in whole-school evaluations in post-primary schools with 87 per cent of lessons judged to be satisfactory or better and 13 per cent not satisfactory.
“Inspections provide an important external look at the work of schools,” said the Chief Inspector, “and are focused on helping each school to improve its teaching and learning. They also provide an important reassurance to parents and the public about the quality of the work of schools”, Dr Hislop added.
The Chief Inspector’s Report 2010-12 raises particular concerns about the teaching of Irish and the teaching of Mathematics.
Students’ learning was found to be less than satisfactory in almost a quarter (24 per cent) of Irish lessons in primary schools and almost a third (32 per cent) of Irish lessons in post-primary schools. The lack of a comprehensive Irish-language programme for English-medium primary schools and concerns about the Irish-language competence of teachers in a small but significant number of classrooms were among the factors noted by the Chief Inspector.
Standards in the teaching and learning of mathematics were generally good at primary level with learning satisfactory or better in 85 per cent of lessons inspected and good results for Irish students in international surveys. However, inspectors noted the lack of opportunities for primary pupils to engage in the sort of collaborative working needed for effective problem-solving.
At post-primary level, students’ learning was judged to be less than satisfactory in over a quarter of mathematics lessons (26 per cent). The Chief Inspector noted that Project Maths was being introduced during the period covered by this report to address many of the weaknesses in maths teaching. However, inspectors also noted that the depth of mathematical understanding required to teach Project Maths was challenging for some teachers.
The Chief Inspector’s Report 2010-12 also describes the “challenging” environment in which schools operated in the period 2010-12. It notes that spending on education rose from €3.218bn to €3.263bn at primary level and from €3.070bn to € 3.147bn at post-primary level, and that spending per student in 2010 was above the OECD average. Spending on supports for children with special education needs rose from €1.2bn in 2010 to €1.3bn in 2012 and now represents 15 per cent of the total budget of the Department. The report shows that student numbers rose by 5.5 per cent at primary level and by 6.3 per cent at post-primary level but that the number of teachers was relatively static. The retirement of large numbers of experienced teachers and the loss of middle management posts in schools due to the public service moratorium are also among the developments noted by the Chief Inspector.
An Triail
November 4, 2013
Fíbín presents its acclaimed version of the modern Irish classic An Triail by Mairéad Ní Ghráda for Leaving Cert students, as you’ve never seen it before, using puppets, masks and engaging visuals. November 18-22, 10.30am and 1.30pm.
www.axis-ballymun.ie.
