Minister Quinn announces new multi-denominational schools to open following patronage divesting surveys
March 12, 2014
The Minister for Education and Skills, Ruairí Quinn T.D., has announced that four primary schools are expected to open this September under the patronage of Educate Together. This development is part of the process of primary school divestment and follows surveys of parents on patronage choice in some 43 towns.
New schools are intended to open in Tramore, Co. Waterford, Trim, Co. Meath, and Malahide, Co. Dublin in September 2014. In Ballina, Co Mayo, Minister Quinn has confirmed that the transfer of a Church of Ireland school (Newtownwhite N.S., Ballysokerry) to Educate Together patronage is also under discussion. This follows the agreement of the Church of Ireland Bishop and local parents to a change of patronage.
In addition, Minister Quinn confirmed that the former Scoil San Seamus school building in Basin Lane, Dublin 8 will be in use from September by an Educate Together school which opened in temporary accommodation last September.
Minister Quinn welcomed the progress made to date in discussions with patrons following the divesting surveys. While permanent buildings are not yet available for the schools in three areas, Trim, Tramore and Malahide, he has given the go-ahead for the schools in temporary start-up accommodation in order to meet parental demand for greater choice of primary schools.
“Discussions are continuing to take place with the main Catholic patrons in these and in a number of other areas to identify and secure permanent accommodation. The engagement with patrons so far has been open and generous. I am sure that with the co-operation of all concerned and with the support of my Department, further progress can be achieved,” said Minister Quinn.
The three locations, Trim, Tramore and Malahide, were selected following discussions with the existing Catholic patrons on the potential for permanent accommodation options and discussions with Educate Together on their priorities for initial start-up areas.
“I am conscious of the lead in period necessary for establishing a new school: the advertising of the school, the enrolment process, appointment of the Principal, obtaining planning permission where required and other matters. The Department is working closely with Educate Together to secure temporary accommodation to allow it to open new schools serving new communities in September.”
The process of divestment of primary schools is part of the implementation of recommendations from the 2012 report of the Advisory Group to the Forum on Patronage and Pluralism in the Primary Sector.
Its chairperson, Professor John Coolahan, welcomed today’s announcement.
“Against the background of the discussions and agreement on the divesting of school patronage at the Forum, the Minister’s announcement is to be warmly welcomed as tangible progress,” he said.
“However, it is to be hoped that patrons and school communities will accelerate the divesting process so as to facilitate the provision of schooling for their fellow citizens of other belief systems. While the issues surrounding divesting are sensitive and complex, the outcomes can be a significant contribution to civic well-being and the fostering of mutual respect, as well as a meaningful response to fulfilling the rights of all citizens.”
Discussions are continuing on further new primary schools that are expected to open under the divestment process by 2015.
Minister Quinn concluded saying, “Today’s announcement is an initial but important step in giving parents confidence that we are serious about providing a plurality of education and a real choice for them in the type of primary school in their localities”.
On foot of the report of the Advisory Group to the Forum on Patronage and Pluralism in the Primary Sector, surveys of parental preferences were undertaken in a number of areas of stable population to establish the level of parental demand for a wider choice in the patronage of primary schools within these areas.
Surveys of parental preferences were undertaken on a pilot basis initially in five areas in the Autumn of 2012 and the Department published a report on these in December 2012. Surveys were undertaken in a further 38 areas in January and February 2013. A detailed report on these was published in April of that year.
Analysis of the parental preferences expressed in each of the 43 areas surveyed indicated that there is sufficient parental demand supporting immediate changes in school patronage in 28 areas.
Following on from publication of the reports, the main patron (Catholic Bishop or Archbishop) in each of these 28 areas was asked to consider re-configuration options that would free up school accommodation for at least one full stream for provision by the first choice alternative Patron.
Final reports on the options available were submitted by the existing Patrons toward the end of last year. This enabled a targeted focus on areas where there were real possibilities for 2014 and 2015.
