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Irish Independent
3 days ago
- Business
- Irish Independent
TUI members vote to accept senior cycle redevelopment measures
The union's executive committee had recommended acceptance as it believed the measures were the best that could be achieved through negotiations. The TUI said in a statement that it made it clear 'at all times' that the ballot was on the implementation measures and not the curriculum itself, which the Education Minister has the power to prescribe under the Education Act 'and which other stakeholders have no veto over'. TUI president David Waters said it is clear that members 'still have a range of concerns around various issues related to the redevelopment process, and we will be insisting that the Department honours the commitments set out in the negotiated document'. "We have specific concerns about the system capacity for the roll-out of the science subjects in schools that have been chronically under-resourced, the potential risks to assessment posed by AI and the additional resourcing required to ensure that no students, particularly those in DEIS settings, are put at a disadvantage by any of the changes. It is now imperative that these and any other arising issues are urgently addressed.' The union had called for a delay in the implementation of the revised Trance 2 subjects of English and accounting ahead of recent negotiations that led to the publication of the Senior Cycle Implementation Measures document. It stated that the Department will 'continue to engage regularly with the NCCA on the delivery timelines' of Tranche 2-5 subjects and 'where considered appropriate and necessary for development and/or implementation reasons, the implementation of individual subjects may be delayed from the current published schedule.' The union added that it 'once again drew attention to Ireland's shamefully low level of investment in education, which sees us spend a lower percentage of national wealth on education than any other listed OECD country'. "The education budget for 2026 will need to increase significantly to properly facilitate such significant change.'
Irish Times
25-05-2025
- General
- Irish Times
Standardised tests: ‘What do my child's scores mean?'
As the end of the primary school year looms, the focus of most pupils switches to what treats they can sneak into their lunch box for the school tour. Children, however, must jump one final academic hurdle before June: standardised tests – or, as they also known, the Drumcondra, Sigma-T or Micra-T tests. These tests in English reading (or Irish in Gaelscoileanna) and maths measure your child's achievement compared with other children in all schools at the same class or age level. Schools are obliged to complete the tests in second, fourth and sixth classes, though some also complete the tests at each class level from first to sixth. READ MORE Most parents can expect to receive the results in June or with their children's end-of-year reports. But what do they mean? And what significance should parents attach to them? What do the results mean? Your child's results are converted into 'Sten' scores from one to 10. These scores give an indication as to how a student is performing in relation to their peers, on a class and national level. Sten score What does Sten score mean? % of children with score 8-10 Well above average Almost 17% 7 High average Almost 17% 5-6 Average Almost 34% 4 Low average Almost 17% 1-3 Well below average Almost 17% A high score – eight, nine or 10 – may suggest your child is a high achiever in the area tested. The National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) advises that one high score is not enough to confirm this, so your child's teacher will use information from other classroom assessments to understand more clearly how well your child is doing in maths and reading. A low score – one, two or three – suggests your child may have difficulties in one of the areas tested. Other assessments may be used to determine if this is the case and homework may also be helpful to the teacher. Teachers at your child's school may decide that your child would benefit from extra support. If so, your child's teacher will talk to you about this. The NCCA has more detailed advice on interpreting Sten scores here . What is being tested, exactly? They are tests designed to monitor students' progress in the areas of literacy and numeracy. 'We have a detailed letter that we send out annually to parents which explains how the tests are conducted and scored,' says Pádraic Fay, principal at St Joseph's primary school, Dún Laoghaire. Standardised tests are designed to monitor students' progress in areas of literacy and numeracy. Photograph: iStock 'It explains that only literacy and numeracy are tested. Tests do not consider emotional intelligence, common sense or how kind and loving your child is.' There are both paper and online versions of the tests and schools choose the version that suits their community best. What is the information used for? All schools must report the results of these tests to the Department of Education . The results are then used at national level as part of the process involved in determining the allocation of special educational teaching resources to individual schools. On a more local level, schools can use the test data to inform their planning for the coming years. 'The information is very important for schools,' says Emer Casey, deputy principal and head of special education at St Joseph's. 