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. […]
education reform
This post is a little off topic for the site but as I am President of the Association of Geography Teachers of Ireland and given the current threat to remove Geography as a single, systematic course of study from the Core Curriculum of the Junior Cycle, it deserves an airing […]
Junior Cycle Reform
For years, the government has ignored what can only be described as the ‘plight’ of Exceptionally Able children in Irish classrooms. The NCCA did its bit by producing the Draft Guidelines. However, there was never a wholesale attempt to develop those aspects of teacher training and practice across the school […]
Gifted Children Recognised!
So, following on from Part 1, here are some suggestions for educational reform. Government Level It is too much to expect in a parochial and insular society like much of Ireland that our Minister for Education would be more than a political party hack. In an ideal world, they would […]
Education Reform in Ireland Part 2
Before I get started on the title of this post, let me throw out a few things from the recesses of my mind. When I was in secondary school, my RE teacher had a poster on the class wall (top right hand corner above the blackboard) of a pile of […]