InTouch September 2003 - INTO

Transcription

InTouch
Issue No 51 September 2003
ISSN 1393-4813
Irish National Teachers’ Organization
Cumann Múinteoirí Éireann
Part time
workers
● Early
Childhood
Education
● Give
Hessian a
Make-over
●
Poster Insert
●
Pedigree/
Whiskas
World
Animal
Week
EDITORIAL
Time for Real Change
Contents
INTO News and Information
News ......................................................................................3-4
Part Time Workers and Secondments ....................................5
Conditions of Employment .....................................................6
Retirement Planning Seminar ................................................7
Legal and Industrial Relations ................................................8
Communications, Principals and Social Inclusion ...............9
Education................................................................................10
Equality....................................................................................11
Professional Development ....................................................12
Special Education Seminar....................................................13
Benefits ...................................................................................14
Media.......................................................................................15
CEC – Head Office News.........................................................16
INTO Website..........................................................................17
INTO Handbook on CD ..........................................................18
Education for Persons with Disabilities ...............................19
Heritage in Schools ................................................................20
Early Childhood Education..............................................21-22
Teacher to Teacher ..........................................................23-30
Letters ......................................................................................31
Tips....................................................................................32-35
Book Reviews..........................................................................36
Software Review .....................................................................37
Comhar Linn...........................................................................38
Notices ....................................................................................39
Cover pic: INTO President Seán Rowley holds a
copy of the new INTO Handbook on CD in the
Catherine Mahon room of INTO Head Office.
Photographer: Moya Nolan
General Editor: John Carr
Editor: Tom O’Sullivan
Editorial Assistant: Lori Kealy
Editorial Team: Cecilia Power,
Grainne Creswell
Advertising: Mary Bird Smyth,
Advertising Executive, Merrilyn
Campbell, Booking co-ordinator.
Design: David Cooke
Photography: Moya Nolan, Photodisc,
Digital Vision, Image .
Correspondence to: The Editor,
InTouch, INTO Head Office,
Vere Foster House,  Parnell Square,
Dublin 1. Telephone: .
Fax: . LoCall:   
Email: [email protected]
Website: http://www.into.ie
InTouch is published by the Irish
National Teachers’ Organization and
distributed to members and educational
institutions. InTouch is the most widely
2
circulated education magazine in
Ireland. Articles published in InTouch
are also available on our website
www.into.ie
The views expressed in this journal are
those of the individual authors and are
not necessarily endorsed by the INTO.
While every care has been taken to ensure
that the information contained in this
publication is up to date and correct, no
responsibility will be taken by the Irish
National Teachers’ Organization for
any error which might occur.
Except where the Irish National
Teachers’ Organization has formally
negotiated agreements as part of its
services to members, inclusion of an
advertisement does not imply any form
of recommendation. While every effort is
made to ensure the reliability of advertisers, the INTO cannot accept liability for
the quality of goods and services offered.
T
he last school year was, by any standards, a difficult one. The
coming year promises to be equally challenging, and perhaps
even more so, because of changing economic circumstances.
We must ensure that education is a priority area.
The Special Olympics was a wonderful event. The contribution
made by primary teachers to the success of the games was remarkable. We must now ensure that the legacy of the games is rights
based educational provision underpinned by resources. The
Education for Persons with Disabilities Bill launched in July has the
potential to deliver this providing that government commits the
resources.
From now on resources have to be in place in schools and waiting for children with special needs rather than the other way
round. A key goal for the Organization this year will be the removal
of the unnecessary and unfair burden of bureaucracy that has
developed in the area and the creation of flexibility in delivery at
school based level.
On a different aspect of the equality agenda, last year we had
numerous promises to tackle educational disadvantage. To date
the Department of Education and Science has made little progress
in the area. Decisive action is required particularly in the area of
class size. We need co-ordinated, comprehensive services in all
schools where disadvantaged children are enrolled. Anything less
is failing the marginalized and the poorest in our society.
This school year provides all teachers with the opportunity to
review the process of curriculum change. It is a chance to draw
breath in the area of policy development and policy writing. I
believe it is a chance for teachers to focus on core tasks of teaching
and learning rather than on excessive paperwork, record keeping
and bureaucracy. For too long teachers, and especially principal
teachers, have single-handedly developed policies that are essentially a responsibility of boards of management.
Negotiations begin in March next year on a new pay deal to
follow Sustaining Progress and the INTO is determined to ensure
that we secure terms of reference that will allow us to address
outstanding issues. In the meantime, there will be discussions on
the implementation of Sustaining Progress. The opportunity exists
to put in place a meaningful structure to facilitate and support
teachers’ professional development.
There must also be progress in the area of teacher education.
Every child is entitled to be taught by a trained teacher. This
government has promised a class size of less than  for children
under nine. The Colleges of Education must be supported so that
these key targets can be met. Legislation has been passed to establish a Teaching Council and we will work to see it operational
during this school year. In addition, our campaigns on staffing and
substandard schools will be continued.
In outlining these challenges I am not trying to paint a gloomy
picture. In all of these areas there are huge opportunities for the
teaching profession. But they will not be delivered by the efforts of
a few. I urge each and every member to play a full part in the
Organization. Together we can make a difference.
This edition of InTouch sees the publication of the
first INTO Handbook on CD. This innovative
approach to information is designed to be user
friendly and easily accessible. I want to thank all
involved for their efforts and trust members find
it of benefit.
Intouch September 2003
NATIONAL & INTERNATIONAL NEWS
Money paid,
Money due
INTO Meets Colleges of
Education
R
epresentatives of the
INTO met with representatives of the five
Colleges of Education in July.
The main item for discussion
was teacher supply and
projected requirements for
primary teachers in the coming
years. It was acknowledged that
the Colleges had responded to
the challenge of a significant
expansion in the numbers of
teachers being trained in recent
times without the appropriate
infrastructure. The necessity for
capital investment in the
Colleges in order to adequately
cater for the numbers of
students currently enrolled was
agreed as a priority by both
sides. It was agreed that a joint
approach would be made to the
Department of Education and
Science in relation to the establishment of a forum on teacher
supply. The possibility of a
modular conversion course
and developments in relation
to online learning were also
discussed. It was agreed that a
further meeting would be held
early in the new school year.
The meeting also discussed
teaching practice and supervision arrangements for students.
It was agreed that these issues
would be further discussed in
the context of the Report of the
Review on Teacher Education.
Michael Crowe Fund
A
cheque for over €,
was presented to
Brainwave – the Irish
Epilepsy Association – on
behalf of the Michael Crowe
Fund Appeal by The Organising
Committee of District  INTO
at a function in the Teachers’
Club in June. The fund was
established in memory of
Michael Crowe, a well liked and
respected INTO activist who
died in a tragic accident related
to an epileptic attack last year.
A range of fund raising activities were undertaken by the
Organising Committee including an appeal to schools. The
final event was a sponsored
cycle from Dublin to Wexford
where Michael had served as a
supply teacher. Members of
Michael’s family were present
The first phase of
Benchmarking back dated to
 December,  was paid to
teachers in the salaries of 
June.
The INTO had been pressing
for early payment of the
Benchmarking award, and
primary teachers were the first
major group in the public
service to receive the award.
The allowance for supervision
was paid to most teachers on
 August.
On  January,  the next
phase of Benchmarking (.%)
and the first phase of the new
National Agreement (%) are
due to be paid.
WSE Talks
Continue
Pictured handing over the cheque on behalf of
INTO District  are Sheila Judge and Bernie McCloskey
with Mike Glynn, CEO of Brainwave.
at the function and his mother,
Sally thanked all those involved
for the wonderful response to
the appeal in his memory.
The INTO met with the senior
members of the Inspectorate
in July to discuss School
Evaluation.
It is the intention of the
Inspectorate to introduce
Whole School Evaluation in 
primary schools and a corresponding number of post
primary schools in the coming
year. The schools concerned
will be from those already notified of Tuairiscí Scoile for the
coming school year. A further
meeting is scheduled for
September.
EPV for Modern Languages
T
here has been a breakthrough in
relation to the granting of EPV days
to teachers who undertook the
Diploma/Certificate courses in modern
languages.
After intense lobbying by the INTO the
DES has confirmed that it will allow  EPV
days to all teachers who undertook the
courses in modern languages subject to
the additional following three conditions:
 Maximum number of EPV days allowed
in any school year is . Therefore the
teachers who undertook the courses in
modern languages are only allowed take
up to  days in line with the maximum
number of EPV days.
 The granting of these course days is
without prejudice to any other
course days allowed/not allowed for
any other course etc.
 The taking of the EPV days (in the
schools which are not in the modern
language initiative) are subject to the
principal of the school verifying to the
DES that the teacher has contributed to
the school some of the expertise that
s/he has acquired as a result of doing
the diploma course.
3
TMS – New Season, New Show
The Teachers’ Musical Society is
a Dublin based musical society
that has been in existence for
over three years.
Square on Wednesday, 
September,  at pm sharp.
