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Secondary School News
HPV Vaccine in Schools: Concern over side effects being raised
Posted by Sally O'Brien, on 01/09/2015.Tags: Parenting Secondary School News
Since 2010 the HPV vaccination has been given to girls in post primary schools in Ireland in an effort to help prevent ... click to read full post & comments(16)
Leaving Cert sat in advance by experts
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 06/04/2014.Tags: Education And Politics Parenting Teachers Secondary School News
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As the Leaving Certificate and Junior Certificate Examinations get underway today, it’s reported that the State Examinations Commission (SEC) have taken extra precautions to try and avoid the embarrassing mistakes that were found on papers in previous years.
The SEC has brought in independent subject experts to sit ... click to read full post & comments
Should TY be retained - see what the students think
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 05/27/2014.Tags: Education And Politics Teachers Parenting Secondary School News
The Minister for Education and Skills, Ruairí Quinn T.D., has welcomed the publication of a new report on Transition Year (TY) compiled by the Irish Second-Level Students’ Union (ISSU). The ISSU undertook this quantitative and qualitative study “Transition year: exploring the student experience” at the request of the Minister.
The study shows 89% of those surveyed took part in Transition Year in their school and the same percentage were happy that they did so. The overall consensus of students and TY co-ordinators is that the year should ... click to read full post & comments
End of year school prank results in 50 students suspended
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 05/22/2014.Tags: Parenting Teachers Secondary School News
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The Irish Independent reports today that 50 leaving certificate students were suspended from Kilkenny College because of an end-of-term prank.
The students reportedly ... click to read full post & comments
Teenagers to get longer lie-in before school
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 05/11/2014.Tags: Parenting Teachers Secondary School News
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In an interesting experiment in the UK, sixth years students in the Hampton Court House School are to have the school hours changed to cater for teenage sleeping patterns. From September next, they will start their day at 1.30pm and finish at 7pm.
The Principal has said that the idea is based on research which indicates that teenagers have a biological predisposition to go to bed later and get up later. By changing their attendance hours, the Principal believes that they can get the students in to an ... click to read full post & comments(1)
Second-level teachers vote for industrial action over Junior Cert changes
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 03/27/2014.Tags: Education And Politics Teachers Secondary School News
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Second-level teachers have overwhelmingly voted to take industrial action over plans by the Minister for Education and Skills to abolish the Junior Certificate State Exam. In separate ballots, members of the ASTI and members of the TUI voted by 88% to 12% in favour of industrial action. The two unions represent approximately 27,000 second-level teachers.
Commenting on the ballot results ASTI General Secretary Pat King said: “Teachers have always been willing to modernise the Junior Certificate and Junior Cycle education. However, they are not prepared to ... click to read full post & comments
Patrons announced for nine new secondary schools
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 11/28/2013.Tags: Secondary School News
The Department of Education and Skills has announced the patrons for nine new secondary schools that will be opening across the country in 2015 and 2016.
Providing additional places for up to 7,300 students in areas of Cork, Cavan, Dublin and North Wicklow that have seen populations growth in recent years, the new establishments include a mix of multi-denominational and Catholic schools.
... click to read full post & comments
ASTI: Schools are not ready for Junior Cycle reforms
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 11/25/2013.Tags: Secondary School News
The Association of Secondary Teachers of Ireland (ASTI) has issued a warning that the country's schools are not ready for incoming changes to the Junior Certificate Cycle.
A meeting between the union and the Department of Education and Skills is taking place today (November 25th) to discuss how teachers' concerns about the Junior Cycle reform proposals can be addressed.
... click to read full post & comments
Disadvantaged kids 'are less likely to travel to college'
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 11/08/2013.Tags: Secondary School News
Students from disadvantaged backgrounds are less likely to continue their education to college if they are required to travel.
This is according to a study conducted by teams at NUI Galway, the University of Limerick and the Economic and Social Research Institute.
... click to read full post & comments
Junior Cert English students to use touchscreens in tests
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 11/01/2013.Tags: Secondary School News
Touchscreens are likely to form part of the assessment process for Junior Certificate English pupils going forward.
As part of proposals for the new-style Junior Cert, English will be assessed in three ways from the end of second year - one of which is a multimedia presentation that the students will put together themselves, the Irish Examiner reports.
... click to read full post & comments
Junior Cert reforms 'will put less pressure on exams'
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 10/28/2013.Tags: Secondary School News
Major changes to the Junior Certificate syllabus would put less pressure on a single terminal exam and enable pupils to show what they can do away from the exam hall.
