Latest news with #extracurricular
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
PM unveils £88m for youth services in bid to tackle online challenges
Sir Keir Starmer has announced an £88 million package for youth clubs and schools as he warned children are 'too often isolated at home' facing the challenges of the online world. The funding is aimed at delivering services like new climbing walls and music lessons in a bid to buck the 'worrying' trend of young people 'detached from the real world,' Downing Street said. Groups like the Scouts and Guides will receive £7.5 million to help offer more places in local communities while £30.5 million will go to improving youth club infrastructure in areas with the highest levels of child poverty. Some £22.5 million over three years will be used to fund access in 400 schools across the country to extra-curricular activities such as sport, art and music, outdoor activities, debating or volunteering. The expansion is part of wider efforts to 'reconnect young people with the world around them' amid concerns children are increasing amounts of time online or in their bedrooms, Number 10 said. Announcing the package, the Prime Minister said: 'Growing up today is hard for young people. As they navigate their way through the online world, too often they find themselves isolated at home and disconnected from their communities. 'As a Government, we have a duty to act on this worrying trend. Today's investment is about offering a better alternative: transformative, real-world opportunities that will have an impact in communities across the country, so young people can discover something new, find their spark and develop the confidence and life skills that no algorithm can teach.' Downing Street said 'young people today are spending more and more of their time detached from the real world, either stuck in their bedrooms or behind a screen, throwing up huge challenges for them and their loved ones to overcome'. Sir Keir said the plans were part of wider efforts aimed at opening up opportunities to ensure 'no child falls through the cracks' ahead of the publication of the Government's national youth strategy this autumn. Young people have been encouraged to contribute to development of the strategy in recent months through focus groups and surveys. Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said local youth services were the 'bedrock of thriving communities' and that 'today's announcement is just the beginning' ahead of its launch in the autumn. She said the Government was 'putting young people at the heart of our mission-led government ensuring they have the support and opportunities they deserve so that no one is left behind.' The Duke of Edinburgh's Award charity welcomed the funding package but urged ministers to go further in guaranteeing 'enrichment opportunities' for every young person. Chief operating officer at the charity, John Egan, said: 'This multimillion-pound investment is about so much more than creating new opportunities for art, music and outdoor activities – it's an investment in the resilience, confidence and future of young people. 'As a leading youth charity, we now urge the Government to go further and commit to a youth guarantee, to ensure that every young person has access to the enrichment opportunities that they need to thrive which can't always be found in the classroom.' Shadow culture secretary Nigel Huddleston said: 'After scrapping the National Citizen Service which gave over a million young people valuable opportunities, any investment in youth services is welcome. 'However, young people need more than just skills – they need a growing economy that can offer jobs and opportunities in the future. 'Because of Labour's economic mismanagement and tax rises businesses are closing, there are no jobs, and the economy is shrinking while inflation has doubled. 'Under Labour, the future of the next generation looks bleak.'
The Independent
6 days ago
- Politics
- The Independent
PM unveils £88m for youth services in bid to tackle online challenges
Sir Keir Starmer has announced an £88 million package for youth clubs and schools as he warned children are 'too often isolated at home' facing the challenges of the online world. The funding is aimed at delivering services like new climbing walls and music lessons in a bid to buck the 'worrying' trend of young people 'detached from the real world,' Downing Street said. Groups like the Scouts and Guides will receive £7.5 million to help offer more places in local communities while £30.5 million will go to improving youth club infrastructure in areas with the highest levels of child poverty. Some £22.5 million over three years will be used to fund access in 400 schools across the country to extra-curricular activities such as sport, art and music, outdoor activities, debating or volunteering. The expansion is part of wider efforts to 'reconnect young people with the world around them' amid concerns children are increasing amounts of time online or in their bedrooms, Number 10 said. Announcing the package, the Prime Minister said: 'Growing up today is hard for young people. As they navigate their way through the online world, too often they find themselves isolated at home and disconnected from their communities. 