It is vital that anyone wishing to
take part in this year’s show
attend this meeting (both existThe / season has been
ing and new members).
another roller coaster year for
Character synopses and recordTeachers MS! Following their
ings of the music will be availaward winning production of
able on the night. (To find out
Oklahoma! would be no easy
more, contact Órla on 
task, but their production team
 or Leo on  ).
were more than ready to take on
Auditions for parts, which will
the challenge! The show, The
be held in the autumn, are open
Best Little Whorehouse in Texas,
to teachers and their families.
was a resounding success and a
They are looking for actors and
wonderful experience for all
singers both male and female of
involved. Teachers MS were
delighted to welcome a host of
Director Pat McElwain with some of ‘The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas’ all ages. Anyone interested in
becoming part of Teachers’ MS
new members this year, many
at Lillies Bordello.
please get in touch. Don’t worry
of whom took to the stage in
if singing is not your thing; there are lots on
Olivier Awards in London. Based on the
leading roles. For the first year, they
non-singing roles in this year’s show.
classic Hans Christian Andersen tale The
entered the Association of the Irish Musical
The Teachers’ Musical Society would like
Ugly Ducking, Honk! is the story of Ugly, a
Societies (AIMS) Choral Festival in New
to take this opportunity to thank all those
new hatchling who is rejected for being
Ross. There were huge celebrations when
who have supported them in the last year.
different by everyone except his devoted
they were awarded second place in the
Particularly, they would again like to pay
mother. Don’t let the farmyard theme put
mixed choir competition!
special tribute to Comhar Linn and the
you off however! This show is far from
It is with great pride that they announce
INTO for their financial support and the
Pantomime! A fairytale written for adults,
their next musical venture! Teachers’ MS
staff at the Teachers’ Club for their generosHonk is an incredibly funny often deeply
has been awarded the Dublin premiere of
ity, friendship and goodwill throughout the
moving and always enjoyable story.
the highly acclaimed new musical Honk! In
rehearsal period. Here’s to another exciting
Teachers MS will be holding an informa, it was awarded Best Musical, beating
year with Teachers’ MS!
tion night in the Teachers’ Club, Parnell
the smash hit Lion King, at the prestigious
New Online Teacher Training Course
T
he Minister for Education
and Science, Mr Noel
Dempsey TD, has
approved a new online thirdlevel course for graduates seeking to become primary school
teachers. The new Graduate
Diploma in Primary Education
has been developed by Hibernia
College, Ireland’s first online
third-level college. The course
is fully accredited by HETAC, the
Higher Education and Training
Awards Council. This is the first
time that graduates seeking to
become primary teachers will
be able to use the internet as a
major means of study.
The  month programme is a
mix of online content, live tutorials and face-to-face classes in
selected centres throughout the
country. It provides the same
required academic coursework,
teaching practice, in-school
4
inspections and examinations
provided through all other State
recognized teacher training
colleges but also allows
students the flexibility to study
without moving to a college and
giving up their jobs.
Dr Sean Rowland, Executive
Chairman of Hibernia College
commented: “Many of the individuals we will provide courses
to already teach at primary
schools although they do not
hold a primary school teaching
qualification. If Ireland is to
become a leader in the global,
knowledge-based economy, we
must educate and train greater
numbers of teachers by providing easy access to continuing
education for those who need to
extend or upgrade their skills. It
is proving increasingly difficult
to achieve through traditional
educational means as many
students cannot take years out
to study. Therefore, we must
bring education to them.”
Course Programme
The programme will be delivered over  months or  terms
and consists of academic
programming provided online,
onsite classes at Education
Centres, a course of study in the
Gaeltacht, teaching practice in
the classroom supervised and
inspected by Hibernia College
supervisors and Department of
Education inspectors, special
education work experience
with resource and special needs
teachers in the students’ own
schools and a Religious Studies
programme.
State entry requirements
apply.
Full details on www.hiberniacollege.net
Presidential
Dinner
District IV
Mayo/Sligo INTO
will host the
Presidential Dinner
in honour of
Sean Rowley
in the Downhill Hotel,
Ballina,
on Friday,  November,
.
Tickets at € will be
available from
 September.
Details:
Michael O’Malley,
Main St, Louisburgh,
Co Mayo.
Tel:   (h)
 (s)
Breakthrough on Secondments
T
he Arbitration Board,
which forms part of the
Conciliation and
Arbitration Scheme, has issued
a ruling in relation to a long
running INTO claim for
seconded teachers who are
involved in various national
initiatives and support services.
The key recommendations of
the Arbitration Board are set
out below:
a For pay purposes teachers on
secondment should be
broken down into four categories as proposed by the
Official Side. The Board
believes that this system of
categories more accurately
reflects the work carried out
by the various teachers who
are on secondment.
b Category One – Directors of
Major National Programmes
(or equivalents): The salary
scale for this category should
be €,-€,, as agreed
between the parties.
c Category Two – Co-ordinators
of National Syllabi and
Course Support Services,
Regional and Deputy
Directors of Major National
Programmes, ICT Advisors (or
equivalents):
The salary scale for this category should be the teachers’
common basic scale plus
honours degree and honours
H Dip allowance plus a standard allowance of €,.
d Category Three – Assistant
National Co-ordinators of
National Syllabi (or equivalents):
The salary scale for this cate-
gory should be the teachers’
H Dip allowance plus a standard allowance of €,.
e Category Four – Curriculum
Trainers/Tutors (or equivalents):
The salary scale for this category should be the teachers’
H Dip allowance plus a standard allowance of €,.
f The standard allowances
payable to categories two,
three and four should attract
any future increases (including Benchmarking increases)
which may become payable.
g Having regard to the history
of this claim at facilitation
and at arbitration, and the
provisions of paragraph  of
the Revised Scheme, the
proposed pay arrangements
should take effect from 
March .
h The proposed pay arrangements shall apply to all teachers on secondment, whether
new or existing appointees.
However, existing appointees
should be entitled to opt to
retain their present pay
arrangements until the end
of their present period of
secondment.
The CEC will consider the
outcome of the claim at it’s
next scheduled meeting, and a
meeting of all seconded teachers affected by this claim will,
also, be convened by the INTO
during the month of
September.
Major Gain for Substitute Teachers
M
ajor improvements in the pay
and conditions of service of
part-time and substitute teachers working in primary schools have been
secured by the INTO following protracted
negotiations at the Conciliation Council
for Teachers.
In welcoming the new deal, INTO
General Secretary John Carr described the
outcome as a major victory, the biggest
single improvement ever achieved for
non-permanent teachers.
The negotiations which concluded in
July were in pursuit of a claim submitted
by the three teacher unions following the
enactment of the Protection of Employees
(Part-Time Workers) Act .
The main purpose of this Act is to
provide for the removal of discrimination
against part-time employees and to
improve the quality of part-time work.
The Act is an extremely complex piece
of legislation and it has taken over 
months of negotiations to reach
agreement on the application of the Act
to teachers.
A DES Circular will issue shortly
outlining the full terms of the new provisions. The following significant improvements have been secured:
(i) Part-Time Hours On An Annual Contract
(e.g. Resource Teacher)
(iv) Substitute Teachers
(less than 40 days)
Teachers working a specified number of
hours per week, for the duration of the
school year will be paid on a pro-rata
basis to a comparable full-time teacher
with the same length of service and qualifications.
Payment will also be made for the
months of July and August.
This is a significant improvement that
will replace the current hourly rate (and
minimal holiday pay) with an individual
rate that will reflect each teacher's experience and qualifications.
Substitute teachers at Primary level who
are working for less than  days in a
school year will be deemed to be working
on a casual basis.
The new daily rate for this category is a
significant improvement on the existing
rate of €.
(ii) Part-Time Hours On Fixed Term
Contracts
Part-time teachers working on a fixed
term contract for a period in excess of 
hours will be paid on a pro-rata basis as at
(i) above.
(v) Substitute Teachers
(more than 40 days)
Substitute teachers working for more
than  days in the school year will be
paid at an individual rate that will reflect
his/her experience and qualifications.
The individual rate will be that of a
comparable full-time employee divided
by . This will bring a significant gain
for many substitute teachers.
Discussions will shortly commence in
relation to other aspects of the claim
including
(iii) Part-Time Casual Hours
Teachers working less than  hours in
the course of a school year will be deemed
to be working on a casual basis. However,
a new hourly rate of €. has been
approved in respect of teachers in this
category.
●
●
●
arrears (for some categories)
incremental credit
pension entitlements
New rates for all categories will be
posted on the INTO website in the first
week of September.
5
CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT
Radon
I
n , the Radiological
Protection Institute of
Ireland was commissioned by the Department of
Education and Science (DES)
to survey radon levels in all
primary and post primary
schools in the country. The
project was undertaken on a
phased basis over three
years. The schools were
informed, before agreeing to
participate in the project,
that DES would fund the
necessary remedial works.
Radon was measured in
participating schools and,
following consultation
between DES and the
Institute, it was decided that
remedial work would be
undertaken in schools where
the radon concentration
averaged over the school year
was greater than  becquerels per cubic metre (Bq/m).
During the three years of
the survey , individual
radon measurements were
made in , schools
(primary and post primary).
DES is currently implementing a programme of radon
remedial action in the
schools with concentrations
above  Bq/m. Following
the completion of remedial
work in each school, the
Institute carries out retests
in order to verify that the
work has been effective. The
retests completed to date
indicate that the remedial
work has been very successful. These results clearly
demonstrate that, through a
comprehensive remediation
programme, the radon problem can be solved.
Schools which were not
measured as part of this
survey and who wish to have
radon measurements made
should contact:
The Radiological
Protection Institute of
Ireland (RPII),  Clonskeagh
Square, Clonskeagh Rd,
Dublin , Ireland. Tel:  
. Fax:    .
Email:[email protected]
6
Valid Enrolment
C
ircular / issued last
year by the DES clarifies
policy regarding valid
enrolment in primary schools.
The staffing of a school for a
particular year is determined by
reference to the number of
pupils enrolled on 
September of the previous year
(with the exception of schools
applying for additional teaching posts under the developing
school criteria). The enrolment
on that date also determines
the level of capitation grants
payable to a school. Therefore,
it is imperative that accurate
returns of valid enrolments are
submitted to the DES.
Circular / also stated that
the DES intended to put in
place “enhanced measures to
assess the accuracy of returns
and thereby strengthen the
integrity of the resource allocation process and the equitable
treatment of schools.”
As part of the introduction of
these enhanced measures, the
DES undertook a survey of valid
enrolments in December 
and, on foot of that survey,
selected a number of schools to
be audited by the DES.
Approximately eighty schools
were audited by Price
Waterhouse Cooper on behalf
of the DES in June .
Boards of management and
principal teachers are strongly
advised to ensure the accuracy
of their returns in relation to
the number of pupils enrolled
on  September, .
Job-Sharing and Incremental Credit
C
ircular ⁄ implements two important
European Court judgements in relation to
job-sharing.
