Posted January 26, 2011 
Comments(0) 
The DES has posted Circular 0008/2011 on its website in relation to the implementation of the Croke Park Agreement.
I could list the details but all is contained in the circular.
Important points to note – it provides for teachers working an additional hour per week and allows for contract reviews.
The circular is here.
Posted January 13, 2011 Comments(0) The Teaching Council has published four reviews of primary teacher training:
As primary teaching is my forte I’ve been reading number 4 (and addendum) with interest.
What strikes me, initially, is how short the review/report is – it’s only 8 pages long – with 7 members on the review panel it looks as if they wrote just over an A4 page each! 
Anyways ….
Posted January 11, 2011 Comments(0) And not for the first time either.
I went to check the DES site to look at the guidelines for dealing with swine flu but got his instead:
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.
The following error was encountered:
The system returned:
(10054) WSAECONNRESET, Connection reset by peer.
An error condition occurred while reading data from the network. Please retry your request.
Your cache administrator is administrator@education.ie.
.
It could only happen in Ireland …
Posted November 17, 2010 Comments(0) Department of Education and Skills – Public Service Agreement 2010 – 2014 – is available on the DES website.
You can read it here.
Posted October 19, 2010 Comments(0) From the McCarthy report:
“At present, there are 659 schools with fewer than 50 pupils, an average of 2.4 teachers per school and an average pupil teacher ratio (PTR) of 13.1:1. If these schools were amalgamated with other schools so that the average PTR increased to that applicable in the next category of school size (50¬-100 pupils), i.e. 16.2:1, this would save about 300 teachers, or about €18m per annum in salary costs.
Posted June 16, 2010 Comments(0) The Fibonacci Project is an inquiry based science and mathematics education programme that aims to help develop an integrated strategy for scientific literacy and awareness for primary schools across Europe.
12 Irish primary schools and 24 teachers have been lucky enough to be selected to participate in the project.
The promotion of the hands on learning of science is its goal.
Posted January 15, 2010 Comments(0) 
That’s why I’ve been so quiet these last few months.
Lots of hustle, bustle and turmoil in this country of ours since then.
Pay cuts (in effect next Thursday), snow, ice, school closures and more.
Lots of fodder that I could have used to write posts about.
But, to be honest ….
I couldn’t be bothered.
Anyways …. a new year …. a new year resolution to become healthier and fitter!
Follow these guys as they operate to transformate!
Now …. I must quicken my step!
Posted August 21, 2009 Comments(0) The HSE is advising schools to ensure that children etc. wash hands with hot water as frequently as possible.
If hot water isn’t available the advice is to use alcohol instead!
I must put that bottle of whiskey into my lunch box. 
Posted August 3, 2009 Comments(0) As an educator I think it right and opportune for me to make some comment about An Bord Snip Nua’s proposals for the Irish Education System.
Where better to start than their fairly radical proposals for the small Irish primary schools.
Small to me would have meant any school with less than 50 pupils on roll … basically a 2 teacher school but an Bord Snip Nua is looking at smaller schools as schools having an enrolment of 100 pupils or less.
Posted July 16, 2009 Comments(0) An Bord Snip Nua was a group charged with recommending public sector cuts in these ‘economic times’ ….. well …. I’ve seen it all now:
Bail out the banks for billions and make ordinary Joe Soap, Joe Public and everyone else in the public sector pay for it.
Full reports are available through the RTE website … the Dept. of Finance website apparently can’t handle the extra traffic:
They sure did hit Education hard …. bastards.
This fair country of ours is fucked.
Where can I emigrate to?
