Residents fear loss of green area over school
September 28, 2012
Residents from the Mayfield and Montenotte area of Cork claimed yesterday their use of a green area — which they have enjoyed for as long as anyone can remember — is about to end with the building of a gaelscoil and other changes.
The case between residents and Cork City Council opened at a special sitting of Cork Circuit Court yesterday. It is expected to continue until Monday. Marie Baker, senior counsel for the residents, said in reference to the council’s plans to dispose of lands for the construction of Gaelscoil An Ghoirt Álainn, and citing case law, she was seeking, “a declaration of the existing right to saunter and wander” at the Tank Field. She had 29 witnesses to call to give evidence of the uses made of the Tank Field over the years.
Her first witness, Brendan Goggin of St Christopher’s Rd, Montenotte, recalled starting school in 1949 and going to school through the field, crossing it back and forth throughout the school day, and playing there in the evenings. “The Tank Field was our centre of activities for hurling, football, soccer, rounders; we had trenches, we built cabins, we had games of chasing, cowboys and Indians and games of cards.
“Nobody in my 68 years has ever put an impediment on me walking in the Tank Field. Obviously, if there was a match or training on you would respect that,” Mr Goggin said. Precise acreage differed between witnesses but, in approximate terms, the new gaelscoil would take up two acres; Brian Dillon’s GAA club’s unfenced pitches, one of which is to be moved, would take up two acres and over six acres would remain.
Ms Baker SC argued that even though the six acres would remain, the changes to the area would effectively end the recreational rights enjoyed by the community, not least in terms of accessing the six acres. Dave Holland SC for Cork City Council outlined details of many access points that residents would have to the six acres of the Tank Field which would not be subject to change. He said that to the extent there would be fences, walls, or railings, there would be numerous gaps to allow access to the green area.
Mr Holland referred to the language of the case law and said residents “will be able to wander and saunter as they may have heretofore done in the remainder of the Tank Field other than the bit going to the gaelscoil. I understand that some residents do not believe that will be so”. Kieran O’Keeffe from St Christopher’s Rd said he had been using the field since 1948. He said: “I am in favour of the gaelscoil but not in my green field.”
www.irishexaminer.com
Níos mó béime ar scíthléitheoireacht- Comhdháil léitheoireachta
September 25, 2012
Snámh 2012
September 24, 2012
Only one in 25 primary pupils takes foreign language
September 24, 2012
JUST one in 25 primary school pupils is learning a foreign language – as Ireland continues to lag far behind its European neighbours.
Ireland and Scotland are the only countries where learning a foreign language at school is not compulsory, the new report published by the European Commission revealed yesterday.
Only around 4pc of primary pupils learn a foreign language – usually French. This compares with 100pc of children picking up foreign language skills in Austria and Italy, where it is compulsory. Yet the report paints an entirely different picture at EU level as it reveals children are starting to learn foreign languages at an increasingly early age. Most children begin when they are between six and nine.
The importance of teaching foreign language skills made headlines earlier this year when online company PayPal revealed it was having trouble finding Irish workers with the necessary language skills to fill 1,000 new jobs.
The IDA, which is charged with attracting foreign investors, admitted it was “challenging” for multinationals to find workers with foreign languages. Cara Greene, education manager at the Science Foundation Ireland- funded Centre for Next Generation Localisation ( CNGL) at DCU, said foreign languages were essential throughout the school system to ensure there are “people there to fill the jobs in the future”.
‘Future’
The Government cut the budget for 2012 for the Modern Languages in Primary Schools Initiative ( MLPSI), which supports the learning of foreign languages in over 550 primary schools nationally.
“It is really about having the skills there for the future, if you are cutting it this early it doesn’t look good for jobs in language services in the future.
Ms Greene highlighted the importance of the growth of localisation – which combines foreign language skills with computers and allows companies introduce products to new markets in their own language – as a boom industry.
“We’re struggling to get people now and it is so important there is actually jobs in the area. We want students to do the crossover of languages and computing in college,” she said, emphasising this required a strong languages base at both primary and secondary level.
The department last night said the languages taught at primary school level were being reviewed.
www.independent.ie
Rogha Gaelscolaíochta le tairiscint do thuismitheoirí
September 20, 2012
Maoiniú de €750,000 do Chúntóirí Teanga
September 19, 2012
Bí ag léamh
September 19, 2012
Surveys on primary school patronage to begin
September 18, 2012
Surveys to find out if parents want more non-Catholic primary schools and which patron they would prefer are to begin within weeks.
In June, 44 areas were identified as needing a greater choice of school patronage. Education Minister Ruairi Quinn will announce soon which five of these are to be surveyed first. The local views will be gathered through surveys, most likely with a choice of responding on paper or online of parents of children already in primary school and those with sons or daughters not yet attending schools in the areas concerned. In order to avoid duplication or having the surveys distorted by interested parties, anyone completing the survey will have to provide personal information on a confidential basis, to include name, address, and PPS numbers.