'We use it to inform our planning for the coming year, to see the areas that need interventions. We also use it to analyse how well our interventions have been working, and maybe to tweak some where necessary.' Many schools now input the answers to each individual test on to Aladdin, a school-based software programme. This software will then identify areas in the curriculum that students are doing well in while also highlighting areas that need attention. For example, results from the numeracy tests could show that students in a school or class level are performing well in data and measures but scoring lower in shape and space. Schools can then set targets to address this deficit. The results can also help schools identify students who may be in need of additional support. For example, if students in first class participate in the Drumcondra screeners, teachers can identify students who may need additional support for the coming year. These screeners indicate if a student has reached certain benchmark or would benefit from support to do so. Early intervention is key to supporting additional needs in literacy and numeracy and standardised tests can help teachers identify students who would benefit from this early support. Teachers are continually assessing their students, and the standardised tests are just one of the methods used. Teachers are aware that a student may be daunted by tests or have an external issue that impacts on their performance on the day of testing. Do all students have to complete the test? A principal can decide to exempt a student from the testing based on criteria outlined by the department ranging from learning, behavioural or physical needs. Accommodations can be made for certain students. This can range from providing reading assistance during the maths assessment or the inclusion of movement breaks in the test. However, these results cannot be formally recorded and are marked as exempt due to accommodations made. Do dyslexic students get accommodations? Dyslexia Ireland normally advocates for accommodations for dyslexic students in exams. However, Donald Ewing, the organisation's head of education, says that as these standardised tests are designed to assess reading, they do not seek accommodations in the traditional sense. The organisation prefers to focus on how best to minimise the impact these tests can have on the self-esteem of a student with dyslexia. 'Either providing an ability to step away from the test, if it would be perceived to be damaging or beyond the young person, or opportunities to prepare a young person in advance, to reassure and to say, try your best,' Ewing says, May and June are busy months in Dyslexia Ireland with many parents of dyslexic students calling concerned about these tests. Ewing, says these tests cannot be relied upon to identify dyslexia. 'They were never designed to pick up dyslexic symptoms, they tend to measure comprehension and vocabulary,' says Ewing. 'They're also multiple choice so smart dyslexic kids, who are used to coping and masking, will often do okay in these tests.' Ewing says that while schools are encouraged to use test results to inform the allocation of special education teaching, they should use additional assessment tools and their own professional judgment to help identify dyslexic students. 'Sometimes a school will use the Sten score as a kind of hard cut-off point to decide who gets support, and that can be frustrating, because you could be quite severely dyslexic, but doing okay in the Drumcondra tests and then not get support,' says Ewing. 'We would always encourage schools to look beyond that one score to decide either who needs support in school or who might require further diagnostic or professional testing.' Are children told about the tests in advance? It depends on individual schools. Some opt not to tell the children about the test in advance for fear they may cause stress. Donald Ewing of Dyslexia Ireland says best practice would suggest that informing the parents before the test allows them to prepare the students for the test and helps minimise any negative impact it may have on their self-esteem. 'If you are dyslexic and you're particularly sensitive or nervous about testing, it can be a bit damaging,' says Ewing. 'It would probably be useful to reach out to those parents and just give them some options around prepping their kids and reassuring them.' How are parents informed? Many parents will be informed of the results via their child's school report. If they require clarification, they can contact the school. However, at St Joseph's they have decided to keep this information separate to the school report. 'We have chosen, as a school, not to include the Drumcondra test results in the school report. It's sent out as a separately to all parents,' says Fay. 'Parents choose whether they want to share the information with their child or not and if they have any concerns afterwards, we are free to talk to them.' Fay believes the school report and standardised test results should be kept separate. 'The school report is a reflection of the child, a holistic report on the child,' says Fay. 'We want every child to be able to put the report up on the fridge door for everybody to see. We want grannies, grandads, aunts and uncles to look at it,' says Fay. 'We've a multinational community here, many who have grandparents and relations abroad. They will be sending photographs of the report home to them.' Casey says the decision to inform the parents of the test scores separately to the reports is rooted in wellbeing. 'Wellbeing is at the core of all we do. Our end-of-year reports are always positive, and children should be proud to share the report. We feel that by sending the standardised results separately, we're ensuring the child can do that.' What are the pros and cons of standardised testing? Some teachers say these tests give students experience of formal testing environments and can give them a sense of achievement when the test is completed. A survey of primary schoolteachers in Ireland published by the Centre for Assessment Research Policy and Practice in Education in DCU and the INTO revealed the mixed feelings teachers have about these tests. Some believed the tests were 'a valid way of measuring achievement in reading and mathematics, helped to identify learning goals ... and improved the quality of teaching and learning in schools.' Those who disliked the tests 'felt that undue anxiety and pressure to perform were negative consequences of standardised testing'. While the tests may be standardised, how teachers, students and parents feel about them is varied. Perhaps the only standard that should be kept to the fore is that they offer a mere snapshot of a student's progress on the testing day and are by no means a reflection on a student's overall success.