The first is the implementation of the
European Court of Justice Ruling in the Hill and
Stapleton Case. Under the European Court of
Justice Ruling, a job-sharing teacher returning to
full time employment should continue, on the
common basic salary scale appropriate to a
teacher, on the basis that each twelve months of
job-sharing service given will reckon as twelve
months’ full time service for incremental
purposes. The DES should do this automatically
but teachers are advised to check their salary
slips to ensure that they are on the appropriate
point of the common basic scale.
The second is the implementation of the
European Court of Justice Ruling in the Gester Case.
This ruling refers to the reckoning of service and
seniority for job-sharing teachers. Under this
ruling for the purposes of reckonable service (insofar as it affects qualifying service for purposes other
than pay and superannuation) credit is given for
all job-sharing service upon the same basis as full
time service. This had always been the case for
primary teachers who had been involved in jobsharing, however the Gester Case confirmed that
situation. If a teacher feels s/he has not received
full credit for their job-sharing service s/he should
consult with her/his board of management.
Pensionability and Supervision for Newly
Appointed Teachers
T
he INTO wishes to advise
teachers that from the
start of the /
school year, newly qualified
teachers in their first appointment, in order to qualify for
pensionability must opt into
supervision duties within
twelve months of first appointment. Therefore, newly qualified teachers who took up their
first appointment in September
 must now sign Part A of
the Contract Form (if they have
not already done so) which is
included in Circular /.
Failure to sign this form will
lead to teachers being permanently excluded from the
pensionable aspects of the
Supervision payment. These
teachers will be able to opt to
do supervision on an annual
basis and receive payment but
they will not see these
payments reflected in their
pensions at a later date. The
INTO urges all teachers to
consider the implications of the
above, and strongly advises
teachers doing supervision to
opt into the pensionability
aspects of the scheme.
CHANGES IN PARENTAL LEAVE ENTITLEMENTS
To date, parental leave must be
taken before the child reaches
the age of five years. The INTO
has negotiated with the DES an
extension in the age limit.
Parental leave may now be
taken before the child reaches
six years of age. This provision
is with immediate effect.
RETIREMENT PL ANNING SEMINARS
Happy Days
F
or most of their careers
Kathleen and Roddy Day
admit that retirement
didn’t enter their heads. As the
years went by, however, they
began to think and make quiet
preparations. This they both
agree is important as retirement
is one of those things that “can
sneak up on you”.
In his own case Roddy made
the decision to go after  years
service. He argues that it is
important to make a clear decision which allowed him to
prepare for “a nice leave
taking”. They both agree that
the use of time is one aspect of
retirement that can scare
people. Most people have to
think seriously about the
fundamental question of
“What’ll I do when I retire?”
As part of their retirement
preparations both Kathleen
and Roddy attended an INTO
Retirement Planning Seminar.
“It was superb,” says Kathleen.
“Very thorough, well organised
and very practical”. It pulled all
the ideas together. They still
have the course materials and
their notes from the Seminar
which, according to Roddy, they
refer to on occasions.
They both point to advice
they got on the lack of routine,
the lack of work and adjustment
to age. They also received helpful advice on health issues. “You
wouldn’t normally, if you are in
the whole of your health, be
thinking of health matters,”
says Kathleen. “That’s why the
session that recommended
health check ups was so valuable.’
They also agreed that there
was very good advice given on
financial matters. Some of it
was practical like resisting the
temptation to go straight out
and buy a new car. Most of it
was complex such as considering property equity and facing
decisions like trading down in
the housing market or moving
down the country.
They were both intrigued by
the session of the making of a
will which brought up many
aspects they’d never
considered. “It’s important to
do it properly,” says Roddy,
“preventing problems down the
line.”
Kathleen believes that teachers coming up to retirement
have to think very carefully
about these and other issues.
■ “… there was very
good advice given
on financial
matters.”
Kathleen and Roddy Day
Both would highly recommend
the Retirement Planning
Seminar to any teacher thinking of retirement. In recent
years, Kathleen points out,
more and more teachers are
retiring with parents still alive
and are looking after parents to
a greater or lesser extent. She
also points to the relatively new
INTO RETIREMENT PLANNING SEMINARS /
Two Retirement Planning Seminars have
so far been arranged for the new school
year on November /,  and January
/. Further seminars will be arranged.
The programme includes talks on:
● A Healthy Lifestyle
● Social Welfare Entitlements
● Superannuation
● Making the Most of your Investments
● Income Tax
● Wills and Inheritance Tax
● Retired Teachers’ Association
● Budgeting for Retirement
● Handling the Lifestyle Change
The seminars are run over one and
half days ie Friday and half day Saturday.
The Department of Education and
Science allows teachers to absent themselves from school on the Friday in order
to attend the seminar but substitute
cover is not provided by the DES.
Prior approval of the board of manage-
ment is required.
Seminars are open to members who
are coming up to retirement and their
partners.
The fee is € per person. A list of
local B and B’s will be circulated prior to
the seminar and participants will be
responsible for making their own
accommodation arrangements.
Members wishing to attend a retirement seminar are asked to complete the
application form (right) and return it to:
Mary Ward, Retirement Planning
Seminar, INTO,  Parnell Square,
Dublin .
Each course is restricted to a
maximum of  people.
Because of the numbers of teachers
applying for this seminar, we regret to
advise that those who have already
attended an INTO retirement seminar
are not eligible to reapply.
situation of parents putting
equity into their children’s
houses to give them a foot on
the property ladder. “What’ll I
do?” is not an issue for them.
Kathleen does a little substitute
work, paints and has an active
circle of friends. Roddy is about
to do a Masters Degree in
History.
Name:
Partner’s Name:
(if attending)
Address:
Tel: (h)
Tel: (s)
Roll Number:
Teacher Ref. No:
INTO Branch:
Date of retirement:
Choice of Date: Nov / ■
Cheque in the amount of €
with this application.
Jan / ■
is enclosed
7
LEGAL & INDUSTRIAL REL ATIONS
Children First
that complement key elements
of Children First. Boards of
management in this sector have
been asked to adopt these new
guidelines as school policy and
nominate designated liaison
persons to receive briefings on
the new procedures as part of
the Primary Curriculum
Support Programme.
Within the health boards,
staff have been recruited to
support the implementation of
the national guidelines across
different disciplines,
programmes and sectors. This
has included the appointment
of staff to assist voluntary and
community groups in drawing
up child protection policies and
procedures and to strengthen
their capacity to uphold a duty
of care towards children.
A key development of the
new national guidelines has
been the establishment of a
Child Protection Notification
System that will enable each
health board to track cases of
suspected abuse where a child
is seen to be at ongoing risk. It
is intended that a computerised
he new national child
protection guidelines,
aptly named Children
First, were launched in  and
are in the process of being
implemented within each of
the health boards in the country. The guidelines set out a
national framework for the
delivery of child protection and
welfare services for the future.
Key sections of Children First
are aimed at the health boards
and An Garda Síochána and set
out the roles of the two agencies
in meeting their statutory
responsibilities to protect
vulnerable children.
However, the guidelines also
make explicit society’s duty of
care towards children and especially the responsibility of organizations that have direct contact
with children to report on
suspicions or allegations of child
abuse to the relevant authorities.
For this reason, Children First
is seen to have an over-arching
application to all groups and
agencies that provide services
to children, including schools.
The national guidelines are
intended to assist staff groups,
such as teachers, to recognise
signs and symptoms of child
abuse and to establish a standard procedure for reporting
their concerns to the health
board or the Gardaí.
The guidelines involve the
need for all child care agencies
to appoint a designated liaison
person to ensure that internal
procedures are followed and
that concerns are reported in
accordance with agreed protocols. To facilitate this process, a
standard reporting form has
been developed nationally for
use by all professionals to report
child protection or child welfare
concerns to social work departments within health boards.
In the light of Children First,
the Department of Education
and Science reviewed its own
child protection procedures
and in  produced new
guidelines for primary schools
Election of
New Boards
Conference on Rules and
Structures
Note: The following information
has been submitted by the Child
Protection Committee of the Mid
Western Health Board.
T
The term of office of all existing
boards of management will
expire on  November . It
is important that the procedures
for the election of the new
boards should now be activated.
This process can take up to 
weeks maximum but can be
completed earlier depending
on the particular options
chosen.
Under this timeframe each
new board shall assume office
not later than  December
. Boards will however, be
recognised from an earlier date
where it has been possible to
execute the procedures before 
December. Regardless of the
commencement date for individual boards, the term of all
outgoing boards shall expire on
 November .
8
On September , Branch and
District Cathaoirligh and
Secretaries meet in Dublin as
part of the consultation
process on the Review of INTO
Rules and Structures.
Issues to be considered
include INTO district boundaries, branch reorganisation
(including questions of maxi-
mum and minimum size),
representation in INTO of
special interests (including
principal teachers) and INTO
Annual Congress (size, duration, arrangements). Following
the Conference, a further
round of consultation will take
place in branches and districts
in the autumn.
database will allow for -hour
access to information about
children who are listed on the
system by different professional
groups, including GPs, Gardaí,
Probation Officers and hospitalbased staff.
Another aspect of the implementation of Children First has
been the setting up of interagency Child Protection
Committees to allow for the sharing of relevant knowledge and
experience between the professionals and agencies involved.
Composition of the committees reflect a range of statutory
and voluntary interests and
include representation from
the ASTI, the INTO, the TUI and
individual schools, An Garda
Síochána, the Probation and
Welfare service, community
health and medicine, acute
hospitals and the statutory and
voluntary child care sectors.
Children First spells out the
complementary roles and
responsibilities of all professionals and persons to ensure that
children are afforded maximum
protection from child abuse.
NEW Q & A GUIDE
In September, a copy of the new
INTO publication, Q&A Guide to
the Equality Legislation (see
details on Equality page) will be
sent to each school.
This guide complements the
earlier INTO Q&A on education
legislation and is the second in
an ongoing series of accessible
information booklets for
schools on legal matters.