'As a Government, we have a duty to act on this worrying trend. Today's investment is about offering a better alternative: transformative, real-world opportunities that will have an impact in communities across the country, so young people can discover something new, find their spark and develop the confidence and life skills that no algorithm can teach.' Downing Street said 'young people today are spending more and more of their time detached from the real world, either stuck in their bedrooms or behind a screen, throwing up huge challenges for them and their loved ones to overcome'. Sir Keir said the plans were part of wider efforts aimed at opening up opportunities to ensure 'no child falls through the cracks' ahead of the publication of the Government's national youth strategy this autumn. Young people have been encouraged to contribute to development of the strategy in recent months through focus groups and surveys. Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said local youth services were the 'bedrock of thriving communities' and that 'today's announcement is just the beginning' ahead of its launch in the autumn. She said the Government was 'putting young people at the heart of our mission-led government ensuring they have the support and opportunities they deserve so that no one is left behind.' The Duke of Edinburgh's Award charity welcomed the funding package but urged ministers to go further in guaranteeing 'enrichment opportunities' for every young person. Chief operating officer at the charity, John Egan, said: 'This multimillion-pound investment is about so much more than creating new opportunities for art, music and outdoor activities – it's an investment in the resilience, confidence and future of young people. 'As a leading youth charity, we now urge the Government to go further and commit to a youth guarantee, to ensure that every young person has access to the enrichment opportunities that they need to thrive which can't always be found in the classroom.' Shadow culture secretary Nigel Huddleston said: 'After scrapping the National Citizen Service which gave over a million young people valuable opportunities, any investment in youth services is welcome. 'However, young people need more than just skills – they need a growing economy that can offer jobs and opportunities in the future. 'Because of Labour's economic mismanagement and tax rises businesses are closing, there are no jobs, and the economy is shrinking while inflation has doubled. 'Under Labour, the future of the next generation looks bleak.'
Irish Times
03-06-2025
- Health
- Irish Times
Leaving Cert class of 2025 prepares for its final challenge: ‘We hate saying goodbye – it's emotional'
The pupils have taken over the school – but the teachers wouldn't have it any other way. It's the last day for the sixth years at Athlone Community College and they have commandeered the sports hall for a singsong. Two days before their graduation, it's a bittersweet moment for school principal Lisa O'Kennedy and for Gráinne Macken, one of the deputy principals. 'We hate saying goodbye to them, and it's emotional,' Ms O'Kennedy says. READ MORE 'With our sixth years, we're at the point that they feel they can take over the sports hall and we have built up trust.' The college, which is under the patronage of Longford Westmeath Education and Training Board, marked its 50th anniversary this year. About 10 years ago, students and staff moved into a specially designed building. It is bright, spacious and well lit, with woodwork, engineering, music, science and art rooms that many other schools would envy. As schools go, Athlone Community College is one of the biggest schools in the country, with 1,162 students. How do they manage such a large operation? 'Communication is key, we need to keep each other in the loop,' Ms O'Kennedy says. 'As well as the three deputies, we have a middle-management team including year heads and assistant principals. 'We have a diverse range of extracurricular options. Over a third of our staff are taking a sports team this year, and there are a lot of student-led initiatives including, to name but three, chess, the Young Scientist exhibition and Formula One. 'The arts are huge here, too. Because we are such a big school, we can offer a lot of opportunities to our students. 'Students come up with a lot of their own ideas; for instance, we just received an application from the student council to set up a gardening club.' Ms Macken says students should feel as much ownership of the school as staff do. 'Their voice is important. We don't have a mass for graduation, because this is a multi-denominational school. So we gave the students carte blanche to be as creative as they like. We didn't tell them about the timings, the music, rehearsals, symbols, artwork or decor; they are deciding both the finer and grander details,' she says. Last year, after the students advocated for it, the school set up a sensory room so neurodivergent students – and anyone else who wanted it – could find a quiet space. The students developed the space themselves. As school leaders, Ms O'Kennedy and Ms Macken both say they worry about how their students will get accommodation while in college. They are concerned, too, about the mental health of students across Ireland. Ms O'Kennedy says young people struggle to get the right mental health supports. 