RTÉ News
16-05-2025
- General
- RTÉ News
New Leaving Cert course aims to encourage climate activism
A new Leaving Certificate subject aims to encourage students to become activists on issues related to climate change, developing "a realistic and hopeful perspective on the nature of action", according to the course designers. Fifth year students across an initial 43 schools will become the first to study Climate Change and Sustainable Development when it is introduced in their schools in September. A national rollout of the subject will begin in 2027. The subject aims to develop students' capacity for "informed and meaningful action for a just and sustainable world" as they engage with key sustainability challenges, including the climate crisis, according to the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA). The subject will be multi-disciplinary, encompassing areas of science, geography and other disciplines. It will be grounded, the NCCA said, in scientific evidence and in human rights principles. A key attraction for many students will be the fact that 40% of marks will be awarded for an "action project" based on a brief that will be set out annually by the State Examinations Commission. According to the NCCA, the action project provides students with an opportunity to develop a deeper understanding of the concepts and principles they have learned throughout the course, while also employing the practical strategies and thinking they have developed to learn to take action in the area of climate action and sustainable development. Kinsale Community School is among the 43 schools that will pilot the new subject from September. Education around sustainability has been a key extracurricular activity at the school for a number of years, prompted by the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. "When we came out of Covid we found that the students were really quiet, they were really withdrawn. They weren't inclined to talk in class and that really concerned us," Deputy Principal Kathleen O'Brien said. Having watched students prior to the pandemic become involved in the international student protest movement led by Greta Thunberg, Kinsale Community School decided to capitalise on this. "We had these amazing students protesting outside City Hall [in Cork city] about climate issues and I felt that our students should have the opportunity within our school to learn about this stuff, to become more informed and empowered," Ms O'Brien said. "I felt we should develop activists within our walls, so we decided to focus on sustainability, and it's been huge for students' self-efficacy and personal development. They have come out of themselves." Ms O'Brien has been centrally involved with the NCCA in designing the new course. The most unusual feature of the new subject is its focus on activism. For a formal school subject this is a new departure, and it is one that Ms O'Brien welcomes. "The fact that students can now study this subject is absolutely amazing and it's going to change lives. We need students who will become activists. "Through doing this course they are going to become really informed and learn that by taking small actions they can make a difference," she said. Ms O'Brien refers too to what she calls a "huge amount of eco-anxiety" among students. This is evident when speaking to students at the school. We met Transition Year and other students who were working in the school's greenhouse, potting up tomato and basil seedlings. In the sunlit central courtyard by the greenhouse, the mood was relaxed and it didn't feel remotely like school. However, when it came to climate change these students were serious. "I'm really pretty worried about climate change," student Skye Sheedy said. "I get a lot of eco-anxiety when I hear stuff all over the media about our environment and the future." "It's the factories, the fossil fuels, I'm scared for our future and the future for our grandchildren, that the world will be destroyed for them," TY student Caoimhe Finnegan said. Caoimhe intends to take up the new subject when she goes into fifth year in September, so do Lia Darcy and Matthew Colohan. "I'm really excited about the activism side, about making my voice heard, making people listen, making politicians listen to the young people about our future," Lia Darcy said. She added: "It's our duty to change. If we don't change in this generation, it's going to start deteriorating." Matthew agreed, saying: "The project work really attracts me, but also making a difference." To Skye's regret the new subject has come too late for her as she already in fifth year. "I really wish I could do this subject," she said. "I love the projects and reaching out to people. I feel like when I'm doing practical things it helps me de-stress." Ms O'Brien feels this is one aim of the course, channelling student anxiety into positive action will empower them and give them hope. The NCCA specification for the subject talks about enabling students "to recognise their own agency, grow in confidence to influence change and increase their capacity to act". But what about academic standards? Is the subject going to be academically rigorous? Both the action project, worth 40%, and the written exam, worth the remaining 60%, will - like all other Leaving Certificate subjects - be assessed by the State Examinations Commission.