TIMEFRAME FOR BOARD OF MANAGEMENT ELECTIONS
●
●
 days for the chairperson to
consult the Parents
Association regarding the
method of election, prepare
lists (if not by meeting),
invite and obtain nominees.
 days to arrange elections (ie
information on candidates for
inclusion on ballot paper,
preparation of ballot paper
●
●
●
●
and issue of same).
 days (maximum) for return
of votes and public count of
same.
 days to convene  persons
nominated/elected.
 days to reach agreement
and to nominate substitutes.
 additional days but only if
the original  persons
●
●
selected decline.
 days to provide for immediate notification to Patron of
composition of the Board and
for the Patron to in turn
notify the Department of
Education and Science.
 days during which the Department may raise with the
Patron any query which arises.
COMMUNICATIONS, PRINCIPALS & SOCIAL INCLUSION
Plans for Special Education
A
n INTO delegation met with representatives of the Department of
Education and Science in July to
discuss a wide ranging agenda on special
education needs provision.
The meeting reviewed the existing procedures for acquiring and deploying resources
for pupils with special educational needs. In
relation to applications in respect of the last
term of the / school year the DES
indicated that outstanding responses would
issue shortly. In relation to applications for
the forthcoming school year priority was
being given to new entrants and schools
were being asked to submit the supporting
professional reports to enable these to be
processed. The DES was considering how
greater flexibility could be given to schools
in the deployment of special needs
resources. The DES was also looking at the
possibility of allowing resources to transfer
between primary schools, initially on a
temporary basis, when pupils transferred
between schools. The DES agreed to also
consider the possibility of retention of
existing resources pending determination
of / applications. The DES undertook to communicate the outcome of its
examination of these possibilities as soon
as possible. This communication would
also confirm a closing date of  August for
applications in respect of the coming school
year.
The DES indicated that it will be conducting a major census in September of the
existing level and deployment of special
needs resources in schools.
The meeting agreed to a process exploring the possibility of a weighted system for
the provision of resources to primary
schools for special needs being introduced
from September . This would encompass the generality of special needs and
would substantially replace the individual
application process.
Interim Committee Officers
Principals’ Consultative
Conference in October. The
Interim Committee also established three working groups on
middle management, the future
of small schools and the organisation and structures of local
forum. These issues will also be
tabled for discussion at local
forum meetings early in the
new school year.
T
he review committee met
in June and discussed a
wide ranging agenda
including current issues, the
rules and structures review and
arrangements for the
Disadvantaged Discussions
R
epresentatives of the
INTO met with their
counterparts in the DES
in July to discuss Educational
Disadvantage policy.
Amongst the matters raised
were class sizes and supports
for schools, Government
Programme Commitments,
Children at Risk, Inservice
provision, Challenging
behaviour, literacy supports
and Traveller education.
The Educational
Disadvantage Committee, that
advises the Minister for
Education and Science on
policies and strategies to be
adopted to identify and correct
educational disadvantage,
is currently undertaking a
review of the wide range of
programmes already in place
to tackle educational
disadvantage
The Committee has also
submitted a report to the
Minister on teacher supply
and staffing in disadvantaged
settings.
Pictured left:
Valerie Monaghan, District ,
is the newly elected Cathaoirleach
of the Interim Review Committee
of the INTO Principals Forum.
Pictured with her is Fergal
Fitzpatrick from District 
who has been elected as
Leas-Chathaoirleach.
Pack for
New
Principals
The INTO has launched a
pack for newly appointed
principals. The pack
contains a wide range of
useful information including INTO advice on a
number of issues, sample
forms, copies of DES
Circulars, list of useful
references and publications, as well as general
information on the role of
the principal. Copies of
the pack are available
from the Communications
section of INTO Head
Office.
INTO PRINCIPALS’
CONSULTATIVE
CONFERENCE
The biennial INTO Principals’
Consultative Conference will
take place in the Fairways
Hotel, Dundalk on  and 
October, .
The keynote speaker will be
Professor John Furlong, Head of
Education at Oxford University.
Full details and arrangements
will be published in the
September edition of the Forum
bulletin.
9
EDUCATION
INTO Education Conference
T
his year’s INTO
Consultative Conference
on Education will take
place in the Mount Errigal
Hotel, Letterkenny, Co Donegal
on Friday and Saturday, the 
and  November. The themes
of the conference will be
Language in the Primary School
and Special Needs. In preparation for the Conference, the
INTO Education Committee has
carried out Focus Group discus-
sions with members on the
teaching of English and Irish.
The Committee also carried out
indepth interviews with a
number of schools in relation
to their approach to providing
for special needs within the
school.
Rosena Jordan (District ), Milo
Walsh (District ) and Anne Fay
(District ) at a recent Education
Committee meeting.
INTO Grants for Educational Research
T
he INTO Bursary Scheme will be
continued in the forthcoming
academic year, when a maximum of
five bursaries of €, each will be awarded.
The closing date for receipt of completed
applications is Friday  December .
Application and Disbursement Procedures
Applications must be sent on INTO
Application Forms, which are available
from the Education Section, INTO Head
Office, phone   and on the INTO
website.
All applications received by the closing
date will be examined by an independent
assessor to be nominated by the CEC. The
MODERN L ANGUAGES
The first evaluation report of the Pilot
Project on Modern Languages has been
published by ITÉ. In general, the response
to the project has been very positive.
Participating schools have offered 
minutes of modern language teaching to
th and th class pupils. The modern
language was taught by the class teacher
(%) or by external teachers (%), but
during school hours. The languages offered
are French, German, Spanish or Italian.
Participating schools and teachers were
supported by the Kildare Education Centre.
The NCCA prepared draft curriculum
guidelines and courses were made available in a number of Institutes of
Technology to assist teachers to improve
their own proficiency.
The NCCA is currently preparing a feasibility study regarding the introduction of
modern languages to the primary curriculum. The INTO Education Committee is also
looking at the issues for teachers and pupils.
10
assessor will make recommendations for
the disbursement of the available funds to
the General Secretary.
Criteria
A full list of Terms and Conditions are available from Head Office. Any project which
has been approved as a research endeavour
by a recognised institute will be considered
for grant purposes.
Criteria for selection of particular
research projects will be at the discretion of
the independent assessor, s/he will be
asked to bear in mind:
● Current issues under consideration by
the Organization.
●
●
●
That the selected projects should reflect
the various categories of research (eg
psychology, philosophy, curriculum and
assessment, history, administration, etc.)
That funding is made available for projects in a number of institutions.
Geographical and gender balance.
Conditions of Bursary Scheme
●
●
●
Copies of final research are to be made
available to the INTO.
Members may not receive more than one
bursary.
Only completed Application Forms
received before the closing date will be
considered.
Teaching in Multi-Classes
T
he Education Committee’s report on
Multi-class Teaching has now been
published. The report represents a
range of themes and ideas connected with
multi-class teaching. There is no doubt that
multi-class teaching is capable of catering
for a broad curriculum, but that multi-class
teachers have to engage in a greater level of
classroom preparation and planning in
order to achieve this. There needs, however,
to be greater recognition on the part of
policy-makers and teacher educators of its
unique dynamic. The report covers:
● Curriculum Planning;
● Classroom Organisation;
● Early Childhood Education;
● Special Needs;
● School Organisation;
● Effects on Pupils.
Copies are available from INTO Head Office
at € each plus p&p. Copies can also be
ordered via the Online shop at www.into.ie
EQUALIT Y
Questions and Answers
Guide to Equality Acts Launched
T
he latest INTO publication – a
Question and Answer Guide to the
Equality Acts – is now available.
The booklet was launched at INTO
summer courses on Interculturalism in
Cork, Athlone, Dundalk and Dublin.
Speaking in Cork, President Sean
Rowley pointed out that this is the first
formal information provided to schools
on the Employment Equality Act  and
the Equal Status Act . He paid tribute to the Equality Committee for initiating this project and expressed the hope
that the guidance given would reduce
the need for teachers or parents to seek
redress, by reducing complaints of
discrimination.
The booklet explains teachers’ rights
under employment equality law and
schools’ responsibilities under the Equal
Status Act.
Victimisation of a person for using or
supporting the use of the Acts to challenge something which is unlawful is
prohibited.
Putting into practice the principles of
inclusion and equality is at the heart of
teachers’ work in schools.
Differences in treatment (of pupils) on
the gender, age and disability grounds
may be allowed in sports facilities and
events where reasonably necessary.
Prohibitions also apply to a number of
other actions related to employment
including advertisements which indicate discrimination and to sexual
harassment and harassment at work.
Among questions tackled are:
● How are discrimination claims taken?
● Is Section  () an opt-out clause for
some schools?
● What time limits apply to claims?
● What does the Equal Status Act
prohibit in schools?
● When can pupils be treated differently?
A copy of the new Q&A booklet is being
sent to each school with this issue of
InTouch. Additional copies are available
from Publications Section, INTO Head
Office. Cost € plus p&p.
The Nine
Grounds:
Equality Tribunal
Aide Memoire
– Where Claims Are Decided
In each edition of InTouch
over the last school year
(-), this Equality
Page outlined one of the
nine grounds on which
discrimination is prohibited. The application of
equality law is confined to
those nine grounds.
The key points are:
● discrimination is
defined as “less
favourable treatment”.
● the nine grounds on
which less favourable
treatment is outlawed
are gender, marital
status, family status,
sexual orientation, religious belief, age, disability, race, and
membership of the
Traveller community.
T
he Equality Tribunal
(formally called ‘ODEIThe Equality Tribunal’)
issued its Annual Report for
 in June.
The Report shows a
significant increase in the
Tribunal’s work with greater
public awareness of how
claims of discrimination can
be adjudicated.
Employment Cases
The Tribunal’s Equality
Officers issued decisions on
 cases during  – 
cases in the employment
equality area and  on equal
status.
It remains difficult to win
employment discrimination
cases; less than one in three of
these was decided in favour of
the claimant.
Of the nine grounds, the
three on which the greatest
number of claims were made
were gender, age and marital
status.
The largest award in a case
won by a claimant was
€, but the average was
very much smaller.