This is the suggestion being put forward by the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA), which has revealed details of four short courses from a proposed eight such courses. These are aimed at moving away from rote learning and from the idea that students are only taught what they need to know to pass their tests, the Irish Independent reports.
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Top Leaving Cert maths students receive award
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 10/25/2013.Tags: Secondary School News
Ireland's top three Leaving Certificate maths students have been handed a prestigious award in recognition of their achievements.
Brendan O'Brien, who studied at Douglas Community School in Cork, former Christian Brothers College pupil Conor Moloney and graduate of St Brendan's College in Killarney Darragh Rice have all received the Accenture Analytics Mathematics Excellence Award, the Irish Examiner reports.
... click to read full post & comments
Irish second-level schools 'break up early for summer'
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 10/24/2013.Tags: Secondary School News
Students at second-level schools in Ireland break up earlier for the summer holidays than many of their peers in other nations*.
The Irish Independent reports that while school pupils in the country finish the academic year at the end of May, those in England do not end the term until late July and students in the German state of Bavaria have to wait until the beginning of August.
... click to read full post & comments
Exercise can boost academic performance of teens
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 10/23/2013.Tags: Parenting Secondary School News
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A study by the universities of Strathclyde and Dundee suggests that intensive exercise improves the academic performance of teenagers. The study, of around 5,000 children, found links between exercise and exam success in English, maths and science and found an increase in performance for every extra 17 minutes boys exercised, and 12 minutes for girls. The effect was noticeably large for girls in science classes.Interestingly the study suggested that children who carried out regular exercise, not only did better ... click to read full post & comments
Education minister willing to open talks with secondary school teachers
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 10/21/2013.Tags: Secondary School News
The education minister has expressed a willingness to open talks with secondary school teachers regarding the ongoing industrial action, but disruption to classes is likely to continue.
Discussing the issue this weekend (October 19th), Ruairi Quinn stated he is happy to speak with the Association of Secondary Teachers Ireland (ASTI) regarding education matters but is unable to discuss the terms and conditions of the Haddington Road Agreement, which regards teachers' pay and was rejected by the ASTI earlier this year.
... click to read full post & comments
Pupils may be sent home early as ASTI action bites
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 10/16/2013.Tags: Secondary School News Parenting Teacher News
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As we come into Parent/Teacher meeting season, the impact of the ASTI industrial action is likely to mean that many secondary school students will be sent home early. Due to a ban on meetings outside school hours by the ASTI, Parent/Teacher meetings, which would normally have been scheduled for after school, have now to be scheduled inside the normal school day. In general, the meetings will have to start at ... click to read full post & commentsFee-paying school considers free education switch
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 10/15/2013.Tags: Secondary School News
A fee-paying school in County Meath, Ireland is contemplating a switch to enter the free education scheme.
Gormanston College - a high-profile school that charges fees from between €6,000 to €10,000 a year - has revealed via a notice posted on its website that it is in talks to make the move.
... click to read full post & comments
Leaving Cert Appeal Results to be released today
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 10/09/2013.Tags: Secondary School News Teachers News
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Candidates who appealed their leaving certificate results will be able to review the result of their appeal online via examinations.ie from midday today. The results are available in the schools this morning and have also been transmitted electronically to the Central Applications Office.The State Examinations Commission has advised that 8,192 students ... click to read full post & comments
Explosive chemical removed from girls' school
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 10/04/2013.Tags: Secondary School News
A dangerous chemical found at a girls' school in Sutton, Dublin has been successfully removed from the premises by a bomb disposal team.
The unit took the substance from the science laboratories of Santa Sabina secondary school and blew up its container as part of a controlled explosion on a nearby beach.
... click to read full post & comments
Cyberbullying 'affecting many Irish teenagers'
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 10/02/2013.Tags: Secondary School News
Many young people in Ireland are being affected by cyberbullying at present, new findings have shown.
To be presented at the British Society for Paediatric and Adolescent Rheumatology conference tomorrow (October 3rd) by Dr Stephen Minton, a lecturer in the psychology of education at Trinity College, the figures revealed one in seven teenagers in Ireland have been the victim of cyberbullying in the past three months.
... click to read full post & comments
Parent-teacher nights to be affected by ASTI row
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 10/01/2013.Tags: Secondary School News
Industrial action taken by teachers on the order of the Association of Secondary Teachers Ireland (ASTI) will result in parent-teacher meetings in hundreds of secondary schools being cancelled this week.
