August 2011

INTO in the Media

News at One - Northern Sound
31st August 2011
School Attendance. The secretary of the Cavan branch of the Irish National Teachers Organisation says its vitally important for children to attend their first two years of school. Interview with Fidelma Sheridan (INTO)

Widely respected trade union leader who fought hard to ensure better deal for teachers - Belfast Telegraph
31st August 2011
Obituary - Frank Bunting, the trade union leader with the trademark bow-tie, has died aged 61 after battling with cancer. Away from his work as head of the Irish National Teachers' Organisation (INTO) - a position he retired from in May - he was recognised as an important voice for the teaching profession...

Council to cut primary teachers' probation - Irish Examiner
31st August 2011
Primary teachers struggling to complete their professional qualifications because of trouble finding work should soon see a reduction in the amount of time they must spend in the classroom....The Irish National Teachers" Organisation welcomed the amendment...

Shutting loophole wouLld help fight truancy, says expert - Irish Examiner
30th August 2011
One of the country's most experienced school truancy officers believes closing a legal loophole that excludes intervention with younger children could help the battle against regular absences....The Irish National Teachers' Organisation has called for the 2000 Education (Welfare) Act to be amended to take account of the high numbers of infant pupils outside the school attendance laws...

Retirements will cause crisis in pastoral care, managers warn - Irish Examiner
30th August 2011
Support systems for students will be further hit as a result of a looming schools management crisis caused by a raft of early retirements, second-level managers have warned....About 700 primary teachers have retired or indicated they will leave early up to the end of August, 130 more than at the same time last year. The Irish National Teachers' Organisation said it is vital for the Department of Education to respond quicker to schools' requests that they be allowed to fill vacancies...

Morning Ireland - RTE Radio 1
30th August 2011
Back to school costs
Noreen Flynn (INTO President) discusses school efforts to reduce back to school costs for parents, including the introduction of a book rental scheme. Ferdie Kelly (General Secretary, Joint Managerial Body) joins the discussion.

Talkabout - Radio Kerry
29th August 2011
Even though the vast majority of Irish children start school by the age 5, parents who fail to send their children to school or only send them occasionally cannot actually be prosecuted if the child is under the age of 6. Interview with Noreen Flynn, President (INTO)

Tributes to union leader Bunting - Belfast Telegraph
29th August 2011
"Nobel and talented" champion of teachers loses batter with cancer. Tributes have been paid to former Northern Ireland teachers' union leader Frank Bunting who has lost his battle with cancer...

Death of former INTO leader in North - Irish Times
29th August 2011
The former head of the Irish National Teachers Organisation in Northern Ireland, Frank Bunting, has died aged 61. Mr Bunting passed away over the weekend some 18 months after he was diagnosed with a tumour. He had retired last May from his post as Northern secretary of the INTO, which represents teachers in Catholic-maintained schools...

Under-6s not covered by law on absenteeism - Irish Examiner
29th August 2011
More than 98% of the 67,000 children starting primary school this week will be outside the law covering absenteeism for at least the first term.....Irish National Teachers' Organisation president, Noreen Flynn, said this discrepancy should be examined with a view to amending the law so all children would be covered when they are enrolled...

Fewer junior infants starting at age 4 - Irish Examiner
29th August 2011
Irish parents are sending their sons and daughters to school later, despite rising childcare costs....Irish National Teachers' Organisation (INTO) president, Noreen Flynn, said a decision on sending a child to school has to be made in the child's best interests...

Education for everyone- Irish Examiner
29th August 2011
As parents know, the early days of a child's education are important for their growing up and preparation for life. Politicians should heed the warning of the president of the Irish National Teachers' Organisation, Noreen Flynn, who represents 35,000 primary teachers. She is absolutely right to voice her concerns over this discrepancy. From the day they enrol at school, every child should be covered by the law. Clearly, the truancy act is out of date and in urgent need of reform.

Proposal to raise school age attacked - Limerick Leader
27th August 2011
Any move to raise the starting age for school children to five-years-old would hinder their early development, a local TD believes....The proposals have already been opposed by the Irish National Teachers' Organisation (INTO) and parents' groups...