Additionally, a range of
legally-binding Orders was
made in these cases.
Equal Status Claims
The grounds on which most
equal status claims were
made were Traveller community, gender and race.
Here, average awards for
those who won cases were
only €,; the maximum
compensation in an Equal
Status Act case at present is
€,.
Claims and Schools
No case against a school has
yet been heard under the
Equal Status Act.
A number of teachers have
had hearings of Employment
Equality Act claims. Watch for
the report in October’s
InTouch of a recent case taken
by an INTO member.
The website of the Equality
Tribunal (including reports of
all cases heard) is
www.odei.ie.
11
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT & TR ADE UNION TR AINING
Summer Programme 
Congratulations to all involved
ongratulations to all
involved in the successful delivery of the INTO
Professional Development
Summer Programme . Over
, teachers participated in
the programme which was coordinated by a team of  coordinators and delivered by a
C
cohort of  designers, tutors
and facilitators. The programme
was delivered nationwide, from
Buncrana to Bantry and this
year comprised  summer
courses and  summer schools.
The course topics and titles
included: Practical Projects with
ICT in the Classroom; Primary
DES and NCTE
Funding
Sponsors
NTO wishes to acknowledge
the funding granted by the
Science in respect of Summer
Courses and Summer Schools
and NCTE in respect of the ICT
courses. The funding
facilitated the provision of a
comprehensive nation-wide
INTO Professional
Development Summer
Programme.
I
HERITAGE IN SCHOOLS
SCHEME
NATIONAL HERITAGE WEEK
 -  SEPTEMBER
Why not book a visit or a series
of visits from one or more of the
Heritage in School Specialists
during Heritage Week this
month. You can visit the INTO
website www.into.ie and
download a booking form or
the Heritage in Schools Scheme
Directory.
Articles by Heritage in Schools
Specialists
This month sees the start of a
series of  articles in InTouch by
Heritage in Schools specialists
on their work.
In these articles they will
share their expertise on particular aspects of heritage and
their experience of working
with children on their visits to
schools.
Their informative and interesting accounts we know will
serve as further encouragement
for schools to avail of the
Heritage in Schools scheme.
12
I
NTO also wishes to thank
the organizations who
provided additional funding for tutor materials and
activities namely:
ENFO and the EPA, who
provided funding for the tutor
materials of the Caring for the
Earth Summer Schools held in
Monaghan and Dublin;
The Irish Independent who
provided financial support for
the delivery of the Forward
Together – Practical Strategies
for Learning Support Summer
School, held in Cork.
Shaw Scientific Ltd who sponsored the Primary Science tutor
materials, the Irish
Pharmaceutical and Chemical
Manufacturers Federation and
Scientific and Chemical
Science; Cúrsa Gaeilge:
Cumarsáid, Comhluadar agus
Craic; Intercultural Education;
Caring for the Earth; Scoil
Samhraidh Gaeilge: Cumarsáid
Comhluadar agus Craic;
Forward Together:Practical
Strategies for Learning Support;
Physical Education – Let’s Get
Physical; Arts Education – Take
My Word for It; ICT: a Tool for
School Leaders and Exploring
the Arts through ICT.
The overall evaluation of the
courses has been extremely
positive. Our heartiest congratulations and thanks to all
concerned.
Supplies who provided additional funding for the Primary
Science Course.
Foras na Gaeilge who sponsored the extra-curricular activities which were an integral
part of the Gaeilge Summer
Schools held in Co na Gaillimhe
agus Co Chiarraí and the
Gaeilge Summer Courses held
in Ardmore, Co Phort Lairge
and Carrick on Shannon.
Disgo, who provided participant materials for the ICT, a
Tool for School Leaders Pilot
Course and the Exploring the
Arts through ICT Summer
School.
INTO also wishes to acknowledge the sponsorship provided
by Cornmarket Brokers for the
participant folders which were
distributed at every summer
school and course.
Collaborative Partners
We would also like to acknowledge with thanks the following
organizations who contributed
to the success of the INTO
Programme:
– The Dún Laoghaire Institute
of Art, Design and Technology
who contributed to the
design and development of
the Primary Science course.
– The Blackrock Education
Centre, who contributed to
the design and development
of the Caring for the Earth
summer school.
– The Mayo Education Centre
who co-hosted the Primary
Science Course in District .
ONE DAY SEMINARS: THE MANAGEMENT OF
SPECIAL EDUCATION IN MAINSTREAM SCHOOLS
ollowing the success of the one day seminars on the
Management of Special Education in Mainstream Schools held
in March, two further seminars are planned to take place in
Limerick and Letterkenny in October.
The details are as follows:
F
 October, South Court Hotel, Limerick.
 October, Mount Errigal Hotel, Letterkenny.
For an application form and further details, please turn to page  of
this magazine.
STAFF REPRESENTATIVE TUTOR TR AINING
training seminar for Staff
Representative Tutors is
planned to take place in the
Tullamore Court Hotel from  -
A
 September. A seminar for
District Secretaries will also
take place in the same venue on
Wednesday,  September.
ONE DAY
SEMINARS FOR
PRINCIPALS
A series of INTO one-day
seminars for principals
entitled Leading Change:
People, Systems and Trends
will be held during
October and November.
These seminars will
provide opportunities to
discuss best practice with
experts and with fellow
principals. They will be
held in Dublin, Cork,
Athlone and Sligo. More
details and an application
form will be included in
next month’s InTouch.
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT & TR ADE UNION TR AINING
The Management of Special Education
in Mainstream Schools
INTO One Day Seminar
F
ollowing the success of the one
day seminars on the
Management of Special
Education in Mainstream Schools,
which were held earlier this year during
March, two further seminars are being
organised to take place in October.
The aim of the seminars is to support
and facilitate schools who are seeking
information on best practice in the
organisation of integration.
The seminars will focus on the management of integration rather than on
teaching methodologies.
The one-day seminar will cover:
● Update on developments in relation
to integration;
SEMINAR ARR ANGEMENT S
● Best practice in meeting the
needs of children with special
needs;
The seminar will take place in two venues –
Letterkenny and Limerick – and attendance at
each seminar will be restricted to  participants.
The DES has approved leave to attend the
seminar once the board of management has
agreed to the teacher’s absence and appropriate arrangements are put in place in the school.
The cost per participant is € to be paid by
the board of management. Lunch will be
provided.
The day will start with registration at am and
continue until .pm.
Selection will be on a first come first served
basis, subject to a maximum of two participants
per school.
● Staff/collegial approach to the
management of pupils with
special needs;
● Accessing relevant resources
and materials;
● Working with SNAs/Classroom
assistants.
Teachers are at the core of the design
and the delivery of the seminar which
will be practical in nature.
INTO Professional Development Programme 2003/4
CMÉ Clár Forbartha Gairmiúla 2003/4
SEMINAR APPLIC ATION FORM
/
FOIRM IARR ATAIS
PLEASE COMPLETE IN BLOCK CAPITALS
Are there specific areas that you would like to discuss at the
seminar?
Name/Ainm
Teacher Number/Uimhir Oide
Roll Number/Uimhir Rolla na Scoile
Address for correspondence/Seoladh Poist
Please indicate the seminar you wish to attend
Date
Phone no/Uimhir Teil (School):
Venue
 October
Limerick, South Court Hotel
 October
Letterkenny, Mount Errigal Hotel
Phone no/Uimhir Teil (Home):
Cheque in the amount of €
Email/Ríomhphost
is enclosed with this application
What is your teaching role?
Signed/Sínithe
Please complete in full and return to INTO, Professional Development Unit,
 Parnell Square, Dublin .
❑
❑
INTO BENEFIT S
New Benefits and Discounts
What would you do with ,?
Note: These loans are subject to credit
check and support documentation is
required.
We are delighted to announce that
Friends First has enhanced its competitive loans service for INTO members by
offering a pre-approved loan of €,
to members. The Friends First loans,
which are endorsed by INTO, offer
competitively priced finance to
members for cars, holidays and home
improvements. In this edition of InTouch
you will find an envelope containing full
details of this new offer. Just fill out the
form enclosed and return it, in the same
Freepost envelope, to Friends First.
Competition – Weekend away for Two in
Kilkea Castle
To celebrate the launch of its preapproved loan for INTO members.
Friends First have given us a prize of a
weekend away for two in Kilkea Castle
Hotel, Castledermot Co Kildare. To be in
with a chance of winning, send your name
address, phone no and teacher no on a
postcard to Friends First Competition,
Benefits Section, INTO Head Office, ,
Parnell Sq, Dublin , by  September.
Cheaper Roadside Assistance
for all INTO Members
INTO members can now join the RAC with a % discount on membership
rates as follows:
Standard Price INTO Price
Roadside/At Home
€
€
Roadside/At Home/Recovery
€
€.
Roadside/At Home/Recovery/Onward Travel
€
€.
To avail of this offer please call    and quote Ref No INTO.
Special Deal on Driving Lessons for the
Dublin Area with RAC School of Motoring
The RAC School of Motoring for the
Dublin area are offering INTO members
 driving lessons for the price of  at
€ (normal price €). To avail of
this offer call    and quote Ref
No INTO.
More information on RAC products and
services is available on the RAC website
on www.rac.ie
Discount Offers
for INTO Members
with
INTO is pleased to announce that they have
secured an agreement with Esat BT for a
discount to INTO members on voice calls
and cordless phones.
If you spend 25 or more per month on
phone calls, you will make great savings
with Esat BT Advantage!
– € Free phone calls ( € credited to
your first two bi-monthy bills) for new
Esat BT Advantage customers. Credit is
valid for that period only and the value is
non transferable.
– % discount for INTO members on all
local and national calls
How do I switch to Esat BT Advantage?
. You have a spend of € or more per
month on calls to local, national and international numbers
. You pay by direct debit
. Call freephone   , quoting INTO
and you will receive a pricing guide and an
application form.
RAC Competition
In conjunction with the launch of the
two exclusive discounts with RAC we
have one free RAC membership for one
Roadside/At Home/Recovery/Onward
Travel annual membership to give away.