The Citizen
14-05-2025
- General
- The Citizen
Ballengeich village residents left high and dry
Frustrated and desperate, a resident, who chose to remain anonymous reached out to the Newcastle Advertiser for help, expressing anger over the prolonged water crisis in Ballengeich Village. 'First we were told that Eskom was doing maintenance (which impacted the pumping of water) and then it was alleged a transformer had blown. Later, the story changed again; the water pump had been submerged during flooding,' residents claimed. 'Every time we asked when the water will return, we were just told, 'tomorrow,'' the resident said. On March 14, a water tanker briefly visited the village, but it only remained for an hour. Most residents were unaware of its arrival, and those who did make it in time struggled to collect water—many are elderly and physically unable to carry water. One man, who relies on an oxygen tank, couldn't even reach the mine gate where the water was being distributed. Residents have been shuttled between the rental agency (which manages the remaining six houses), the village manager, and the new property owners, all in search of answers—with no success. The issue dates back to February, shortly after Newcastle Calcium Carbide and Alloys (NCCA) purchased the property from Silicon Technologies (Siltech). According to residents, there had been a long-standing agreement with Siltech to supply water from the company's on-site treatment plant. The plant owners, NCCA, stated the disruption was caused by 'a series of unfortunate and unforeseen circumstances' involving the site's electrical infrastructure. They explained that a flash in the transformer initially caused the outage, after which they opted to have Eskom perform upgrades that required a 10-day shutdown. Water from Uthukela Water is first treated at the plant for industrial use and then distributed to a neighbouring coal farm and Ballengeich Village. NCCA says it intends to honour Siltech's original agreement to supply water and has taken steps to acquire a generator, which was expected to arrive by April 14. However, Eskom confirmed that Silicon Technologies had formally requested the termination of the bulk electricity supply when the property changed hands. While the new owners have since submitted an application and completed the required paperwork for reconnection, Eskom said they received no response after requesting payment for the new account. Mine Management Responds In a written statement from mine management's legal representative, Phumelele Shabalala, the company expressed empathy for the residents' frustration but claimed the situation has been inaccurately portrayed. They confirmed a meeting was held on April 15 between mine management, the property owners, and the rental agency to address allegations that residents were 'left high and dry.' The meeting also aimed to draft new Water Supply Agreements and assure residents that the plant is taking the matter seriously. (Full statement available in the print edition of the Newcastle Advertiser) Despite these assurances, Ballengeich Village remains without water. 'With winter approaching, we now fear the added danger of uncontrollable fires,' stated the resident. The local municipality, which supplies emergency water via tankers, has been already stretched thin due to widespread outages across Newcastle recently—leaving children, the elderly, and families to fend for themselves. No further communication has been received from the plant regarding the promised generator, leaving residents still in the dark. For the complete story, pick up the latest edition of the Newcastle Advertiser. The news provided to you in this link has been investigated and compiled by the editorial staff of the Newcastle Advertiser, a sold newspaper distributed in the Newcastle area. Please follow us on Youtube and feel free to like, comment, and subscribe. For more local news, visit our webpage, follow us on Facebook and Twitter, and request an add on our WhatsApp (082 874 5550). At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
Irish Examiner
13-05-2025
- General
- Irish Examiner
Experiences of Traveller children in school more negative as they progress through system
Traveller children become less likely to have a positive attitude towards school and are substantially more likely to be placed in the lowest ability groups for both reading and maths. In the early years of primary school, Traveller children generally showed similar, or even higher, levels of positive attitudes towards school, the curriculum, and wellbeing when compared to their peers. However, a 'concerning pattern of decline emerges' as they progress to the senior end of primary school, as they become much less likely than their classmates to report doing well. They are also more likely to believe they are "no good" when it comes to classwork. Irish Traveller children also report experiencing bullying, both being bullied and bullying others, at higher rates than any other ethnic group. However, despite these challenges, Traveller children are also less likely to report feeling worried or anxious, and have slightly more positive views on friendships in some cases. The findings are included in the latest round of data published by the 'Children's School Lives' study, a landmark report following 4,000 students through almost 200 primary schools around the country. Funded by the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA), the latest report from the project examines the impact of migration and ethnicity on children's school lives. While children in Irish primary schools generally feel happy, cared for, and safe, that equality of experience is not yet universal. More than 21% of children in the study had an immigrant background; 6% were first-generation immigrants, meaning they were born outside of Ireland to parents also born outside of Ireland, while 15% were second-generation, meaning they were born in Ireland to parents born outside of Ireland. The number of Irish Traveller children who took part in the study is comparable to representation of Irish Travellers in the general population, the report notes. Feelings of belonging in school were significantly associated with migrant and ethnic profile, the report found. Children with an immigrant background, especially those who were first-generation, were less likely than their non-immigrant peers to report that they made friends easily, feel that they belonged in school or were liked by other children at school. In the earlier years of primary school, Traveller children generally showed similar or even higher levels of positive attitudes towards school, engagement with the curriculum, and wellbeing compared to their white Irish peers. However, as they progressed more negative experiences "predominate". The report recommends a policy focus on the transition of Traveller children into the senior end of primary school and on "the systems of support that are required to build on the positive momentum evident in the earlier years". Read More Poorer girls more likely to be placed in lowest maths ability groups, research shows
