A roundup of today's other home news in brief
Many ‘miss out on relationships education’
A survey of sex education programmes in secondary schools has found many students never have Relationship and Sexuality Education (RSE) classes.
The survey of 220 students in 94 schools by the Dáil na nÓg council earlier this year found 74 per cent did not have RSE classes in 2009.
Where RSE classes were given in schools, it was timetabled as part of religion in 50 per cent of cases.
Meanwhile a similar survey of 134 students in 68 schools to assess implementation of the Social, Personal and Health Education (SPHE) programme found 88 per cent of students had such classes in 2009. Some 41 per cent of students felt it helped them develop skills and 48 per cent felt it helped with self- respect and self-confidence.
The findings were presented to the Oireachtas health committee by Dáil na nÓg representatives.
Encyclopaedia home access urged
ACCESS to online encyclopaedias costing the Department of Education €450,000 a year is not available to teachers preparing lessons outside of school, it has emerged, writes Genevieve Carbery.
Free access to Encyclopaedia Britannicaand World Bookin 4,000 schools was announced last month as part of an e-learning initiative.
The databases are available in schools, but not outside. The Department of Education said it was working to resolve teacher verification issues “as quickly as possible” so home access for teachers could be secured.
This followed criticism from Fine Gael’s education spokesman Brian Hayes. “Many, if not all teachers, prepare coursework in the evening or at weekends at home”, he noted.
Radiology system ‘will reduce errors’
A new high-tech radiology system which the Health Service Executive plans to install in all public hospitals over the next three years should help to reduce the chances of medical error and of misdiagnosis, it was claimed yesterday.
Chief executive Prof Brendan Drumm said the new technology, which will allow computerised X-rays and other scans to be shared between all hospitals which will be networked, will facilitate radiologists in seeking second opinions from colleagues on different sites.
Two radiologists will be able to look at scans at the same time within minutes of them being taken though they are at different hospitals.
Furthermore, he said the €40 million imaging system will allow the work of radiologists to be easily audited and reviewed.
Cowen to wait on DDDA report publication
The Government has said it will respond to any issues surrounding the Taoiseach’s handling of the approval of loans incurred by the Dublin Docklands Development Authority (DDDA) when a long-awaited report into the authority is presented to the Dáil.
This follows sharp criticism from Fine Gael over the short period of time it took Brian Cowen to approve a loan extension to the DDDA for the purpose of purchasing the Irish Glass Bottle Site while he was minister for finance.
Fine Gael TD Phil Hogan said minutes of DDDA board meetings released under the Freedom of Information Act show that a request for a loan extension was made to Dick Roche, then minister for the environment and Mr Cowen on October 3rd, 2006. Three weeks later, on October 24th, the request was approved.
Mr Hogan accused Mr Cowen of showing “astonishing haste” in sanctioning money for “a property deal that has gone horribly wrong”.
Aer Lingus jet forced to return to Dublin
A US-bound Aer Lingus Airbus A330-200 jet was forced to return to Dublin airport yesterday after declaring an emergency.
Aer Lingus flight EI-121 from Dublin to Orlando in Florida was about 30 minutes into its Atlantic crossing when the captain declared a “pan-pan” and sought permission to return to Dublin. The exact nature of the emergency is unknown, although it is thought to have been technical. A “pan-pan” is not as serious as a “may-day” distress call.
The flight had departed Dublin at 12.13pm. But soon after reaching its cruising altitude of 37,000ft the captain reported the problem.