To be in with a chance to win this fabulous prize simply put your name, address,
telephone no. and teachers number on a
postcard and send it to RAC Competition,
Benefits Section, INTO,  Parnell
Square, Dublin  by the  September.
25% Discount on Cordless Phones
Normal RRP 149.95, INTO Price 112.45
Esat BT are offering a % discount on the
Esat BT On-Air  SMS DECT Cordless
Phone. Features include an easy to use
menu structure, SMS text messaging, 
number memory, caller display and handsfree capability. To avail of this discount call
Freephone  , quoting ‘INTO’.
Discount on Eyewear
Save % on the cost of all eyewear. The
Association of Optometrists Ireland (AOI)
are pleased to announce a discount of %
off all eye materials at participating AOI
members’ practices nationwide.
● To avail of this offer simply show your
INTO members diary or your INTO AIB
Visa card at the time of purchase.
● Please note that the offer will not run in
conjunction with any other special offers
14
●
●
and will not apply
to eye examinations.
The offer will be valid
up until end of August
.
Due to a huge interest from over 
Opticians signing up to the scheme we
are unable to print the full list of practices participating around the country.
You can check out the full list at
www.into.ie
Select The INTO.
– Select Benefits.
– Select Other Benefits/Discounts
– Click Association of Optometrists Discount
Scheme.
Alternatively you can obtain the list by
phoning the Benefits section on  
or by emailing [email protected]
MEDIA REPORT
New Television Show
for Young People
T
his autumn RTE will
produce and present a
new Saturday morning
programme for young people.
The programme is very much
in development stages at present but RTE will be attempting
to involve as many young
people as possible from all
over Ireland.
Part of the format will be to
have children in studio on a
Saturday morning and therefore the producers would like
to target as many areas and
backgrounds as possible.
The producers would be
delighted to know about any
big campaigns/projects
happening in schools that
would be worth covering on
television. And of course
they’re always on the look out
for bubbly children capable of
entertaining others at the
weekend.
More detail will follow about
the programme's content and
be made available via the Irish
National Teachers’
Organization website.
Kathy Fox of RTE would
welcome contact with any
primary school teachers who
would be willing to put
forward or discuss ideas for
the programme.
She may be contacted at
[email protected]
World Teachers Day 
October 
U
NESCO inaugurated 
October as World
Teachers’ Day in .
Over  countries observe
World Teachers’ Day. The
efforts of Education
International and its 
member organisations (of
which the INTO is one) have
contributed to this wide spread
recognition. Every year EI has
launched a public awareness
campaign to highlight the
contributions of the teaching
profession.
The theme of this year’s WTD
is Teachers – Opening doors to
a better world. Without teachers, education would not be
what it is meant to be, because
to teach, is not simply to tell a
child established facts and
figures. It is to inspire, to
unlock his or her potential, to
offer new perspectives, to help
children realise their dreams to
build a better world.
This is the reason why
Education International insists
on the right of every child
around the world to have a
qualified teacher.
Some creative ways in which
schools can celebrate World
Teachers’ Day
For those of you looking for a
little inspiration on how to
celebrate World Teachers’ Day,
school-wide or in the
classroom:
● An essay competition to give
children an opportunity to
write about a teacher.
● Thank you cards to send to
teachers.
● Displays showing teachers at
work with pupils.
● BOMs might host a reception
for teachers.
● Showing films about teachers
is always an entertaining way
to celebrate WTD.
INTO will cover activities
relating to World Teachers’ Day
in InTouch.
July In the Media
A lot has been done to improve
special needs education but it
has run into a planning crisis.
“The resources should be there
and waiting to meet the child in
a school rather than following
the child”, said INTO General
Secretary, John Carr.
Irish Examiner  July 
Irish girls reported greater interest in reading than boys, with
% of females reporting that
they did not read in their spare
time on a daily basis compared
to % of males.
The Irish Times  July 
The INTO demands that all children with special needs have
access to the services they need
on the basis of right and not on
the basis of exchequer benevolence at a particular point in
time.
Sean Rowley, President, in Irish
Independent  July 
Ms Flynn said that it was wasteful not to invest in children who
were going to school with sleep
deprivation and without breakfasts and then spending on
remedial programmes when
they become adults.
Noreen Flynn, CEC, at ICTU
Conference Irish Independent
 July 
A focus on early education is an
effective means of targeting
anti-poverty initiatives.
Catherine Byrne, Deputy General
Secretary at ICTU Conference
Irish Independent  July 
Quoting labour organiser James
Connolly, the Irish National
Teachers’ Organization chief
John Carr said that the country
had developed a glorified pig
trough where the greediest
swine were getting the largest
share of the wealth.
John Carr, General Secretary at
ICTU Conference
Irish Independent  July 
“Sixteen percent of children live
in households surviving on %
of the national average income”,
said Carr. “One thousand chil-
dren do not transfer to second
level every year and primary
schools in every part of the country have to fundraise to survive”.
Sunday Tribune  July 
INTO President Sean Rowley
visited Colaiste Charman
recently and described the
conditions he found there as
appalling. “There was no natural
light, no ventilation at all and
there were serious health and
safety issues in the school,” he
declared.
Irish Independent  July 
Book prices are well ahead of
the grants paid to schools. This
means that schools have to
recycle and reissue books.
John Carr Evening Echo
 July 
We welcome this Bill but will be
insisting that the necessary
resources are provided.
John Carr, RTE 1 TV News
 July  on the publication
of the Education for Persons
with Disability Bill
The Irish National Teachers’
Organisation said the ideals of
the bill were positive as long as
resources are made available,
particularly for principals whose
workload is likely to be
increased.
Irish Examiner  July 
INTO General Secretary John
Carr said yesterday that a PTR of
 to  was nothing to boast
about and still the highest in
Europe.
Irish Independent  July 
Despite the falling numbers of
school children in the late s
the size of primary classes here
are the largest in the EU. (NB
Class size may be significantly
higher than PTR).
Niall Murray in the
Irish Examiner  July 
Teachers throw the book at
State over funds for children’s
literature.
Headline in Irish Independent
 July 
15
CENTR AL EXECUTIVE COMMIT TEE – HE AD OFFICE NEWS
Children’s Medical Research Fund
 Draw Results
T
he Management and
Medical Staff at Our
Lady’s Hospital for
Sick Children in Crumlin,
would like to express their
sincere thanks and deepest
gratitude to the INTO members
who contributed towards the
Children’s Medical and
Research INTO Draw in June
.
The total figure raised this
year was €,. This money
will go towards the building of a
specialised Resource Centre for
children with Cystic Fibrosis.
The centre will provide a
comprehensive, holistic
approach to the treatment of
children with Cystic Fibrosis,
and will be staffed by a
dedicated team of doctors,
nurses, dieticians, physiotherapists and counsellors. This project will be warmly welcomed by
sick children, their families and
hospital staff, and simply would
not be possible without the
generous contribution of the
INTO members throughout the
country.
The CEC wishes to acknowledge the generosity of members
in continuing to support this
fund. The vital contribution of
staff representatives in facilitating the organisation of the draw
VP launches CD
Vice President Austin Corcoran recently launched a CD of Irish music by
pupils in St Joseph’s School for Visually Impaired Boys. Pictured with
Austin at the launch are Martin Stynes, Principal and Catherine
McGorman, Musical Director.
is also very much appreciated.
●
The lucky winners
●
●
●
●
●
st Prize, Toyota Avensis:
Joe Naughton, Scoil Ide NS,
Corbally, Co Limerick.
nd Prize, €,: Mary
White, Scoil Mochna,
Celbridge, Co Kildare.
rd Prize, €,: Annelise
Holland, St Oliver Plunkett
NS, Grove Road, Malahide,
Co Dublin.
th Prize, €,: Catherine
Cunneen, St Munchins GNS,
Ballynanty, Co Limerick.
th Prize, €,: Grania
Glynn, Burtonhall, Palatine,
Carlow.
●
th Prize, €,: Una
O’Neill, Cnoc Mhuire JNS,
Knockmore Avenue, Tallaght,
Dublin .
th, th, th and th
Prizes,€,
Ann Collins, SN Mhuire,
Carlanstown, Kells,
Co Meath
Mairead Latimer, St Ita’s
School, Crushrod Avenue,
Drogheda, Co Louth.
Annette Lally, Lough Cutra
NS, Gort, Co Galway.
Pat Ambrose, St Joseph’s
Boys NS, Rathkeale, Co
Limerick.
New
Appointment
Mary Burke has been
appointed acting official in the
Professional Development and
Trade Union Training Unit
from September . Mary
was a teacher in Caragh,
Kildare, prior to joining the
INTO. She previously taught in
Kildare Town and was also on
staff in St Patrick’s College,
Drumcondra, and Marino
College in recent years. Mary
was District VII representative
on the INTO Education
Committee for three years.
INTO @ ICTU
The ICTU Biennial Conference
took place in Tralee in the first
week in July. Under ICTU rules
each union is allowed to table
two motions for discussion. The
INTO motions on Special
Education and Educational
Disadvantage were both
adopted by conference. The
text of the motions were
published in the June edition of
InTouch and are also available
on the INTO website.
In an historic development
John Carr, General Secretary,
was elected to the Executive
Council of ICTU, as was
Catherine Byrne, Deputy
General Secretary. This is the
first time the INTO has had two
representatives on the
Executive Council of ICTU.
CEC members pictured (right) at
the ICTU Biennial Conference are
Declan Kelleher (D), Noreen
Flynn.(D) and Denis Bohane (D)
16
INTO WEBSITE
Mailing Lists not Query Lines
T
he development of mailing lists for
different interest groups whereby
ideas, thoughts and tips can be
exchanged has been a very positive development in recent times. There has been a
considerable expansion in the number of
members subscribed to the various lists.
This has enabled a very useful flow of infor-
mation between members on a wide variety
of professional and other topics.
