Latest news with #Deis
Irish Times
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Irish Times
Cabinet to be updated on plans to bring RTÉ under closer scrutiny
The Cabinet will be updated on Tuesday regarding plans to bring RTÉ under closer scrutiny as the Government prepares to shut down alternative Sinn Féin legislation on the matter. Minister for Media Patrick O'Donovan is expected to tell Cabinet colleagues that his plan goes further than the Sinn Féin alternative, which has been initiated as a Private Members' Bill by its media spokesman, Aengus Ó Snodaigh . The Sinn Féin Bill would assign the Comptroller & Auditor General (C&AG) as auditor of RTÉ and is due for second stage debate later this week. Mr O'Donovan says the C&AG will also be installed as auditor of RTÉ by the Government Bill and that the policy objective contained in the Sinn Féin proposal is already being addressed through draft laws produced by his department and which have been sent for pre-legislative scrutiny. READ MORE The Limerick county TD claims there are two substantive differences, arguing that the Sinn Féin Bill doesn't provide for the director general of RTÉ to be accountable to the Public Accounts Committee when it comes to the broadcaster's financial statements or value-for-money matters. It also doesn't allow the RTÉ board the discretion to appoint a regulated private sector auditor in addition to the C&AG, Mr O'Donovan says. Elsewhere, Minister for Education Helen McEntee will tell Cabinet that she plans to publish a new Deis plan later this year, addressing educational disadvantage across schools. She will update Ministers on the Deis-plus plan, which will target schools with the highest level of educational disadvantage, with plans to establish a new advisory group populated by representatives who work with children from areas of high intergenerational disadvantage. 'The people who voted no are expected to go under a rock and disappear' – Ronán Mullen on losing the marriage referendum Listen | 35:17 Minister for Further and Higher Education James Lawless will update colleagues on progress with Path (Programme for Access to Higher Education) schemes aimed at widening access to third-level education. There are 173 students with intellectual disabilities enrolled in 11 universities and other higher education institutions. There are also now almost 15 per cent of new entrants to third level who have a disability and are being supported through a national access plan, new figures show. Minister for Enterprise Peter Burke will update Cabinet on the establishment of a small business unit within his department. The intention is that the unit safeguard the needs and issues of small business across Government with an emphasis placed on them in the department. Mr Burke had asked officials to prioritise the work of setting up the unit early in the lifetime of the new Government and it has now been established. It will focus initially on the Coalition's new 'SME test', designed to check the impact of legislation and regulation on smaller firms, the work of the National Enterprise Hub and Local Enterprise Offices, and wider work on simplification and burden reduction. Minister for Social Protection Dara Calleary is to update Cabinet on recruitment for the 'My Future Fund' organisation, which will manage the auto-enrolment scheme due to go live next year. The recruitment of a board, chief executive and accountant for the body is under way, with the head of the organisation expected to earn in the region of €214,000 annually. He will also bring an update on the procurement competition to source investment management providers for the scheme.
Irish Examiner
20-05-2025
- Business
- Irish Examiner
Deis plan to emphasise retention of students up to Leaving Cert and beyond
A new government plan will focus on tackling rising absenteeism levels in schools and keeping more students from disadvantaged areas in education to Leaving Cert level and beyond. On Tuesday, education minister Helen McEntee will publish a new Deis plan to focus on "improving the opportunities for children at risk of educational disadvantage". It is understood that the plan will place a major emphasis on retention of students up to Leaving Certificate and improving progression rates to higher education and the world of work, as well as a major focus on school attendance and tackling the rate of absenteeism in both Deis and non-Deis schools. Data from Tusla has shown a dramatic increase in absenteeism in recent years. The latest figures, based on the 2022/23 school year, reveal that over 110,000 primary and 65,000 post-primary students missed 20 or more days during that academic year. This compares to 54,890 primary school pupils and 44,874 post primary students missing 20 or more days before the covid pandemic in 2018/19. There were higher rates of absence and also of student suspensions in Deis schools located in areas of economic disadvantage. In second-level Deis schools, 30.7% of students missed 20 days or more. This compares to 19.5% for non-Deis schools. Ms McEntee will update Cabinet on her work to establish a new Deis+ scheme which will support schools with the highest level of educational disadvantage, particularly in the areas of literacy and numeracy. This includes the establishment of an advisory group with representatives who work with children from areas of high inter-generational disadvantage. 