'We have a mobile phone ban here from the first bell in the morning. We don't have special pouches or lockers for their phones, because they see the value in being separate from their device for a while,' she says. As for teachers, Ms O'Kennedy and Ms Macken echo their colleagues nationwide: recruitment and retention is becoming harder, especially for science and language teachers. 'They don't want to be living in a house with five other people, when they can get better pay and conditions abroad,' Ms Macken says. 'The profession is losing great teachers, but we can't blame them – there just isn't enough of a carrot to stay in Ireland.' Five students from the school will individually share their exam highs and lows in The Irish Times during the first week of the Leaving Certificate examinations. They will also talk about their hopes and worries about the future. Athlone Community College student Princess Collins. Photograph: Dara Mac Dónaill 'I'm enjoying my final year': Princess Collins (17) Princess is the third eldest of nine siblings. How does she manage to study in such a busy house? 'I'm used to the noise and I like being around lots of people,' she says. 'Fifth year was a little more stressful, I think. Now we have most of the work done and I'm enjoying my final year of school.' Across the country many Leaving Cert students are still unsure of what course they want to do, and may well be using the CAO Change of Mind form right up to July 1. Not Princess, however. 'I'm dead set on what I want to do: engineering in UCD,' she says. Leaving Cert student Amy Cox wants to do nursing. Photograph: Dara Mac Dónaill 'I'm not big into studying': Amy Cox (17) Amy is one of Athlone Community College's Leaving Cert Applied (LCA) students. Unlike the traditional Leaving Cert, where the focus is on academics, the LCA is focused on vocational learning, continuous assessment and practical life skills. 'In the run up to the Leaving Cert I thought it would be harder, so it could have been worse,' Amy says. 'I'm not big into studying, so the practical route works well for me. I am hoping to get into a general nursing course at Moate ETB [Education and Training Board], which is linked to the TUS university nursing course.' Vocational routes mean that not every young person feels the need to pursue an academic route, and that the labour market is not oversaturated with too many overqualified university graduates. In Germany , about half of second-level students take a vocational route, with a greater emphasis on providing training for much-needed, well-paid apprenticeship options. In Ireland, just over 4,000 of 62,000-plus students (6.5 per cent) sat the LCA in 2024, although the numbers are growing and the number of schools offering this option are rising. Killian Keegan, a Leaving Cert student at Athlone Community College. Photograph: Dara Mac Dónaill 'There's a good college here': Killian Keegan (18) The pressure of the big exam has started to grow, Killian says, but he knows what he wants to do. 'I'm hoping to study sports and rehabilitation in TUS [Technological University of the Shannon],' he says. 'It's a route towards a master's in physiotherapy, either in Ireland or abroad. And if I don't get that, sports science is another option for me.' TUS was formed from an amalgamation of Athlone IT and Limerick IT. This happened at the same time as most other institutes of technology across Ireland merged to become 'technological universities'. For students, it means those who want a university education can now get one closer to home, without having to move to Dublin, Galway, Cork, Limerick or Maynooth and face the increasingly difficult battle for accommodation. 'I'm glad to be staying here,' he says. 'I like the area, there's a good college here and I can hang on to my part-time job.' Heather McDermott, a Leaving Cert student at Athlone Community College, is hoping to study medicine. Photograph: Dara Mac Dónaill 'I don't see myself going abroad': Heather McDermott (18) Heather hopes to study medicine and is awaiting the results of the HPAT test. The HPAT was introduced to Ireland in 2009 and its purpose was twofold. First, it aimed to reduce the pressure on students who needed a near-perfect Leaving Cert score to get near medicine. Second, it was supposed to assess the suitability of candidates for medical school. While there is some evidence that it has eliminated the need for top marks, there's less clarity on its suitability as an admission test for medicine. 'If I don't get medicine, I will accept it; I don't see myself going abroad,' she says. 'My other options are mostly engineering courses, and I'm happy if I get one of them.' Shreyash Shukla, a Leaving Cert student at Athlone Community College, also hopes to study medicine. Photograph: Dara Mac Dónaill 'As I get closer to the exams, I feel the needle drop': Shreyash Shukla (17) 'This year is difficult,' Shreyash says. 'As I get closer to the exams, I feel the needle drop.' Shreyash is hoping to get enough points to study medicine as he says he is more oriented towards science and maths subjects. In the past, aspiring medical students had fewer options outside of Ireland. Today, many European universities offer medicine courses, taught through English, giving another outlet for talented students who would make great doctors but may fall short of the relatively higher Irish points requirement. 'I've looked at courses in the UK, but you need to be 18, and I won't be 18 on time,' he says.
