Gaeloideachas criticises the process for selecting new secondary schools
Six new post-primary schools are planned to open in 2020 and all are English-medium schools. Gaeloideachas, which promotes Irish-medium education, has criticised the process for selecting these schools. The organisation said that a significant number of parents in the catchment areas for the new schools had expressed a preference for Irish-medium education and are very…
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Universities and IoTs make joint Covid-19 appeal to students
The presidents of all of Ireland’s Universities and Institutes of Technology made an unprecedented appeal to their students to fully follow set guidelines on social distancing to protect themselves from infection from the coronavirus. In an email to their 250,000 students the presidents urged compliance with the HSE’s social distancing advice and to limit gatherings…
Viris crisis raises questions over the future of education
As we go to press, the coronavirus crisis is in full swing, bringing the education system to a halt and raising immediate questions as to how this academic year is to end, with big implications for exams and qualifications. As a periodical, we can’t cover this news cycle which is changing by the hour. But…
Teacher training reforms are making progress
Ireland’s teacher training structures have been undergoing reforms recommended by the 2012 report on the system. A new review of the reform process has been released and here is an edited copy of the executive summary. In 2012, the report of an International Review Panel, chaired by Professor Pasi Sahlberg, proposed a vision for the restructuring…
We are all knowledge workers now
Dr Robbie Smyth is the Deputy Head of the Journalism and Media Communications Faculty at Griffith College Dublin. Even if it is pre-emptive to describe the current phase of economic disruption as a fourth industrial revolution as heralded by the World Economic Forum’s Klaus Schwab in 2016, there can be no doubt that the fundamentals…
How you can help your ‘scared kids’
A course for anybody who either lives with children, cares for children or works with children. Niall Gormley spoke to David Coleman, the designer of a new online course to help tackle the issues surrounding anxiety in children. You don’t have to be a clinical psychologist to become a parent, or to be a parent,…
Weaving a better well-being place for primary school students
‘It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken adults’ – F. Douglass This quote sums up the rationale behind Weaving Well-Being – a new, multi-level SPHE programme for primary school children from 2nd to 6th class. It draws on evidence-based skills from the field of Positive Psychology, which is the science of…
Vocal health is a key factor for teachers
Janet Shell was a Head of Music before retraining as a classical singer. She now teaches singing both in schools and privately and maintains a performance profile. She set up Talking Voice over 10 years ago after realising how many teachers suffer vocally. Janet’s unique combination of skills and humour make for a popular training…
The GDPR implications of Brexit for Irish Institutions
Steven Roberts is head of marketing for Griffith College. A certified data protection officer and Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Marketing, he writes on strategy, marketing and data protection. The opinions expressed are the author’s own. They are not intended as a substitute for seeking professional legal advice. Third level institutions have undertaken substantial…
DiscoverEU – a journey that is just beginning
By Gerry Kiely. Head of Representation, European Commission Representation in Ireland A shared sense of belonging always requires personal connections. The European project is no exception. Every friendship, every bond between people is a concrete step towards a stronger shared European identity. This is the idea that DiscoverEU builds on. This summer thousands of 18-year-olds travelled…
Lurgan students showcase cross-community project at world’s largest Geographic Information Systems conference
Esri Ireland, the market leader in geographic information services, has announced that three schools from Lurgan, Co. Armagh, presented a cross-community project to 19,000 attendees as part of the opening session to Esri’s International User Conference in San Diego. The pupils became the first students from outside of the USA to present on the main…
Cork charity aims to foster wellbeing in the school community
Cork charity, Ag Eisteacht, is running a second summer training course for primary school teachers in Cork to foster well-being in the school community by helping teachers to build more responsive relationships. The DES-approved ABLE4Teachers course runs from the 19th – 23rd August at Cork Education Support Centre (CESC), The Rectory, Western Rd, Mardyke, Cork. Based on…
Aiming for excellence in academic writing
The Academic Writing Centre was founded at Athlone Institute of Technology in 2015. The centre’s aim is to promote excellence in academic writing, through a variety of means: individual support, small group sessions, large group classes, seminars and class presentations. By Emer Connolly Academic Writing Skills Tutor, Athlone Institute of Technology ACADEMIC writing has become an integral…
Green News
New scheme for biomass boilers and anaerobic digestion heating systems The Government has opened the second phase of the Support Scheme for Renewable Heat (SSRH), which will provide operational support for biomass boilers and anaerobic digestion heating systems. This round of the Scheme will support businesses and farms for up to 15 years for the…
GMIT sponsorship is on the ball
The Gaelic Players Association and the Women’s Gaelic Players Association in association with Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology unveiled new scholarships for members of the organisations. The partnership covers four scholarships for taught masters programmes as well as a number of research masters. Research will focus priority areas such as recovery, sleep quality and nutrition. The…
Government announces €7.5m capital funding to support apprenticeship programmes
The Government has announced capital funding of more than Ä7.5 million for nine Institutes of Technology and the Technological University (TU) Dublin. The funding forms part of the Government’s commitment, under Project Ireland 2040, to increase investment in higher and further education and training and to the modernisation of equipment available for craft apprenticeship provision….
UL says Call It Out
A groundbreaking LGBT+ public education and awareness campaign has been rolled out to the UL campus. Call It Out is a joint initiative of the Transgender Equality Network Ireland (TENI) and the Hate and Hostility Research Group (HHRG) at UL that seeks to shine a bright light on the sometimes visible, often hidden phenomena of…
Over 450 students from ‘non-traditional’ backgrounds get scholarships from UCD
Over 450 students from ‘non-traditional’ backgrounds have been awarded scholarships worth over Ä2m from UCD since 2012. The figures were released at UCD’s Access Symposium which celebrated the contribution UCD’s Access and Lifelong Learning Centre has made to widening participation at the university. The figures relate to the Cothrom na Féinne scholarship fund which supports…
TU Dublin is up and running
The brand new Technological University Dublin (shortened to TU Dublin) formally came into being on January 1st 2019. An amalgamation of DIT, Blanchardstown IT and IT Tallaght, the new university will have 28,500 students and over 3,000 staff. It will maintain its existing campuses while the focus in the coming years will move to its…