In the case of Malahide, based on a previous review of future school needs in the Waterside/Drinan area, allied with the outcome of the divesting survey in Malahide, it has been agreed with the New Schools Establishment Group that a new school will be established in this area under the patronage of Educate Together. The school will start in temporary accommodation provided by Holywell ET this September. Short term and longer term accommodation options for the new schools in Trim and Tramore are also being advanced.
The Department will continue to work intensively with the main Catholic Patrons in the other areas to advance alternative Patron choices in those areas.
www.education.ie
An Gaelachas: An féidir é a shábháil?
March 12, 2014
Lack of confidence remains among Irish language community
March 11, 2014
Following two appearances by the Minister of State at Oireachtas committee meetings this past week, the Government’s treatment of the Irish language remains a deep cause for concern for all parties involved.
Last Wednesday, a meeting of the Joint Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions welcomed Minister of State for the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Dinny McGinley T.D., to answer questions arising from the 2012 Report of An Coimsinéir Teanga and the fallout from Seán Ó Cuirreáin’s resignation. The following day the Minister of State came before the Oireachtas Sub-Committee on the 20 Year Strategy for the Irish Language and Related Matters to discuss An Coimisinéir Teanga and other aspects of the 20 Year Strategy.
The Joint Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions
While questioning the Minister of State, Dinny McGinley, on matters relating the language scheme process, Deputy Peadar Tóibín, Sinn Féin, asked if the Minister of State agreed that public bodies without any language scheme in place are breaking the law. Tóibín argued that such public bodies are not fulfilling their legal obligations under the Official Languages Act 2003 and were breaking the law by doing so. Minister McGinley replied by disagreeing with Deputy Tóibín’s take on the situation and stated that there are provisions within the Official Languages Act that all public bodies must adhere to.
The Minster of State informed that committee that the number of language schemes being ratified is increasing. He told the members that 16 new schemes were ratified in 2013, and 6 have been ratified so far this year. He described the system as complex and challenging but argued that the Department is taking positive steps as a part of the review of the Official Languages Act 2003 including increasing the number of staff to dela with the current backlog of schemes, the introduction of a template to standardise schemes and amending the current legislation.
Referring to the progress being made by the Department, Senator Trevor Ó Clochartaigh, Sinn Féin, stated that no action is being taken to address the 75% of expired schemes within the state service. Senator Ó Clochartaigh reminded the committee that 165 out of 600 public bodies have implemented language schemes and estimated that it would take 40 years for every public body to do so under the current system.
According to Minister McGinley, legal advice received by the Department stated that schemes are unable to expire as Article 14 (3) of the Official Languages Act states that schemes remain in place until a new scheme is ratified in its place. He informed the committee that his Department is responsible for language scheme matters alone and that all other matters relating to the Act fall under the office of An Coimsinéir Teanga.
Minister McGinley confirmed that a service agreement has been signed by the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht and the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform meaning that the Department of the Gaeltacht is responsible for training within the state service.
The Oireachtas Sub-Committee on the 20 Year Strategy for the Irish Language and Related Matters
Thursday’s meeting of the Oireachtas Sub-Committee on the 20 Year Strategy for the Irish Language and Related Matters concerned the implementation of the 20 Year Strategy for the Irish Language.
Following a progress report given by Minister of State, Dinny McGinley T.D., in which he described progress as satisfactory considering the current economic climate, Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív, Fianna Fáil, recommended that the Sub-Committee review the Strategy page by page and scrutinise the financial implications relating to all policies for the good of the language.
Responding to a question raised by Ó Cuív, Minister McGinley stated that while staff within the Department of the Gaeltacht spend much of their time working on the implementation of the Strategy, a Strategic Unit as mentioned in the Strategy is not in place – a deep cause for concern for those in attendance.
Referring to the Government Committee for the Irish Language, which is chaired by An Taoiseach, Senator Ó Clochartaigh recommended that the office of An Coimisinéir Teanga be given a monitoring role regarding the implementation of policies within the Strategy. The Minister reminded the Sub-Committee that the Government Committee and Departments themselves are responsible for all monitoring and that 11 Departments have compiled reports to progress the implementation. This is due to be rolled out throughout the state service.
