Camara on a mission to close the digital divide
Technology is a game-changer in education. Its power to transform teaching and learning is well documented, while familiarity with it can nurture a curiosity in students that may ultimately inspire...
Katherine Donnelly
New crisis in childcare as crèches turn babies away
Parents are facing a severe shortage of crèche places for babies and toddlers because of the success of the free pre-school programme for three to five-year-olds.
€700m pay demands loom for Government on top of €1.1bn deal
The Government is facing demands to top up wage hikes in the €1.1bn public-sector pay deal by at least €700m.
Massgoers will pay to help get children ready for sacraments
Massgoers in the Archdiocese of Dublin are being asked to help fund the training of parishioners to take over the preparation of children in their community for first communion and confirmation...
Innovators of the future say climate change will be their most pressing issue
Young people are showing a keen collective social conscience in areas such as climate change, according to two separate surveys published today.
Dependence on rote learning costs Leaving Cert students marks, say State examiners
Leaving Cert candidates continue to rely on rote learning to get through exams rather than showing a necessary understanding of topics, according to reports from state examiners.
CAO courses need a revamp to make them attractive again, warns report
CAO courses taken by thousands of school leavers every year are "losing their attractiveness", a new paper warns as it calls for a makeover.
ASTI sues Government over pay sanctions costing at least €15m
Secondary teachers' union ASTI is suing the Government for the full restoration of at least €15m lost to members because of a pay freeze two to three years ago.
Secondary teachers' union suing Government over pay sanctions during junior cycle reform dispute
THE secondary teachers’ union, ASTI, is suing the Government over pay sanctions imposed during its dispute over junior cycle reform.
Education Minister says decision on future of Junior Cert history to be made in June
Education Minister Joe McHugh will have to wait another month for official advice on the future status of history in the junior cycle curriculum.
'We get just five days to grieve' - teachers make call for longer bereavement leave
Secondary school teachers will seek a change in the rules around bereavement leave, arguing their current arrangements fall well behind what is...
Parents' group gives HPV campaign its full support
The association representing parents of second-level students has come out in strong support of the HPV vaccine.
Minister in promise of talks over teachers' lost income
Education Minister Joe McHugh has promised early talks between his officials and secondary teacher leaders over repayment of money they lost when pay sanctions were imposed on them during a...
'Review junior cycle before Leaving Cert is changed'
A second-level teachers union leader said the junior cycle reforms must be properly evaluated before any changes are made to the Leaving Cert.
Teachers' union may sue government over decision to penalise them but not nurses for strike
A UNION for 16,800 secondary school teachers may sue the government over its decision to penalise them - but not nurses - for going on strike.
The Daily Digest
Make or break for special needs legislation
As parents continue to struggle to find a school place for a child on the Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), or with other complex needs, all eyes are on the impact of new legislation aimed at creating a fairer admissions process for all.
Areas for improvement highlighted in new quality report card on DCU
Inconsistencies in the level of training and guidance provided to postgraduate research students who teach undergraduates at Dublin City University (DCU), have been highlighted in a new quality report card on the institution.
Medical students with high burnout levels at five times higher risk of depression, new research shows
MEDICAL students with high levels of burnout have five times higher risk of depression, according to new research by the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI).
Talks about role for Educate Together in two Dublin schools
The non-denominational Educate Together body is in talks about a joint patronage role in two Dublin second-level schools.
Educate Together in talks about two Dublin schools
The non-denominational education body, Educate Together, is in talks about a joint patronage role in two Dublin second-level schools.
Irish embassy in UAE joins efforts to help bring emigrant teachers back home
Ireland’s embassy in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is getting involved in efforts to help bring emigrant teachers in the Gulf states back home.
Trinity College launch philanthropic campaign to raise €400m for campus development
Trinity College Dublin (TCD) is launching a worldwide fundraising campaign to help it reach a target of €400m to develop the campus, recruit more academic staff and improve the student experience generally.
Groundbreaking trial afoot to deliver new therapy service boost to schools
Ireland's education system has transformed in the past 20 years in terms of the supports it offers children with special educational and additional care needs.
Pressure put on schools over lack of places for special needs pupils
Education Minister Joe McHugh has told schools they must do more to fulfil their obligations in providing places for children with special needs.