The 44 areas include many with up to eight primary schools but which have little or no non-Catholic provision to cater for the diversity of local families. Among the established patrons to have applied in most areas are the local city or county vocational education committees (VECs), all-Irish patron body An Foras Pátrúnachta, and multi-denominational schools group Educate Together. It is understood that expressions of interest were received in relation to two or three areas in Cork from humanist groups. The Redeemed Christian Church of God, which previously sought to be patron to two new schools in Dublin, has also indicated it wants to run a number of schools. However, it is unclear if either group meets the criteria for being a patron and whether they will be included in the list of patrons offered to parents in those areas. Those choices will be listed in a survey to be conducted among parents following the distribution of information by the Department of Education.
Parents will be asked if they are satisfied with the current choice of patrons in their area and, if not, which of the patron bodies interested in running schools in their area they would prefer. While each applicant patron has submitted a short description of who they are and what they propose to set up, they are being asked to sign up to a voluntary code banning leaflets, advertising or public meetings that could give them an advantage over other groups. The initial surveys will be carried out within weeks in five of the 44 areas, to identify any potential difficulties with the methodology, and the remaining 39 will be surveyed in November. The timescale for any resultant hand-overs is uncertain but the survey outcomes will be discussed in early 2013 among the Catholic school communities where a need for a more diverse mix of patronage is identified. A key consideration would be which school or schools might close in each area, and whether their pupils and staff would be amalgamated entirely with one neighbouring school or distributed among the other Catholic schools.
www.irishexaminer.com
Young teachers take the pain
September 18, 2012
SUNDAY
School starts tomorrow.
It’s strange to think that this year I’m among the masses getting ready for “September 1st”. When I was a child I used to hear “September 1st” with dread. I hope the children I teach this year don’t feel that same anxiety going to school. Being a substitute teacher means I’ll be in and out of various classes and levels. Preparing for the new school year as a substitute teacher is very different to what it entails for other teachers. It’s tricky to know exactly what supplies are needed or what to prepare, but I’m gradually starting to gather my books and resources. I have loads of lesson plan ideas and things I want to teach. I feel like I’ve been gathering lesson plans and ideas all my life if I’m honest.
I’ve always wanted to teach and I find it very hard to pass a bookshop or anywhere where there might be school resources. I can’t imagine being anything other than a teacher. I love being at the top of a classroom and watching my pupils as they learn and work hard to understand something new. I feel very satisfied knowing that what I’m teaching them is something they will need and hopefully remember for the rest of their lives.
MONDAY
I’m subbing in a 5th class this week. Standing in front of the class today was amazing. I began with Gaeilge, a subject within my comfort zone. Not every everyone loves Gaeilge but I do and I love teaching it so it was a fantastic way to start the day. I try to bring a little drama into the subject as much as possible. I want the pupils I’m teaching to learn to love it as I do so I try to make it a fun experience. I even incorporate it into my PE lessons so that Gaeilge becomes part of the norm. The staffroom can be a little daunting, especially if you don’t know any of the other teachers. Everyone I met today was lovely. It was great to hear how other teachers work in their rooms and their many experiences. We chatted about various subjects and the ones we like to teach in comparison to the ones we feel less comfortable with. I was afraid I would be the only one who felt weaker in some subjects then others, but I was completely wrong. Every teacher finds some subjects harder to teach than others and it was very comforting to hear that. We don’t have to be experts on everything we teach. I will never be a great historian but that won’t ever stop me teaching my classes about the Famine, the Celts or the history of our locality.
TUESDAY
Today in the staffroom we had an awkward discussion about inequality between the newer, younger teachers and the older teaching staff in regards to pay and conditions. It’s not a topic I love talking about. It can be really difficult to get my point across when I know that other teachers the same age as me, but who maybe qualified a year or two before me, will be higher paid for the rest of my professional career. Teachers starting their careers now will be paid around 34 per cent less than those who started in 2010. It’s heartbreaking if I’m being honest. I’d even go as far as saying it is soul-destroying. That kind of money would make a huge difference to my life and the lives of other young teachers. It’s hard to talk about these issues and it can be difficult not to let it affect me when I go back into the classroom. Today I was pointedly asked what I thought and I felt uncomfortable explaining how the wage difference would affect my working life, that in every staffroom across the country there would be teachers who are equally qualified to do the job, but because the rates of pay are so different, they will never really be equal.
Add that to a chat about the Croke Park agreement and lunch seemed to go on a lot longer than usual. The part of the Croke Park agreement that gets to teachers the most seems to be the extra school hours. Every teacher spends additional time planning and organising lessons as well as doing extra CPD. I’m not sure the Croke Park agreement takes this into account. We’re depending on the INTO to help us fight our corner and ensure that newly- qualified teachers and young teachers aren’t taken advantage of. So far there’s so little evidence of our union supporting our plight; it’s incredibly frustrating to know that so many of our colleagues are willing to let this issue slide. I learnt a lot today just by talking about it all even though it wasn’t easy and I was glad to get back to the classroom.