'Dedicated focus' to small businesses Cabinet will also be updated by arts and media minister Patrick O'Donovan on the digitisation of the 1926 census, the first census carried out by the State, while enterprise minister Peter Burke will bring a memo establishing a new small business unit within his department. Government sources said that the unit will mean that small businesses have "a dedicated focus and are recognised and acknowledged across Government, and emphasis is placed on them within the Department of Enterprise". Also at Cabinet, social protection minister Dara Calleary will provide an update on the procurement competition to source investment management providers for the automatic enrolment retirement savings system. Mr Calleary will also update ministers on the recruitment for the positions of board members for National Automatic Enrolment Retirement Savings Authority (NAERSA), which will oversee the "My Future Fund" that will launch on January 1, 2026, following a recent government decision to delay the scheme. 'Shared history' Meanwhile, Cabinet is set to approve cross-government engagement with the trans-European cultural initiative, 2027 The Year of the Normans - People of Europe. The year-long commemoration in 2027 aims to celebrate "a shared history that has shaped the island of Ireland and Europe". A government statement says that "throughout modern Ireland, the legacy of our Norman heritage can be found in our lands, laws, monuments, and built environment". Participation in the initiative "aims to commemorate and recognise our Norman history, whilst also benefiting tourism and its associated economy". Ireland's participation is being co-ordinated by the National Monuments Service.
Irish Times
29-04-2025
- General
- Irish Times
Middle-class students may benefit most from Leaving Cert reform, say principals
Many school leaders believe students in middle-class schools will benefit most from Leaving Cert reforms, while disadvantaged schools may struggle, according to a new survey. The findings are contained in a poll of principals and deputies across almost 100 secondary schools represented by the Joint Managerial Body (JMB), whose annual conference takes place later this week. Under Leaving Cert changes to roll out for fifth-year students from next September , all subjects will eventually have a minimum of 40 per cent awarded for project work, practicals or research. The remaining marks will go towards the traditional written exam. The reforms are aimed at easing the stress facing students and providing a broader assessment of students' skills and competencies. READ MORE The JMB poll indicates that, while there is strong support for the aim of the reforms, there are concerns over the equity of changes across schools, fairness of assessments and the administrative burden for school leaders. In addition, many school leaders worry about the capacity of the current model of teacher allocation and say far more resources are needed to support changes to teaching and learning. The vast majority of school principals and deputies (88 per cent) said they would need additional senior leadership capacity. In many cases they said they were already burdened with a range of responsibilities, from pastoral care to curriculum delivery, and were finding it increasingly difficult to devote the necessary time and attention to driving change. As one respondent said: 'Our school of 650 students, with a team of one deputy principal and one principal, cannot possibly realise these ambitions.' [ 'It's impossible': Will teachers be able to stop cheating for new Leaving Cert coursework? Opens in new window ] Respondents advocated for additional senior leadership posts, such as a second deputy principal, to ensure schools have the capacity to manage academic and pastoral demands. Concerns over equity and fairness also emerged as a key theme in the poll. There were fears the reforms could exacerbate existing disparities , particularly in areas like access to technology and support for students from disadvantaged backgrounds. The Deis (Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools) programme was mentioned as insufficient to support schools in less affluent areas. One school leader said: 'I worry that schools not designated as Deis, but still serving students with significant needs, will continue to be overlooked in terms of support and funding, creating a two-tier system of implementation.' The challenge of ensuring all students are fairly recognised for their achievements was a key concern, especially in light of equity concerns. [ First look: Sample Leaving Cert exam papers for brand new subjects Opens in new window ] Another school leader told pollsters: 'In any reform process, the well-resourced middle-class schools will have the resources to provide high-quality senior cycle programmes. More disadvantaged schools risk being left behind. ' There were also calls for an improved pupil-teacher ratio to enable schools to meet the diverse needs of senior cycle students. Respondents highlighted that larger class sizes and the challenge of offering a broad curriculum, especially in smaller schools, hinder the ability to effectively implement the new senior cycle. A broad range of professional development opportunities was also seen as necessary for teachers to adapt to the new senior cycle model.