Please note however, that the mailing
lists are not moderated by INTO Head
Office and the CEC does not endorse the
views or information carried on any of the
lists. There is a separate facility whereby
members may direct a query by email to
PC Live
Schoolfriends.ie
launched in Irish
Keeping in touch in Irish
Those with more than basic Irish can now find
their lost schoolfriends online with
CairdeScoileCaillte.ie the Irish version of
LostSchoolFriends.ie (www.lostschoolfriends.ie).
CairdeScoileCaillte.ie uses the same database
as its sister site – it’s just presented in the Irish
language. Details and messages can be added to
the site in Irish and will be available for both the
English and Irish language version.
www.cairdescoilecaillte.ie
Computer Clubhouse
Head Office by using either the [email protected]
address or alternatively for Conditions of
Employment, coe@into.
The number of mailing lists has grown
and a wide variety of interests are now catered
for. A full list can be accessed through the
Interactive Section of the INTO website.
Details are also provided on how to subscribe.
Website Updated
I
n conjunction with the development
of the INTO Handbook on CD,
considerable effort went in over the
summer period to update and upload
information on the INTO website. A
number of tabs on the drop down menus
have been redesigned or redisgnated to
ensure the latest information is available. The main developments are:
● The tabs are now aligned with those
on the CD to allow for ease of checking
the latest information.
● A specific tab under ‘What’s New’ will
list all updates of information related
to the CD.
● Classroom Resources and
●
●
●
Administrative Policy templates will
be listed by topic under the school
administration section.
Chat rooms and discussion forums
have been temporarily suspended in
favour of the development of mailing
lists (see accompanying box on this
page).
Updates will be posted on the front
page each week. The Update Mailing
List will also be used to notify
members of changes.
SMS messaging has been developed
for contacting members of National
Committees and will shortly include
District and Branch Secretaries.
Intel teams up with Dublin’s SWICN
A new after-school programme that provides
young people with access to high-tech
equipment has opened in Dublin’s inner city.
Intel and the South West Inner City Network
(SWICN) have come together to launch the Intel
Computer Clubhouse, a programme which has
been designed to provide a creative environment
where young people from disadvantaged communities will be able learn new skills.
Visitors to the Clubhouse will be given the
opportunities to create digital artwork, produce
their own music CDs, film, write and edit their
own short movies and design websites. “The Intel
Computer Clubhouse offers a rich, extraordinary
opportunity for the young people of Dublin's
inner city,” says Evan Moore, director of SWICN.
“A depth of knowledge of technology is a must in
today’s fast-changing world. It is especially
important that underserved youth be introduced
to technology and everything it can do for them
in shaping their future.”
This is the second Intel Computer Clubhouse
in Ireland; the first was opened in March  at
ForÛige, Blanchardstown.
■ Republished from PC Live!, Ireland’s best-selling PC & Internet magazine. Packed with news,
reviews, features and tips PC Live! is available in
all good newsagents. For subscriptions call
Catherine Kenny on    or log on to:
www.pclive.ie/discount
New Policy Templates
A
s part of the development of
both the INTO Handbook on CD
and the INTO website, a meeting
was held with members of the School
Development Planning Initiative in July
to discuss the development of policy
templates.
It was agreed to cooperate in the
formulation of appropriate material for
a range of administrative issues. A
number of working group meetings were
held during the summer and links to the
relevant sections on the INTO website
have been included on the CD.
The templates developed include:
● Anti Bullying;
● Code of Behaviour;
● Enrolment;
● Equal Opportunities;
● Health and Safety, Medication and
Accidents;
● Home School Liaison;
● Homework;
● Management of Special Needs;
● Substitute Abuse Prevention;
● Other Issues.
The core team at Head
Office responsible for the
CD – Tom O’Sullivan
(Assistant General
Secretary), Lori Kealy
(Publications Official) and
Merrilyn Campbell
(Communications
Section) are pictured
reviewing material with
Ruth McPartland and Liam
Twomey (Fluid Rock).
17
INTO HANDBOOK ON CD
New Information CD for Members
T
he INTO Handbook on
CD is being distributed to
members with this
edition of InTouch.
The CD is divided into six
INTO
Chapter One provides
information on:
● Who We Are;
● Head Office Staff;
● INTO Northern Ireland;
● National Committees;
● Services;
● Benefits;
● INTO History;
● Membership.
WORKING
CONDITIONS
Chapter Two provides
information on:
● Salaries;
● Taxation and PRSI;
● Pension;
● Leave of Absence;
● Staffing;
● Promotion;
● Inspection and Probation;
● Recognition;
● School Day and Year.
main sections of information as
outlined in the boxes on this
page.
It also contains a section on
the INTO website which allows
SCHOOL
ADMINISTRATION
Chapter Three provides
information on:
● Boards of Management;
● School Insurance;
● School Funding;
● Amalgamation of Schools;
● School Transport, Ancillary
Staff and Buildings;
● Classroom Resources –
weblinks;
● Administrative Policies –
weblinks.
LEGAL & INDUSTRIAL
RELATIONS
Chapter Four provides
information on:
● Child Protection Guidelines;
● Parent Teacher Relations;
● Positive School Behaviour;
● Assaults on Teachers
● Legislation.
● Staff Relations
for a link directly to the site for
the latest information and
updates. A list of other links is
also provided.
The CD is integrated in
design with the features and
information on the INTO
website. A Help Section with
Frequently Asked Questions is
also provided.
PUBLICATIONS
Chapter Five provides PDF
and/or Word downloads of
the following publications:
● CEC Report ;
● Congress  Speeches
and Resolutions;
● Eolas -;
● Forum -;
● Guidance for Teachers;
● Intercultural Guidelines;
● INTO Information Leaflets;
● INTO Publications
List/Order Form;
● INTO Rules and
Constitution;
● InTouch -;
● Q&A Education Act and
Education Welfare Act;
● Q&A Employment Equality
Act and Equal Status Act;
● Tips for Parents – Irish and
English versions
● When Tragedy Strikes;
● Working Together:
Procedures and Policies for
Positive Staff Relations.
PROFESSIONAL
DEVELOPMENT AND
TRADE UNION
TRAINING
Chapter Six provides
information on:
● Overview of INTO
Professional Development;
● INTO Trade Union Training;
● Heritage in Schools Scheme;
● Other Collaborative
Projects;
● INTO Website Links to:
-Summer Programme.
-Professional
Development Seminars.
-Trade Union Training
Schedule.
1995
How to Use the CD
T
he CD-ROM is organised
into  sections. The first
 sections are colour
coded as on the INTO website.
They represent the chapters of
the  Members’ Handbook
and are in Adobe Acrobat
Portable Document Format
(PDF). The CD is best viewed in
 x  resolution.
A search facility will allow
the user to search for topics or
issues by keyword or phrase.
It is important to note:
 On a PC, the CD-ROM will
automatically open up.
 Apple Macintosh Users will
have to click on the ‘INTO
’ icon to start up the
CD-ROM.
 Adobe Acrobat PDF files are
18
accessed using a free piece
of software called Acrobat
Reader.
 The Adobe Acrobat Reader
software will run automatically off the CD-ROM. There is
also an option to download
the software onto your
computer for use with other
applications. The Reader icon
appears on the first screen.
 Printing the document is
easy, there are two main
ways.
a) Click the FILE menu at the
top to display file options
and click on the PRINT
option to display the print
box.
b) Otherwise click on the
print icon (picture of a
printer) at the top of the
page to display the print box.
c) The printer will be
selected as your computer’s
default printer.
d) It is important to select
the pages you want to print,
as some documents are over
 pages long. Specify the
page numbers eg  to .
c) Press ok and the print job
will commence.
There are a number of links
built into the CD to allow for
ease of navigation and access-
ing information. Links highlighted in the chapter colour
will bring you to related topics
within the chapter you are
reading. Weblinks highlighted
in blue, are designed to bring
you to the INTO website or
another relevant website(eg
DES).
N.B. You must be online for a
weblink to work, otherwise
you will see a prompt appear
on screen asking if you wish to
go online.
N.B. The information contained on the CD is, to the best of our
knowledge, true and accurate at the time of publication and is solely
for information purposes. INTO accepts no liability for any loss or
damage arising as a result of use or reliance on this information.
New Education for Persons with Disabilities
Bill Published
T
he Minister for Education
and Science, Noel
Dempsey, TD, published
a new Education for Persons
with Disabilities Bill in July.
Speaking at the launch of the
Bill the Minister said the aim is
to ensure the education of children with educational disabilities can be guaranteed as a
right enforceable in law. He also
said that the Government is
committed to ensuring the full
implementation of the Bill’s
provisions in the shortest time
possible.
The Minister hoped that the
Bill would have passed through
the Oireachtas in the next term,
and that the Special Education
Council would be established
on 1 January, .
Reacting to the new Bill, John
Carr, INTO General Secretary,
welcomed the general thrust
and aims contained in it. He
particularly noted the new
section about the balance of
rights between children, and
the aspiration to ensure equitable treatment of every child.
He warned that the Bill would
require resources, both teaching and ancillary, to be available to schools in order to
properly implement it. He also
indicated that workload implications, particularly for principals, would be carefully
analysed by the INTO before
formerly responding.
The CEC reviewed the provi-
sions in the Bill at its August
meeting. A detailed response to
the proposals is currently being
finalised. The full text of the Bill
is available from a link in the
What’s New section of the INTO
website. Members are invited
to send their views to Tom
O’Sullivan, Assistant General
Secretary, in INTO Head Office
on or before  September.
Information on the previous
Bill was published in InTouch,
November .
Education Plans
T
he content of the
education plan will be:
a) The nature and degree of the
child’s abilities, skills and
talents.
b) The nature of the child’s
disability.
c) The present level of educational performance.
d) The special educational
needs of the child.
e) The special education and
related support services to
be provided .
f) The special educational needs
support services necessary to
successfully make the transition to post primary
g) The goals that the child is
expected to achieve over a
period not exceeding twelve
months.
