Free schoolbooks a burden for principals
SCHOOL principals want the free schoolbooks scheme moved off-site, according to a survey by the National Association of Principals and Deputy Principals. Of 300 respondents, 90 per cent said running the scheme places a major burden on principals and deputy principals. 78 per cent said the administrative grant was insufficient. Just over half said the…
Michael
Nearly half of young LGBTQI+ people have used drugs, study finds
ALMOST half of LGBTQI+ young people in Ireland have taken drugs, and three in ten drink at harmful or hazardous levels, according to new research. The report, funded by the Department of Health and carried out by Trinity College Dublin, draws on survey responses from 1,591 people aged 14 to 30, collected as part of…
Advisory Group for Carlow College’s St Patrick’s campus
A NEW advisory group has been announced to consider the future of Carlow College’s campus by Minister for Further and Higher Education, James Lawless. Carlow College is earmarked for closure after its current students have finished their studies in two years’ time. No new students were taken on in September 2026. An earlier plan to…
Irish schools need more robust data on bullying – UCC research finds
IRELAND needs a more systematic and robust approach to collecting and using data on bullying in schools, according to a new international evidence review by researchers at UCC and the ESRI. The report, National Reporting Frameworks for School Bullying: An International Evidence Review, examines how different countries collect, analyse and use information on bullying, and…
Free Period Products for Schools in the DEIS Plus Scheme
MORE than 100 schools serving disadvantaged communities are to receive funding to provide free period products to students this school year. The Department of Education and Youth grant scheme will support 101 schools in the DEIS Plus programme across 13 counties, including Dublin, Cork and Galway. A total of €100,000 has been allocated for the…
Evaluation highlights participation success of the Traveller Apprenticeship Incentivisation Programme
THE Traveller Apprenticeship Incentivisation Programme (TAIP) was established in 2023 as a pilot programme to support Travellers to access and retain apprenticeships. An evaluation between April 2023 and July 2024 involved 46 Travellers and 45 representatives of Traveller organisations, employers and statutory bodies.