The ASTI has instructed its members to take action - including not attending meetings usually held outside of school hours - in response to the Government's breaching of the Croke Park Agreement, the Irish Independent reports.
... click to read full post & comments
Male medical school applicants 'outperforming female hopefuls'
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 09/18/2013.Tags: Secondary School News
Boys in Ireland are outperforming their female counterparts when it comes to securing medical school places, new research has shown.
Published in the Irish Medical Journal and conducted by scientists at University College Cork (UCC), the study found that male medical school applicants scored higher than girls in both the Leaving Certificate and Health Professionals Admissions Test (HPAT) examinations.
... click to read full post & comments
'Wider range of learning experiences' following Junior Cert replacement
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 09/17/2013.Tags: Secondary School News
Pupils at schools in Ireland will enjoy a wider range of learning experiences following the replacement of the Junior Certificate.
This is the suggestion of Anne Looney, Chief Executive of the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment, who noted that schools assessing their own students will bring many benefits for all concerned, the Irish Examiner reports.
... click to read full post & comments
Record number of Junior Cert higher maths pupils
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 09/11/2013.Tags: Secondary School News
Around 60,000 Junior Certificate pupils across Ireland will receive their results today (September 11th).
Plenty of focus will be placed on mathematics grades in particular, as this year saw a record number of pupils taking the higher level examination in this subject.
... click to read full post & comments
Schools given deadline for special needs assistant applications
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 09/09/2013.Tags: Secondary School News
Schools in Ireland have been given a deadline for applications regarding resource hours and special needs assistants.
The National Council for Special Education announced that schools have until Friday September 20th to get their applications in - and the news comes after resource teaching hours for the academic year were allocated in June, the Irish Examiner reports.
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A record 90% of schools taking part in ‘Green-Schools’
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 09/04/2013.Tags: Primary School News Secondary School News
An Taisce’s Green-Schools Programme reached a record level during the last school year with over 90% of schools in Ireland, equivalent to 800,000 students and teachers, participating in the programme.Participating primary, secondary and special schools directly saved in excess of €8m in waste, energy, water ... click to read full post & comments
Parents 'overpaying for school iPads'
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 09/03/2013.Tags: Secondary School News
A lack of choice is resulting in parents in Ireland overpaying for their children's ebook education, it has been suggested.
Don Myers, President of the National Parents Council Post Primary, explained schools are insisting that pupils use over-priced iPads, even though there are cheaper tablet devices available that deliver the same ebooks, the Irish Independent reports.
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Leaving Cert points 'climb higher'
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 08/19/2013.Tags: Secondary School News
The Leaving Certificate points required to get into higher education in Ireland has increased for many courses.
Almost 50,000 students have been offered a third-level place, with around 1,700 more individuals passing higher level maths this year compared to last.
... click to read full post & comments
Cheating results in Leaving Cert scripts being held back
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 08/16/2013.Tags: Secondary School News
The State Examinations Commission (SEC) has announced it has withheld 50 individual Leaving Certificate examination papers over concerns about cheating.
In addition, the SEC revealed it has provisionally kept hold of 25 other scripts - an indication that these pupils may have broken the 'conduct of candidates'.
... click to read full post & comments
Leaving Cert students receive results
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 08/14/2013.Tags: Secondary School News
The wait is over for Leaving Certificate students across Ireland, as they are receiving their results today (August 14th).
Almost 56,000 pupils will be able to collect their grades this morning - and the figures point towards a marked increase in the number of people choosing to take the Higher Level Mathematics paper.
... click to read full post & comments
What do school league tables tell us?
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 07/16/2013.Tags: Secondary School News
League tables for schools in Ireland are published by the Sunday Times and the Irish Times and are designed to offer information that will help parents and young people make choices about schooling.
These rundowns can be particularly useful, as they tell parents about progression rates to college from individual schools - information that mums and dads can use when considering which school they would like their child to attend.
... click to read full post & comments
Universities agree to cut CAO course numbers
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 06/27/2013.Tags: Secondary School News
Universities in Ireland have agreed to reduce the number of courses on the Central Applications Office (CAO) list that pupils can apply to.
The decision of the academic councils of all seven universities indicates plans to reform the Leaving Certificate - which are aimed at decreasing the pressures of the points system - now have one less obstacle to pass, the Irish Independent reports.
... click to read full post & comments
Examinations Commission Apologises for Exam Paper Mistakes
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 12/06/2013.Tags: Secondary School News Teacher News
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The State Examinations Commission(SEC) has given assurances that mistakes in this year’s Junior and Leaving Certificate Examintions will be taken into account when marking papers.