Construction firm sues ministry for €750,000 over school build
The building firm at the centre of the school safety controversy is suing the Department of Education for more than €750,000 in overdue payments.
Political leaders come together as final tributes paid to young journalist Lyra McKee
JOURNALIST Lyra McKee has been remembered as somebody who was the embodiment of ‘truth and clarity’ during her short 29 years.
Primary school children are self-harming, teachers' conference told
Children of primary school age are self-harming, the annual conference of the Irish National Teachers’ Organisation (INTO) heard.
Primary school children are self-harming - conference hears
Children of primary school age are self-harming, the annual conference of the Irish National Teachers’ Organisation (INTO) heard.
Teachers now prepare to do battle for equal pensions and pay hike
Teachers will now battle for equal pensions for recent recruits after securing a Government commitment to address two-tier pay.
Minister considers pupil-ratio changes to save schools
Education Minister Joe McHugh has raised the prospect of reducing the number of pupils small schools will need to have a certain quota of teachers.
Teachers call for statutory leave after miscarriages
The primary teachers’ union, the INTO, has become the first in the public service to call for statutory leave after a miscarriage, ectopic pregnancy or fertility treatment.
Teacher unions lining up demands for pay rise
Teacher unions are lining up their demands for a pay rise, now that their nine year battle over two tier salary scales appears to be moving into its final phase.
'Full consideration' will be given to settling outstanding pay inequality issues for teachers - McHugh
Education Minister Joe McHugh promised primary teachers today that "full consideration" will be given to settling outstanding pay inequality issues.
Half of second-level institutions cannot fill the vacancies for teachers
Half of second-level schools have unfilled teaching vacancies, according to a new survey.
Funding crisis: 'Schools cannot run on less than €1 a day per pupil'
Primary teachers say schools cannot run on the less than €1 a day they receive from the Government for each pupil.
New deal to offer fairness for young teachers hit by education pay gap
Teacher leaders claim an end is in sight to their long-running battle over two-tier pay scales after a breakthrough deal with the Government.
Katherine Donnelly: 'Government learns there is no such thing as partial equality'
Once the nurses stretched the parameters of the current public service pay deal, the PSSA, it was inevitable that more elasticity would have to be found.
Pay equality for teachers in sight following 'breakthrough' deal
TEACHER leaders claim an end is in sight to their long-running battle over pay inequality after a breakthrough deal with the Government.
Teacher shortage forces return of 'sub panel' to plug gap in schools
Education Minister Joe McHugh is reintroducing panels of primary teachers to work across clusters of schools to fill short-term gaps in the face of a worsening staffing crisis.
Unions will hold minister to his pay promise
Education Minister Joe McHugh is heading into his first teacher conferences facing demands from unions to deliver on his promise to end two-tier pay scales that were imposed after the economy crashed.
Teachers demand to have their lost wages restored after nurses win industrial dispute
Secondary school teachers are ramping up their campaign for a return of money lost during their dispute over junior cycle reform.
Minister keeping up pressure for history to be made a core junior cycle subject
Education Minister Joe McHugh is keeping up subtle pressure for history to be made a core junior cycle subject, as a draft report appeared to recommend that it will remain optional.
Secondary teachers 'don't have enough training or planning time' to give SEN students support they deserve
Secondary teachers say they don’t have enough training or planning time to give students with special educational needs (SEN) the support they deserve.
Secondary teachers ramp up campaign for return of money lost during junior cycle dispute
Secondary teachers are ramping up their campaign for a return of money lost during their dispute over junior cycle reform.
Future status of history at Junior Cert still in draft stages - Education Minister
Education Minister Joe McHugh is still awaiting official advice on the future status of history at Junior Cycle, but has made clear again that he does not any erosion of its traditional place on the curriculum.
'No rankings game' in UCD global search for 500 staff
A novel international recruitment drive by UCD to employ 500 more academic staff is well under way as part of an ambitious five-year development plan at Ireland's largest university.
Primary pupil numbers fall in the west as pressure for places in capital rises
Pupil numbers in primary schools in several rural counties have fallen this year while pressure for places is piling up in the Greater Dublin Area.
