Ireland tops school class-size ‘league of shame’
More than 40,000 Irish pupils are in classes of 30-plus, with 22.5 average, well above EU figure
Primary Level
News and advice covering the primary level education system.
Cost of starting secondary school in Ireland now tops €1,100
Many parents worried about costs, with only 34% saying they will be manageable
Paper payslips for school staff to be dropped to save €3m a year
About 144,000 current and retired school staff are issued payslips by the Department of Education
Back to school costs: Handy tips you can use to ease the financial burden
It’s an expensive time of year, but resourceful use of WhatsApp uniform swap shops and taking stock of usable existing items are among ways of cutting back
Game-changing dyslexia screening tool tested in Irish schools
Alpaca uses AI to detect early risk signs without adding to teachers’ workload
Some schools are relying on deposit return scheme to stop them going broke
More is being spent on free hot meals for students than on education itself
More than 1,800 teaching posts vacant amid ‘supply crisis’ for new school year
Second level schools finding it ‘impossible’ to replace teachers on leave across key subjects
Parents’ plan to raise €60,000 to employ extra teacher refused by primary school patron
First-class pupils in Clontarf school face ‘supersized’ class sizes of 34 after post axed due to enrolment dip
Most of the women in my life dread the eight-week primary school summer holidays
A friend has managed to secure the holy grail of summer camps – one that keeps the children even longer than the school day
Thinking of private school for your children? Better start saving now
When should you start saving? ‘When a child is born’
Teacher and SNA resign from Dublin school over alleged ‘harassment’ by parents for wearing keffiyeh scarves
Pair say parents accused them of ‘blatant anti-Semitism’ and ‘psychologically abusive behaviour’
Call for single law to support inclusive education for all school-age children
Review of special educational needs law finds 2004 Act fails to define inclusion
The summer juggle: How to work while the kids are off
Hurray for no more homework, lunchboxes or hurried school mornings. But boohoo for the panic and stress of school holidays
Mobile bans in schools do not have any impact on student grades or wellbeing, study finds
Findings come as Minister for Education Helen McEntee invites schools to apply for €9m for mobile phone storage
A day in the Bere Island school where teachers commute by ferry and classes take place on the beach
Children at Bere Island's two-room school go nature-spotting on the beach and mixed-age groups play in the yard at break
Galway school offers €2,000 to new pupils to prevent loss of second teacher
Scoil Naomh Pádraig is set to lose three of its seven pupils next September
Catholic education is not about indoctrination - it is about preparing pupils to contribute to the common good
Religious education fosters the ability to appreciate diversity without diluting one’s own beliefs
Drumcondra standardised tests: ‘What do my child’s scores mean?’
Parents of many primary school pupils will soon receive results which provide an indication of their children’s achievement
A national convention more than 30 years ago changed Irish education. What lessons are there for today?
Helen McEntee is planning the ‘largest conversation on education in the State’s history’. She would do well to examine the legacy of a landmark report from three decades ago
New measures aim to tackle ‘hugely alarming’ school absenteeism rates
Official figures show 110,000 primary and 65,000 post-primary students missed 20 or more days in the 2022/2023 year
Former principal convicted of €100,000-plus theft from school faces fitness-to-teach inquiry
Barrister for Teaching Council argues man’s criminal record affects his fitness to continue working in profession
‘It comes from fear’: Aoife Daly on parents’ battles to get autistic children into schools
Inspectors find ‘almost all’ schools in study had criteria which could limit enrolment of pupils with learning difficulties
‘My son’s teacher thinks he might have ADHD but my husband does not want to have him assessed’
Ask the Expert: My husband had a terrible experience of school and doesn’t want to label our son
Ferris Bueller was right: life moves pretty fast. If you have children in school, you could miss it
There is nothing quite like having a sixth year in the house to remind you how quickly the years go by
School secretaries to strike in September unless pensions issue resolved, union warns
Fórsa set to ballot members over industral action commencing at start of new school year
Job security boost for special needs assistants in schools under new scheme
New scheme will allow SNAs to be redeployed to other schools if no longer required
Ireland an ‘outlier’ in requiring religious certs to teach in most primary schools
Delegates at INTO annual congress highlight ‘mismatch’ between modern society and education system
Helen McEntee announces ‘largest national conversation on education in the State’s history’
National Convention planned to explore how nation can secure ‘best outcomes in world’ for students
Teachers on rising physical aggression in Irish schools: ‘I’ve been out of work due to an assault for 2½ years’
Delegates at INTO’s annual congress recount their experiences of increased classroom assaults
Curb education ‘overspending’ before lowering class sizes, officials warn
More than 50,000 pupils are in ‘supersized’ classes with 30 children or more
Sharp rise in assaults at schools pushing teachers to ‘breaking point’
Almost 60 per cent of educators experienced physical aggression, with rates highest in special schools
Expansion of therapy services in special schools to start in autumn
Programme will coincide with the establishment of a national therapy service in education, Minister says
Lifeless vegetables, rushed lunch breaks, lack of oversight: How to improve hot school meals
While widely seen as a positive move, the scheme has had its teething problems. Ahead of its national rollout, we asked experts how to improve it
High levels of burnout and poor mental health among teachers
DCU research comes as schools grapple with staff shortages
Crosswords & Puzzles
Crosswords & puzzles to keep you challenged and entertained
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How does a post-Brexit world shape the identity and relationship of these islands
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