Limerick Today - Limerick's Live 95FM
19th August 2011
Anne Fay (INTO) and Noel Malone (Principal Colaiste Chiarain) discuss the topic of fixing the age of children starting school at 5 and the idea of abolishing Transition Year. Listeners comment on the topics.

School age won’t be 5 – Irish Daily Mirror
19th August 2011
The Government last night slammed claims children must now turn five before starting school. And the State also denied it wants to abolish Transition Year in a raft of radical cost-cutting measures. Primary teachers yesterday launched a withering attack on the proposal branding it educational and economic madness which went against everything known about early childhood…The Irish National Teachers’ Organisation said there is evidence of huge economic rewards to be reaped from early childhood education. General Secretary of the INTO Sheila Nunan said the proposal, if implemented, would have had huge educational consequences for children. She added, “If this goes ahead many children will not be allowed into school until they are six. “They will be locked outside schools at the age when they learn and gain most from the education system.”

School age plans ‘put debt burden on four-year-olds' – Irish Daily Mail
19th August 2011
Teachers are warning the Government not to burden children with the cost of the economic collapse. Raising the school-going age to five is one of the plans being considered by the Cabinet to reduce national debt, new document reveal. While the measure could help deliver up to 80million in savings over five years, it would leave thousands of families struggling with an extra year of childcare. Teachers unions described the initiative, which would help Ruairi Quinn’s cut his 9billion annual bill, as a ‘bombshell’… Yesterday, the Irish National Teachers’ Organisation claimed that Mr. Quinn’s drive to boost literacy and numeracy skills would be sabotaged under the proposal contained in the documents, released under the Freedom of Information Act. “Certainly the suggestions of raising the school-going age has come as a bombshell”, general secretary Sheila Nunan said. “This specific proposal in relation to raising school entry is really a new low. That would be spreading the burden to four-year-olds in our system and that would fly in the face of everything we know about early childhood education. “Children would still end up with eight years in school, so it would be a very short-sighted thing to implement for a very short-term gain.” Mrs Nunan claimed the proposal had previously been touted in the early eighties and had met massive resistance from parents.

Government allays fears on change to school start age - Metro-Herald
19th August 2011
The Government has moved to allay fears it plans to raise the school starting age to five or abolish transition year to cut costs. Primary teachers launched an attack on the proposal, branding it educational and economic madness which goes against everything known about early childhood. The idea was promoted within the Department of Education by the previous Fianna Fail-led government as drastic cost-saving measures were explored, but no decision was taken on it. The Department of Education said no decision has been made as a new cost-saving plan for the sector is being re-written. The Irish National Teachers' Organisation (INTO) said there is evidence of huge economic rewards to be reaped from early childhood education. The proposal - which includes a EUR3,000 sign-on fee for third-level education - also sparked fears over how hard-pressed parents would be able to cope with another year of childcare costs. Sheila Nunan, general secretary of INTO, said the proposal would have huge educational consequences for children. The ideas were floated in a briefing document sent from the Department of Education to the Department of Finance during the last government.

State won't rule out plan to raise school starting age - Irish Independent
19th August 2011
Parents face increased childcare cost burden if enrolment rules change. The Department of Education last night refused to say whether controversial proposals to raise the school starting age were still under active consideration.
Parents face the possibility that the minimum age for school enrolment will be increased to five in December's Budget, costing them an extra year's childcare costs...Last night, the Irish National Teachers' Organisation (INTO) expressed concern about the proposals and said there was evidence that huge economic rewards could be reaped from early childhood education. INTO general secretary Sheila Nunan said: "If this goes ahead many children will not be allowed into school until they are six. "They will be locked outside schools at the very age when they learn most and gain most from the education system. "Early childhood development programmes are rarely portrayed as economic development initiatives. That is a mistake."...