Katherine Donnelly: 'Rural schools struggle to stay open as parents follow the jobs'
Signs abound on many rural roads inviting enrolments to local primary schools next September, providing an inkling even to passing motorists that the pools of pupils that have kept the roll books going for decades are drying up.
Trinity joins universities that give asylum seekers and refugees free tuition
Trinity College Dublin is the latest Irish university to offer free fees and other supports to students living in direct provision to help them pursue third-level education.
Easing the pressure and keeping on track
It is the time of year when Leaving Certificate students can feel overwhelmed by the pressure of upcoming exams. The high-stakes nature of the assessment, concerns about their CAO choices and, indeed, whether a straight move to higher education is even the right option weigh heavily as the final term looms.
'Assurance and maturity' - winners of the Press Pass journalism awards revealed
A TRANSITION Year (TY) student who tackled scouting was commended for the “assurance and maturity” he brought to the subject in his winning entry in the Press Pass journalism awards.
Teachers warn junior cycle pupils are losing tuition time
Junior cycle pupils are losing out on tuition time and extracurricular activities because of the reforms to the curriculum, according to a survey of teachers.
Catholic primary school handover put on ice after row over wildly inaccurate claims
The controversial plan for the possible handover of a Catholic primary school to a multi-denominational patron has been put on ice, for several months at least.
Church delays plans to ballot parents about switching schools to multi-denominational ethos
The Catholic Church is delaying plans to ballot parents about switching their school to a multi-denominational ethos in a move to reduce the temperature in a controversy raging in north county Dublin.
Consent classes 'to help create safe college campuses'
Third-level colleges are under orders to work at making their campuses free from sexual violence and harassment through the implementation of a range of measures, including offering students classes in consent and calling out unacceptable behaviour.
Schools should not be 'setting a bad example' in ethos row, says minister
Education Minister Joe McHugh warned schools not to be "setting a bad example" with groundless claims such as Christmas being 'cancelled', if they switch ethos.
Graduates pocket up to €220,000 extra as universities return €9bn a year to economy
A degree is worth an average €106,000 in a university graduate's pocket, rising to more than double, €220,000, if they go all the way to a PhD.
Irish universities among 'best in the world' when it comes to gender equality and climate action
Irish universities rank among the best in the world in meeting global goals aimed at ending poverty, protecting the planet and ensuring peace and prosperity for all.
Jobs to be offered in batches in drive to entice teachers home
A major teacher recruitment drive aimed at bringing Irish graduates back from the Middle East is being planned.
Tapping the rich well of our teaching diaspora in the Gulf
At a time when schools are crying out for teachers, there are at least 6,000 Irish graduates teaching abroad, many of them in the Gulf States of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Oman and Qatar.
Schools 'scaremongering' parents with 'exaggerated' threat that Christmas and Easter celebrations could be scrapped
Schools have been accused of scaremongering over claims that switching from a Catholic ethos would mean they could no longer mark events such as Christmas, Shrove Tuesday and St Patrick's Day.
'Dia dhuit', Easter celebrations and nativity plays could all be scrapped - Catholic schools warn
Catholic schools are driving opposition to a proposed switch in patronage by warning parents that events such as Christmas, St Patrick’s Day and Shrove Tuesday will no longer be celebrated.
Katherine Donnelly: 'Nimbyism has taken hold of the divestment process'
Nimbyism, the 'not in my backyard' response to change, has been a feature of the process of handing over Catholic primary schools to other patron bodies from the start.
Schools claim all religious events to be scrapped under new ethos
Catholic schools are driving opposition to a proposed switch in patronage by warning parents that events such as Christmas, St Patrick's Day and Shrove Tuesday will no longer be celebrated.
Schools not offering sex education, PE to pupils
A number of second-level schools have been taken to task by Department of Education inspectors over the lack of, or inadequate, sex education for senior-cycle pupils.
Bring them home: Minister plans UAE trip to tackle teacher crisis
Education Minister Joe McHugh is heading to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) within months to talk to Irish teachers about coming home.
New school scheme to deliver better supports to pupils with additional needs to be trialled from September
A NEW scheme to deliver better supports during the school day to pupils with additional care needs is being trialled from next September.
'Blessed with talents': friends and colleagues remember Independent journalist Lorna Reid
Journalist Lorna Reid was fondly remembered at her funeral yesterday as a "go-to person" for both colleagues and friends, who left an indelible mark on all who knew her.