The State Examinations Commission has confirmed that ... click to read full post & comments(5)
Nearly 117k prepare for Leaving and Junior Cert exams
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 06/04/2013.Tags: Secondary School News
Nearly 117,000 candidates have been entered for Leaving Cert and Junior Cert exams in secondary schools in Ireland this year and a record number are preparing to sit higher level maths.
The figures will be a big boost to both the government and employers who have been calling for job candidates to be equipped with the necessary skills to build Ireland's economic recovery.
... click to read full post & comments
School 'does not want to reinstate excluded student'
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 05/28/2013.Tags: Secondary School News
A school located in the west of Ireland is determined not to reinstate a pupil accused of selling drugs.
The 14-year-old student was expelled for the alleged offence and has since, through his mother, brought High Court proceedings against the school, the Irish Examiner reports.
... click to read full post & comments
School subject choices 'may be reduced through new teacher rules'
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 05/22/2013.Tags: Secondary School News
New rules on teaching in Ireland could have a negative impact on the subject choices available in schools.
This is the fear among secondary schools in the country after it was revealed new legal stipulations will mean only qualified teachers are able to take classes, the Irish Examiner reports.
... click to read full post & comments
Science not compulsory 'due to lack of labs'
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 05/14/2013.Tags: Secondary School News
The government's lack of money to build the required number of laboratories is the reason why science is not compulsory in Irish secondary schools.
This is according to Education Minister Ruairi Quinn, who was speaking at Tullamore College in County Offaly, where he had been learning about the college's new internet link with other classes in Ireland, Germany and the US, the Irish Independent reports.
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Lower reading and maths test scores for children in disadvantaged schools
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 05/08/2013.Tags: Secondary School News
Pupils at urban disadvantaged schools in Ireland have lower reading and maths scores than their counterparts in schools with low concentrations of disadvantage.
This is according to a new Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) study, which also found children in these schools are more likely to be affected by higher absenteeism, literacy difficulties and less-experienced teachers.
... click to read full post & comments
Thousands of school children 'failing to reach fifth year'
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 05/07/2013.Tags: Secondary School News
Thousands of school children are failing to reach their fifth year of second-level study, new research has shown.
Published by the Department of Education, the report revealed 4,300 students quit school in years one to four annually, with this number rising to 7,713 for the full duration of second-level school, the Irish Examiner reports.
... click to read full post & comments
Cutbacks 'are impacting on students'
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 05/02/2013.Tags: Secondary School News
Staff cutbacks are having a negative impact on students, it has been claimed.
Ferdia Kelly, general secretary of the Joint Managerial Body (JMB), noted a lack of protection for frontline services in schools is resulting in pupils missing out from both a personal and educational perspective, the Irish Examiner reports.
... click to read full post & comments
Forum makes post-primary schooling recommendations
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 04/26/2013.Tags: Secondary School News
A joint forum of teacher unions, parent groups and educationalists has made a series of recommendations regarding the future of post-primary schooling.
Collectively know as the Post-Primary Education Forum, the seven organisations have put forward 13 suggestions they believe to be vital to improving second-level teaching and learning over the next 15 years.
... click to read full post & comments
Irish pupils take part in special Nasa broadcast
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 04/23/2013.Tags: Secondary School News
Irish schoolchildren are among pupils from around the world to have taken part in a special Nasa broadcast.
A total of 37 students from Cork schools St Michael's National School Blackrock, Gaelscoli Mahon and Beaumont Girls National School headed to CIT Blackrock Castle Observatory, where they linked up to five other schools around the world, the Irish Examiner reports.
... click to read full post & comments
Church of Ireland voices school policy concerns
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 04/22/2013.Tags: Secondary School News
Concerns regarding school policy have been raised by the Church of Ireland.
During a meeting with the government, a delegation from the church, led by Archbishop of Dublin Michael Jackson, said it is worried about the threat of cutbacks to schools in Ireland, the Irish Times reports.
... click to read full post & comments
School extension to accommodate greater numbers
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 04/19/2013.Tags: Secondary School News
A community school in Ireland could be set for a major extension as it looks to accommodate a growing number of students.
Enrolments at Kinsale Community School are expected to climb from its current number of 770 to closer to 1,000 over the coming years - and principal Sean O Broin believes the increase in demand for places is down to the successes its pupils have enjoyed in recent times, the Irish Examiner reports.
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