WEDNESDAY
I had so much fun today teaching science. I set the class into groups of four or five and asked them to work together to design a boat. This is a part of the science curriculum that I really love. ICT in the classroom is a huge advantage to any teacher. There’s so much more I feel I can add to lessons because I have the extra resources. In college we were told to integrate subjects and I think maths and science go very well together. We had so much fun making Play-Doh boats with the maths aspect sneaked in so it didn’t feel like a maths lesson for the children. I love it when a lesson I’ve planned comes together so well. Preparing for hands-on lessons is rather time consuming, but well worth it. After today I feel like I can do anything I put my mind to and can plan it out properly. I really feel like I’m ready for this and cannot wait to get to my own class in the future.
THURSDAY
We heard today about second-level schools which had to send their first and second years home early. The cuts in the education department have been taking their toll on students for a long time but only as soon as pupils are sent home then people begin to react. Everyone seems to be going mad because first years are being sent home 40 minutes early four days a week and second years go home early twice a week. It’s not ideal, it’s not what any teacher or school wants to happen, but large class sizes, losing teachers and the loss of resource hours can be detrimental too, yet nobody made a fuss of these issues. It seems we’re more than happy to accept such cuts but not the loss of 40 minutes teaching. I don’t see what good it does to blame the teachers and schools. No matter what schools do to try to make these cuts easier to bear, it isn’t good enough. Schools and educators all over Ireland are trying their hardest despite of the issues faced. I just wish everyone could see that.
FRIDAY
Wow! A week done already and I enjoyed every moment of it. It wasn’t all smooth sailing (those Play-Doh boats) but I think I handled any issues that arose really well and my classroom management worked out the way I had planned. I used the traffic light system so it was easy to follow and very clear for the pupils as well as me to keep track of. I think as a teacher I learned a lot about myself. I can handle myself in the classroom and I’m ready for any challenges that come my way. I feel so lucky to have had work for five days straight, but already I am starting to worry when I will get work again. It could be next week but just as easily it could be next month. I could struggle to find even one day a week for the next few months. It’s not easy never knowing when I will get a call to work; it’s stressful trying to budget my income and make sure that I can survive the month.
Helen Bullock blogs at anseo-a-mhuinteoir.com and tweets on @AnseoAMuinteoir. Listening to: children’s classical music, looking for lesson plan ideas. Watching: clips from Curiosity Rover (right) on mars and RTÉ’s Back To School documentary series. Reading: blog posts from seomraranga.com and pamobriensblog.wordpress.com
Visiting: primaryscience.ie for science experiment ideas and cesi.iefor ICT techie ideas. Through twitter I’ve been following #edchatie discussions on the importance of edtech in schools.
www.irishtimes.com
Parents get vote to take schools out of control of the Church
September 18, 2012
PARENTS will start voting within weeks on whether they want to hand over a Catholic primary school in their area to another patron body.
In a ground-breaking move, the Department of Education will seek the views of parents in five areas on the demand for a change in patronage, and their preference for who should run the schools.
The Irish Independent has learned that three of the five areas to be surveyed are Trim, Co Meath; Tramore, Co Waterford; and Arklow, Co Wicklow.
The fourth and fifth will be in Dublin and Co Mayo, although final decisions have yet to be made on the particular areas.
Change
The surveys of five areas is the first step in the process and will be followed in November with similar plebiscites in 39 other towns or suburbs identified as potentially ripe for change.
The historic move is aimed at reducing the control of the Catholic Church in primary education and offering parents greater choice to reflect the cultural and religious mix in Irish society generally.
The Catholic Church currently runs 92pc of primary schools and has accepted that it is no longer tenable for it to operate so many schools. Apart from societal changes, there are fewer priests to help with the running of schools.
The areas selected for surveys are where primary schools are exclusively of a Catholic ethos, or where there is very limited choice, with, perhaps, one non-Catholic school among six or more.
Each of the 44 areas has been selected because each has a relatively stable population and so the need for diversity cannot be addressed by opening new schools.
In June, the Department of Education invited patron bodies interested in taking over the running of schools in the 44 areas to lodge expressions of interest.
The survey will be online, or paper-based, and open to parents of a pre-school or school-going child, resident in the area concerned. The form, which will be returned to the department, will include a link to the website of each prospective patron body where parents can get more information about the type of school proposed.
Patron bodies are expected to actively campaign for support for their proposals, but will be subject to a code of practice.
Following the completion of the surveys, there will be consultations with communities in line with parental preferences, on the final shape of the primary school network in the area. It is impossible to estimate how many of the 3,000 Catholic primary schools will ever be handed over to another patron body, and at what pace.
However, based on the survey process about to get under way, Education Minister Ruairi Quinn has set next June as the deadline for the naming of the first batch.
– Katherine Donnelly
Irish Independent