TY or not TY? That is the question - students have their say
The future shape of Transition Year (TY) is one of the topics for discussion in the current review of senior cycle. The sort of questions being asked are should it continue as a stand alone programme or would there be benefits to splitting it into a series of modules spread over a three-year Leaving Cert programme?
Building firm faces 19 legal actions over schools closed on safety fears
Education Minister Joe McHugh has initiated 19 High Court actions against the building firm Western Building Systems (WBS), which was at the centre of a controversy over school safety last year.
Tributes as pioneering Independent journalist Lorna Reid dies
Lorna Reid, a stalwart of Irish journalism, has died at the age of 67.
Tributes paid as stalwart of Irish journalism Lorna Reid dies aged 67
Lorna Reid, a stalwart of Irish journalism, has died.
WATCH: Ireland's talented apprentices get stuck into marathon three-day competition
RDS Simmonscourt pavilion was abuzz today as the ‘all-Ireland final of skills’ kicked off with 125 talented apprentices and trainees getting stuck into a marathon, three days of competition.
Why tech success rates have turned around
Recent headlines about high dropout rates in technology courses probably caused a wobble among some students currently considering their CAO choices.
'It's great to watch the students think about the problem and then discuss it among themselves'
A school has seen a huge increase in students applying for STEM-related courses since it started a Transition Year (TY) programme encouraging exploration of how to tackle real-world problems using maths and statistics.
Katherine Donnelly: 'Leaving Cert students showing sure-footedness in study choices'
Brexit or not, the current crop of sixth-years have shown a certain sure-footedness in their approach to the CAO application form this year. Leaving Cert candidates are not the only ones applying to the CAO, but they are the biggest single cohort.
CAO applicants are chasing the jobs in booming economy
This year's school leavers have made smart CAO choices to follow the jobs in the booming economy.
Men have 'teeny-weeny' interest in gender equality, says minister
Higher Education Minister Mary Mitchell O'Connor has delivered a blistering attack on male attitudes to gender equality.
Government launch education plan for year ahead amid warnings of teacher shortages
The Government has spelled out its priorities for the education system in the year ahead, but it was greeted with warnings that its ambitions cannot be realised while teacher shortages continue and the third-level funding is not increased.
Men have a 'teeny small' interest in gender equality - Mary Mitchell O'Connor criticises male attitudes
Higher education minister Mary Mitchell O’Connor has delivered a blistering attack on male attitudes to gender equality.
Government gives UK students commitment on paying Irish fees
The Government is giving a long-term commitment that, after Brexit, UK students studying in the Republic will continue to be treated as if they were in the EU and will not have to pay higher fees.
Electrifying: Youngsters with an eye for science out to solve our future puzzles
There should be more focus on science in primary schools, most parents have said in a survey.
Most parents want additional focus on science education
Most parents of primary school pupils want to see an increased focus on science education, according to a new study.
5,648 in 2018 and rising: apprentices you're hired
Apprenticeships are back with a bang. Despite talk in recent years about a renaissance in traditional craft apprenticeships, alongside the launch of new programmes in other industries and businesses, progress had been slow.
'Celtic Connection' to protect higher education from fallout of Brexit
A new 'Celtic Connection' of higher education institutions across Ireland - north and south - and Scotland and Wales is being forged to help protect the sector from the fallout of Brexit.
Harrowing stories of child abuse in residential institutions to be preserved and kept sealed for 75 years
Harrowing stories of child abuse in residential institutions in Ireland will be preserved and kept sealed in the national archives for 75 years, under proposed legislation.
Irish children 'reading more difficult books than UK pupils'
Irish primary pupils read more difficult books than their UK counterparts, according to a new report.
UCD and Trinity have 12 top 50 listings for subject departments
Twelve subject departments in University College Dublin (UCD) and Trinity College Dublin (TCD) rank among the world's best, according to the latest global league table.
Second-level schools asked to share their teachers amid staff shortages
Post-primary schools are being asked to share teachers in key subjects, amid a growing crisis over staff shortages.
Patrons are named to run a dozen new primary schools
patronage of 12 new primary schools opening in September has been announced after a decision-making process which included parents' votes.
