Education Reform






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The Irish Times published an article on Tuesday 26th March which gave space to Mary O’Rourke and Dr. Gary Granville to present their respective view on whether history should be a compulsory subject. Dr Gary Granville is professor emeritus at the National College of Art and Design. He was formerly assistant chief executive […]

Good God Gary!



  So, I was flitting through the tweets from the weekend trying to catch up on what was occurring. The first thing I noticed was the announcement by the Teaching Council that teachers would have to do mandatory ‘upskilling’ (http://www.irishtimes.com/news/education/regular-upskilling-to-become- mandatory-for-teachers-1.1952456 ).   A few things struck me about this. […]

What?



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The recent case of a divorcing couple has garnered some attention because of an unusual ruling which a High Court judge had to make in the case. In his judgement, Justice Hogan ruled that a 12 year old boy should attend a private school. (disclaimer: I teach in a fee-charging school) […]

Are Gifted Children Better Off in Private Schools?



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Let’s just start with this. Most teachers have an IQ in excess of 130.  It is reasonable to assume, given genetic pre-disposition and given the nurturing environment of teachers’ homes, that often children of teachers are Exceptionally Able. In my experience of CTYI, in each of my classes, the single […]

An Appeal to Schools and Teachers; So you think you’re ...





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This is time of year when everyone starts preparing for school, usually somewhat nervously in anticipation of what the year will bring.  This is most true for those starting school – primary, secondary or third level. It applies to teachers as much as students, but particularly so to trainee teachers. […]

Must-haves for Teachers