Government unlikely to raise school entry age  - Irish Examiner
19th August 2011
The age at which children can start school is highly unlikely to be raised as part of government efforts to cut the cost of running the country's schools. While the Department of Education would not confirm any measures currently under consideration for next year's budget, the Irish Examiner understands that the proposal which had been on the table during the lifetime of the last government is no longer being considered. It emerged yesterday that department officials had last year drawn up detailed figures on the potential savings achieved from raising the age of entry to primary education up to five... The Irish National Teachers' Organisation (INTO) said any suggestion of raising the schoolgoing age would be educational madness, as it would contradict everything that is known about early childhood learning, as well as heaping financial pain on struggling households. Sheila Nunan: Childcare cost on par with mortgage. "For many families, childcare costs are on a par with mortgage repayments. Expecting hard-pressed families to come up with another year of childcare is not possible," said INTO general secretary Sheila Nunan...

The Last Word - Today FM
18th August 2011
Education
Interview with Sheila Nunan (INTO), Philip Mudge (National Parents Council), Diarmuid de Paor (ASTI) and Ferdinand Von Prondzynski (Former DCU President) who discuss proposals on the reform of the education sector.

The Scott Williams Show - Q102
18th August 2011
Education
Interview with Peter Mullan (INTO) and Senator Darragh O'Brien (Fianna Fail) who discuss proposals on the reform of the education sector.

Five News - FM104
18th August 2011
Education Reforms
News Item: Teachers are blasting the Department of Education for proposals for kids to start school later in life. Peter Mullan (INTO) comments.

Drivetime - RTE Radio 1
18th August 2011
Broadcast Time:
Children and education
Feature on different opinions about the best age for children to start school with reference to recent speculation that the Education Dept wants to save money by delaying entry age for kids -Interview: Sue Palmer (Education expert) & Sheila Nunan (INTO)

News at 5:30 - TV3
18th August 2011
Education sector
Education Dept rejecting claims it will increase school entry age and abolish Transition year -Reporter: Geraldine Lynagh says unions are being asked for other suggestions -Interviews: Sheila Nunan (INTO) & Brendan Broderick (ASTI)

Three News - Q102
18th August 2011
Education proposals
News item: Teachers have described proposals to increase the school going age to 5 as educational madness. Peter Mullan of the INTO (interview).

Lunchtime Show - Newstalk
18th August 2011
Education Reforms
Shelia Noonan (General Secretary INTO) discusses reforms being proposed to cut the education bill. Statement read from the Department of Communications and Skills saying no decision has been made in relation to changing the entry age for school students. [12:21pm]

Meath teacher slams cuts in education - Meath News and Sport
13th August 2011
A Meath primary school teacher has accused the government of turning their back on an election pledge after it was revealed the pupil teacher ratio is to be increased in a cost cutting move. Irish National Teacher Organisation delegate Colin Quigley who teaches in Cortown National School said their members were dismayed at the news, but said they weren't surprised given the general attitude towards education in Ireland.
"The OECD report for education in 2010 showed that the Irish teacher had to deal with 20 pc more pupils than their counterparts in Finland and Germany, and now we are told it is going to get worse." He says that even during the boom times education spending did not increase as it should have. "Even during the good times, the previous government only spent 4.7 per cent of GDP on education, whereas EU average at that time was 6.2 per cent. There has always been a shortfall even though the country has been getting a lot out of our investment." Mr Quigley said there was a more worrying trend developing however. "There is a general lack of respect for teachers in the national media and that feeds into government. "School and teachers get very favourable reporting from local newspapers but that is not happening in the national media and the respect that was once there for teachers has been lost. We are very much under the spotlight but the truth is that the vast majority of teachers are hard working professionals."
The primary school teacher said it was time to look again at how education was delivered.
"In most OECD countries the number of students per class tends to increase, on average by nearly three students between primary and secondary education. However, almost uniquely in education in Ireland and Britain there is a drop in the number of students per class between these two levels of education. This trend runs counter to education research which shows clearly that younger children benefit most from smaller classes. "In their programme Fine Gael and the Labour Party said education was a priority but this has not been the case. Out of 31 OECD countries we are the fourth lowest in educational investment," he added.