Maynooth University to open €14m school of education as college celebrates 90-year teaching tradition
Maynooth University (MU) is celebrating a tradition in teacher training that goes back more than 90 years, with the opening of a new €14m school of education.
Revealed: The patronage of 12 primary schools opening in September after parents have their say
THE patronage of 12 new primary schools opening September 2019 has been announced, after a decision-making process that included parents voting on their preferences.
Strain of recession on family life 'meant children were less likely to get hug from parents'
The strain that the recession caused marriages, parents' relationships with their young children and to children themselves was laid bare today.
Literacy standards among Irish graduates have dropped significantly - OECD
Literacy standards among Irish graduates have dropped significantly over a 20-year period according to an education expert from the international think-tank, the OECD.
70pc of 2017 agri graduates in full-time work, but receive second lowest pay
Agriculture/forestry/fisheries/veterinary graduates have the second lowest pay rates after leaving college, a new survey reveals.
Teachers top the pay league for new graduates but gender pay gap remains
Teachers top the pay league for all graduates and have the best chance of walking straight into a job after college, a new survey reveals.
Katherine Donnelly: 'Students graduating into healthy economy but challenges lie ahead'
The ease with which graduates walk straight into a job, and one for which they have been educated, is a key barometer of national fortunes.
Release of CAO Round 1 offers brought forward
The release of CAO Round 1 offers is being brought forward by another day, to a Thursday.
European Court of Justice rules two-tier pay scales for Irish teachers not discriminatory on age grounds
The European Court of Justice (ECJ) has ruled that two-tier pay scales for teachers in Ireland are not discriminatory on age grounds.
Watchdog highlights financial failures in education spending
Breaches in procurement guidelines and other criticisms of governance at Kildare and Wicklow Education and Training Board (KWETB) during the tenure of former chief executive, Sean Ashe, are highlighted in a report from the State spending watchdog.
Tech courses are toughest to finish in college
Technology and computing courses are proving to be the hardest to complete in college, a major new study has found.
Katherine Donnelly: 'Degrees aren't key to success for all but everyone has to have the same chance'
Not everyone wants or needs a college degree, but everyone is entitled to the same opportunity to pursue one. Nowadays about three in four Leaving Cert students apply to the CAO.
Easter deadline for Government to find agreement with school unions
The three teachers' unions have held discussions with the Public Service Stability Agreement (PSSA) oversight body in recent weeks.
Munster Technological University bid lodged
Cork Institute of Technology (CIT) and the Institute of Technology Tralee (ITT) have submitted a formal application to become the Munster Technological University (MTU).
€35m bill for nurses' pay deal as teachers mull strike
Teachers may be next in line to strike over pay after a deal for nurses that will cost €35m a year.
Minister to be quizzed over impact of no deal on education and skills
Education Minister Joe McHugh will discuss the impact of Brexit on his sector at an Oireachtas hearing today.
Parents want childminders garda vetted by law, survey finds
Almost nine in 10 Irish adults believe that private childminders should be Garda vetted and have basic First Aid training, according to a new survey.
CAO points race 'putting children's health at risk' amid fall in fitness levels
The long-term health of teenagers is being put at risk by the race for CAO points, according to health and fitness expert Professor Niall Moyna.
Calls for porn literacy to be included in sex education 'to remove the stigma'
Teenagers should be taught porn literacy as part of their sex education, according to a report from NUI Galway researchers.
Pushing out boundaries on school sex education
Will porn make it on to the school curriculum? It is among many issues in the big debate over how to modernise the relationships and sex education (RSE) programme in schools to make it fit-for- purpose for pupils.
Longer working lives 'can bring big benefits to employers who adapt' - report
Employers need to be age-friendly when it comes to recruiting staff and consider the benefits older workers can offer, according to a report from Dublin City University (DCU).
Leaving Cert exam marking will move online this summer
State exam chiefs are planning to introduce online marking for Leaving Cert subjects this year, in a bid to make the process more accurate and faster.
Programme launched to help pupils use internet more safely
Schools are paying greater attention to internet safety for their pupils, latest figures suggest.
College entry applications edge up on last year
Applications for college entry are up slightly on this time last year.
Ministers retreat over freezing pay for nurses
The Government is holding back on imposing severe financial penalties on nurses as they prepare to ramp up industrial action today.