Several members raised concerns over the draft Heads of Bill regarding the review of the Official Languages Act 2003. The Minister argued that the current Heads of Bill are recommendations refused to discuss them as they are yet to be agreed by the Government.
Among the other topics discussed at the meeting were the current newspaper scheme, the lack of a senior minister regarding Irish language matters and the rationalisation process within the Voluntary Irish Language Sector.
Bringing the meeting to a close, Minister McGinley stated that the current coalition was not responsible for creating the problems facing the Irish language and that this Government has showed its commitment by investing substantially in the language up until now.
While members of the opposition attended the meeting to discuss various aspects of the Strategy with the Minister, the only actual member of the Sub-Committee in attendance was Senator Labhrás Ó Murchú who acted as Chair.
Foilsithe ar Gaelport.com
Quinn forges ahead with reform of Junior Cycle despite protest
March 11, 2014
Quinn pushes on with Junior Cert reform despite protests
March 11, 2014
The planned replacement of the Junior Certificate with a system which will see teachers marking their own students is being pushed ahead by Education Minister Ruairi Quinn.
This is despite a protest at schools today and an impending vote by 27,000 secondary teachers against co-operation with the plan. Mr Quinn has issued a letter to the country’s 730 second-level schools setting out the arrangements for the introduction of the Junior Cycle Student Award from next September, when first year students are to be prepared for assessment in English from 2016 as the first subject to undergo changes for certification in 2017.
Members of the Association of Secondary Teachers Ireland and the Teachers’ Union of Ireland are being asked in a ballot not to take part, or in training or related assessments, and the unions expect a show of strength at an unofficial protest called at school gates this lunchtime. While classes will not be disrupted, teachers want the public to understand their concerns about standards in the proposed system, having taken out newspaper ads on the issue yesterday. Their primary concern is that students will no longer have their work examined externally by the State Examinations Commission. The unions have argued that Mr Quinn did not consult on the idea of school-based assessment, but he maintains that the aim of the changes is to end the high-stakes nature of the Junior Certificate because 90% of students go on to sit the Leaving Certificate.
The ASTI and TUI want external assessment for final exams maintained to uphold the integrity of the system, and also have concerns about what they say is inadequate teacher training provision. While Mr Quinn made some concessions in January on additional professional development, and reducing the rate at which subjects will be added for revised modes of assessment, he has also committed to consider any proposals of a working group in which unions have engaged over the past two months with his department, and other stakeholders on professional development, assessment, and resourcing schools.
“If the minister accepts recommendations from the working group, then of course they will be implemented as soon as possible,” Mr Quinn’s spokesperson said. However, the issuing of the circular letter means he is standing firm on the over-riding principle of school-based assessment, which could also harden opposition. Fine Gael members voted at their ard fheis 10 days ago that the party should call on him to reverse this element of the JCSA, although TDs and senators voted against the motion after delegates were told it opposed Government policy.
www.irishexaminer.com
Halla lán do Bhuntaiste Breise na Gaeilge
March 11, 2014
Cláir Oideachais ar TG4
March 11, 2014
Teachers to hold lunchtime demonstrations today
March 11, 2014
Protests outside schools add to pressure over introduction of junior cycle reform
With nationwide demonstrations today, teachers’ unions and the Department of Education are both increasing the pressure over the introduction of junior cycle reform. The unions are staging a lunchtime protest outside schools, demonstrating against the changes sought by the department, including continual assessment of students by teachers. Minister for Education Ruairí Quinn, in a counter-move, has issued a formal departmental circular to principals and boards of management setting out how and when the junior cycle changes must be introduced this autumn.“We want to send a clear signal to parents, students, teachers and the education partners that we are proceeding with junior cycle reform because it is the right thing to do for the students,” a department spokeswoman said yesterday. “It is a signal from the Minister and the department we are determined to proceed on the reform of the junior cycle from September.”