Clare INTO oppose proposed increase in class sizes - Clare Champion
12th August 2011
Any increase in class size in Clare national schools would represent a direct attack on frontline education services, a local Irish National Teachers' Organisation (INTO) representative has warned. INTO Central Executive member, Sean McMahon has expressed his alarm, dismay and opposition to recent media reports that the Government were considering class size increases across the education system in the next school year. The Mullagh National School principal pointed out Irish class sizes at primary level were the second highest in the EU. If the latest cutback of one extra pupil per class is introduced, Mr McMahon claimed this would put primary-school classes back to 1997 levels...
Mr McMahon claimed any negative adjustment in this area would severely impact on over half a million pupils and their families.
He called on parents, boards of managements and school communities to immediately contact their elected representatives and challenge them in relation to the threat of class-size increases. McMahon went on to say that at a time when the State had already cut up to 700 primary teaching jobs from the system, in Traveller education, special needs, rural co-ordinators, teachers in Gaelscoileanna and teachers of non-English speaking and newcomer pupils in schools, he said there were fewer teachers teaching more children and delivering an excellent service on a very limited budget. Despite more than a decade of promises to reduce class sizes, he outlined Irish schools were seeing average class sizes increase...

Increased class sizes not an option McGowan - Tirconaill Tribune
11th August 2011
The principal of Glenswilly National School. Liam McGowan says thai any proposals b the Department of Education to increase pupil teacher ratios will have a hugely detrimental effect on the quality of primary education. Mr McGowan who is a Donegal INTO committee member says it would cause further damage to Ireland's international reputation at a time when education is more important than ever. Already, he says there have been changes to the workload of teachers meaning that increasing class sizes is not sustainable.

How school trip prices have parents fuming - Irish Independent - Supplement
9th August 2011

Coleman at Large - Newstalk
9th August 2011
Teachers. Are teachers being made a scapegoat for rising class sizes by the government? Excerpt of Ruairi Quinn speaking on the issue of teacher work and pay conditions before he became Minister for Education. Peer Mullan (INTO) responds to the latest government press release on the issue. Panel of John McGuirk (Political Commentator) and John Walsh (Editor, Business & Finance) also discuss.

Limerick Today - Limerick's Live 95FM
8th August 2011
Class Sizes. Collection of members of the public on the proposed increase in class sizes. Joe Lyons (INTO) and Annette Dolan (TUI) discuss the topic.

Teachers reject Pay cut despite class size fears – The Sunday Times
7th August 2011
The country’s three biggest teaching unions are refusing to cut their €7 billion annual pay bill even if the move would prevent an increase in class sizes, writes Sarah McInerney. Last June the Department of Education asked the unions, parent councils and boards of management to make submissions by July 15 on how payroll savings could be made. It told unions that under the terms of the European Union/International Monetary Fund (EU/IMF) agreement, if savings in pay and pensions cannot be achieved, class sizes must be increased. It is understood the department received submissions from just over 50% of those who had attended the meeting. Of these, the teacher’ union of Ireland (TUI) did not make any submission, while the Irish National Teachers’ Organisation (INTO) and the Association of Secondary Teachers (ASTI) both said that payroll savings could not be made…
Last week it emerged the Department was considering a proposal to increase the pupil-teacher ratio by one point – meaning one teacher for every 28 pupils in primary school, and a 1:20 ratio in secondary…
A spokesman for the INTO said it had replied to the department with a three-point submission on why it believed no more cuts should be made. It argued cuts had already been imposed, the government had given commitments to protect education, and priority was being given to maintaining literacy and numeracy levels. “The education budget is already stretched to its maximum, the savings aren’t there,” he said. “You can’t take flesh off a skeleton.” The spokesman said it wasn’t unusual for the payroll bill to account for the majority of spending in education departments. “The reduction the government got in the interest rate [on the €82.5 billion EU/IMF loan] should allow them a little more flexibility in how much they have to cut,” he said. “We believe they should be revising their plan, with the new circumstances in mind”…

Morning Focus - Clare FM
5th August 2011
Classroom sizes. It is feared school classroom sizes may be about to get bigger with reports of the Department of Education planning to increase the pupil-teacher ratio. Sean McMahon (INTO) and Bernie Ruane (President, Teachers Union of Ireland) respond to the proposal.