Lunchtime protest
Union presidents Sally Maguire of the Association of Secondary Teachers, Ireland (ASTI) and Gerard Craughwell of the Teachers Union of Ireland (TUI) will lead the national lunchtime protests from Newpark Comprehensive School in Blackrock, Co Dublin. The protest will involve a short rally, with similar demonstrations outside second-level schools across the State. Regular school business will not be disrupted by the action and normal supervision arrangements will remain in place, the unions said. The contents of the circular were up for discussion last January 17th, when education partners including unions, the department, principals and school boards held a working group meeting. The goal was to avoid a clash over the planned junior cycle reforms, but it failed to defuse the situation. Instead the TUI decided to ballot its members on non- co-operation with the department’s reform proposals. Ballot papers will be issued today, with the ballot closing on March 26th. “We acknowledge the publication of this circular letter but it changes nothing as far as we are concerned. “Regrettably it fails to address the issue of resources required to implement the programme,” said Mr Craughwell. Damage The unions believe the reforms could cause lasting damage to the education system. “We believe that student achievement in the new junior cycle must be externally assessed and nationally certified.”
The ASTI was equally dismissive of the circular. “There is nothing new in the circular that wasn’t said on January 17th,” a spokeswoman said. Special training had been planned for teachers, but this amounted to only one day of training up to next September. The ASTI also had a problem with plans to bring in continual assessment to replace a terminal examination. “The English teachers simply don’t know what they are supposed to be doing on continual assessment,” she said. “It [the circular] doesn’t address the key issues for teachers, so nothing has changed,” the ASTI spokeswoman added.
www.irishtimes.com
Irish language print and online journalism facing the chop
March 10, 2014
At a Foras na Gaeilge Board Meeting on 28 February 2014, on a recommendation by the Newspaper and Magazine Committee, it was decided to discontinue the current funding arrangements for magazines Feasta, An tUltach, and NósMag and for the websites Gaelport.com, Beo.ie and Saol.ie.
The current funding arrangements for these magazines and websites will conclude on 30 June 2014, and no indication has been given by Foras na Gaeilge as to whether a new scheme will be introduced to ensure continuity of the services under a new or different funding model.
This announcement came as a surprise to the publishers of these services, who each received a telephone call last Tuesday informing them of the Board decision. Foras na Gaeilge has yet to write to each of the organisations to officially inform them of their decision.
It is unknown whether this was a sudden decision by the Board, or whether it has been an item of discussion for some time, as minutes of the Board meetings have not been published online by Foras na Gaeilge for over seven months.
Some of the services which face the chop are extremely successful. The site you are reading right now, Gaelport.com, receives over 1,000,000 hits a year, has over 7,000 subscribers to its ezines, and has won high praise and many accolades over the years.
Kevin De Barra, Director of Comhdháil Náisiúnta na Gaeilge, the organisation behind Gaelport.com, stated: “When it was announced in January that Foras na Gaeilge would be discontinuing their funding to Comhdháil Náisiúnta na Gaeilge, we understood that we would be forced to let our staff go. At that time, we believed we would have the opportunity to pass on our projects, such as Gaelport.com, to other parties in order to ensure continuity in the service, however with this latest announcement it is unclear whether that would be acceptable to Foras na Gaeilge. It worries me that the future for each and every website and magazine funded by Foras na Gaeilge is now uncertain, and that no clear strategy to support print journalism in the Irish language has been put in place”.
A statement issued by Editor of Feasta, Pádraig Mac Fhearghusa, states: “One has to be worried about the future of the magazine, as it is not possible to run a literary or historical magazine similar to Feasta as a business in either Irish or English. However necessary as a service, the publication of short stories, poetry and book reviews is not a profit making enterprise. Grant aid is vital.”
In February 2013, the funding of newspaper Gaelscéal was discontinued with Foras declaring the disappointing sales figures did not provide value for money consistent with the grand aid provided. In December 2013, a new scheme was announced by Foras na Gaeilge to fund a weekly online Irish language newspaper. While the results of that scheme have yet to be announced, in the interim period a vacuum was created where the Irish language community were without a regular printed newspaper in their own language.
Gaelport.com
Lá Dearg i mBéal Feirste
March 10, 2014