The Special Educational
Needs Organiser may convene a
team of people to provide
advice in relation to the preparation of the education plan for
the child. The team will include
the parents of the child and
may include one or more of the
following:
● The child where this is
considered appropriate.
The principal or a teacher
nominated by the principal.
● Psychologist.
● Any other persons who the
parents or the special
educational needs organiser
consider has special
expertise.
The Bill specifies that the
principal will cause the plan to
be reviewed not less than once
a year. It also gives parents the
right to appeal against the
content of the education plan.
●
Right: Minister Noel Dempsey
pictured reading the new Bill.
Changes from the Previous Bill
●
●
●
●
●
●
A much tighter definition of educational
disability.
A new section is included about the
balance of rights between children with
disabilities and other children.
The onus is on the principal and not the
SNO to arrange for an assessment of the
student.
The principal has power of appeal if s/he
feels Education Plan Guidelines are not
appropriate to the child.
There can be an appeal to an Appeals
Board by parents regarding a failure to
implement an IEP.
Refusal by parents for consent to an
assessment will now be dealt with in the
same way as in the Education Welfare
●
●
●
●
●
Act. This was a key INTO demand.
Under the Appeal Process there will be
an onus on a board of management to
prove it doesn’t have the resources to
meet the needs of the child.
A board shall ensure that parents are
informed of, consulted about and participate in, significant decisions concerning their child’s education.
Time frames for appeals have been
introduced.
Previous references to early intervention
and education post  years of age have
been deleted.
There is a significant change in the
section dealing with the duties of
Ministers to make resources available.
●
●
●
The Minister now has the power to
determine what monies and resources
are made available, as against the original phrase “monies as necessary”.
There is, however, a new phrase to
ensure equitable treatment of every
child.
The previous Bills requirement to
compile a register with children with
disabilities has been deleted.
The Special Education Council may desigrnate a school which the child is to
attend for the time being.
The SEC must present a report within 
months of establishment for a timetable
of implementing the provisions of the
Act over a five year period.
19
HERITAGE IN SCHOOLS
Flora, Fauna and Ecology of the Seashore
Dr Bill Crowe, who recently joined the panel of Heritage in Schools Specialists,
describes how he undertakes a visit to schools.
Why the rocky seashore is one of the best
places to observe our natural heritage
Talk, Slide Show, Demonstration of equipment and Specimens.
. Ecology studies how living plants and
animals integrate with their
environment and with one another.
What is seen ‘in the field’ is re-enforced by
topics covered in talks and demonstrations,
given after the walk on the seashore, or
before it, depending on the time of the low
tide. I keep the children interested by
making my talk interactive, constantly
questioning them and calling volunteers up
to demonstrate equipment. Often the
equipment makes a loud noise. The children scream with delight and clamour to be
asked up.
At the start of my talk a large lit-up globe is
used to work out the proportions and distribution of land and sea, how winds and ocean
currents are formed, and to describe the
influences of hot and cold currents on
maritime climates. Then I demonstrate
(with the aid of two children holding the two
ends of a rope and flicking it) what is a wave,
how it is formed, and how it gets bigger
when formed over longer distances. I show,
using children dressed up as the sun and as
the moon, wearing fancy hats and carrying
models, together with the lit-up globe, how
spring and neap tides are formed.
Next, I use bright coloured photographic
slides to describe plant and animal interactions and zonation, from the top to the
bottom of the sea shore. Then, as we head
diving into the sub-littoral zone, I demonstrate, using a slide of a shoal of fish straddling a white sand background and a green
seaweed background, the effectiveness of
camouflage colours on fish (green on their
dorsal surfaces and white on their belly).
The children are asked to count the
number of fish they see and then a couple
of children are called up to press the
buttons on a singing fish, which is used to
demonstrate the principles of counter
shading and camouflage previously seen in
the slide, and the parts of a fish, including
the lateral movements of the tail. Children
are quizzed on the identity of a variety of
2. On a rocky seashore all the colourful
plants and animals are readily visible and
compete with each other for space. The
interactions of predators and prey may
also easily be observed.
3. The rocky seashore is a contact zone
between the land and sea.
Trip to Rocky Seashore, timed to coincide
with the lowest point of a Spring Tide
For children the most interesting and best
place to study marine animal and plant life
is in the open air on the seashore. We spend
approximately  hours on the rocky
seashore (often with a short picnic lunch
break), when the biology and ecology of the
plants (lichens and algae) and animals are
examined. We walk the whole shore from
top to bottom, searching under rocks and
in rock-pools, and occasionally use nets to
catch shrimp and fish.
The children love scrambling over the
rocks looking for crabs, distinguishing the
different species and whether they are
males or females. If we are very lucky we
may even find a stranded fish of some type
among the wet seaweed covered rocks,
waiting for the tide to come in again.
Sometimes teachers have simple work
sheets for children to fill out, or a list of
things the children must collect.
I do provide information sheets for
teachers and quiz sheets for children. In
addition, I have a large variety of personal
web pages relating to the seashore and
marine environments, with links to many
others. (see for example http://staffweb.
itsligo.ie/staff/bcrowe/bill/styles/frames/
marbiol/sshorero/sshorerl.htm).
As a precaution we bring a first aid kit.
colourful Irish under-water invertebrates
(soft animals without backbones and sometimes with shells) and fish, and finally their
biology is described.
Volunteers are used to demonstrate the
operation of SCUBA diving gear; and a range
of other marine sampling devices; or explanations are made using slides. For example,
a small grab sampler is first triggered and
then fired, emitting a loud bang as the
mechanism snaps shut the jaws. The children hear the loud hiss of suction sampling
gear and watch friends walking round
dressed as divers demonstrating underwater-transect recording techniques. I
demonstrate the functioning of plankton
nets, secci-disks for noting water clarity,
larval catching bags and plates.
I show photographic slides of extremely
deep sea sampling devices and the very
peculiar invertebrates and fish, from over 
miles down, which these devices catch, or
photograph. I have some preserved specimens of these weird organisms, which
amaze the children.
When we come back from the shore, I
often bring back small animals to the classroom, for observation. I find barnacles
sitting on limpet shells make very good
specimens for observation, when placed in
small wide jars under stereoscopic binocular microscopes and illuminated from the
side with flexi-lights. They are small and
insignificant and don’t move, but when
seawater is introduced to the jars, open up
and begin to feed frantically with their
thoracic appendages. Barnacles are like
little shrimp that have stuck their heads to
hard surfaces. They stick their ‘feathery
legs’ in and out of their shells rapidly to
catch plankton, when the tide comes in.
They are very photogenic when they are
active and really amuse the children.
Dr Bill Crowe, Heritage in Schools
Specialist in Marine Biology. Details
of the scheme can be found on www.into.ie
■
■ …the most interesting and best
place to study marine animal
and plant life is in the
open air on the
seashore.
20
PL ATFORM
Early Childhood Care and Education
Opportunities and Challenges
E
arly childhood care and
education is what the
name implies and more:
it comprises all the essential
supports a young child needs to
survive and thrive in life, as
well as the supports a family
and community need to
promote children’s learning.
Research suggests that significant and critical brain development occurs particularly during
the first three years of life.
Therefore, what happens to a
child, and the opportunities
provided in the first years are
crucial in determining lifelong
outcomes.
It is especially important to
recognize that early childhood
care and education programs
play a crucial role in lifelong
learning. Support for young
children does not merely refer
to establishing preschools or
infant classes. It refers to all the
activities and interventions that
address the needs and rights of
young children and help to
strengthen the contexts in
which they are embedded: the
family, the community, and the
physical, social, and economic
environment. If we believe that
learning begins at birth, it is
important to realise that basic
education begins then too.
Emphasis must be placed on
developing approaches, which
build on the achievements of
families and recognise the very
real constraints they face in
supporting their children’s
overall learning.
This is a very different way of
thinking about education from
what is normally understood
when we think of the needs of
primary and secondary students.
While one outcome of early
childhood care and education
programs is that they can help
children to be more successful in
school, the early years are a
crucial phase of human development and not merely a preparation for later years.
While a focus on primary
education is undoubtedly
important, evidence strongly
suggests that compulsory
school age is far too late to start
paying attention to children’s
learning needs. By the time a
child reaches school age, most
brain development, cognitive,
recently become the subject of
major policy development and
statutory provision. The Child
Care Act,  for the first time
required the state to regulate
preschool services leading to
the Child Care (Pre-School
Services) Regulations,  and
■ “By providing a ‘fair start’ to all
children, it is possible to modify
socio-economic and gender-related
inequities”.
language and physical abilities
have been set in place.
Early childhood care and
education as a field has valuable
experience to share, including
effective strategies for supporting young children in their
development, supporting families, and of greatest interest to
many primary teachers, helping
to make schools more ready for
learners and learners more
ready for school. Furthermore,
early childhood programmes
can also benefit parents, particularly women by freeing them
from child care responsibility so
they can learn and seek better
employment and earnings.
The unhealthy conditions
and stress associated with
poverty are accompanied by
inequalities in early development and learning. These
inequalities help to maintain or
magnify existing economic and
social inequalities. In a vicious
cycle, children from families
with few resources often fall
quickly and progressively
behind their more advantaged
peers in their development and
their readiness for school and
life, and that gap is then
increasingly difficult to close.
Early childhood care and
education in Ireland
In Ireland, early childhood care
and education has only very
Child Care (Pre-School Services)
(Amendment) Regulations,
.
Since the ’s much policy
development has taken place.
The Report of the Expert Working
Group on Childcare,  and the
White Paper on Early Childhood
Education,  define the age
range of early childhood care
and education as between birth
and six years of age, ie prior to
compulsory school age.
Throughout all policy documents we find a consistent view
that early childhood education
cannot be separated from early
childhood care as the two are
inextricably linked.
As policy around early childhood care and education developed in Ireland, there has also
been a significant – if patchy –
rise in provision of care and
education for the pre-school
age group. The Equal
Opportunities Childcare
Programme (administered by
the Department of Justice,
Equality and Law Reform) will
invest close to € million
between  and  and
has already significantly
increased provision for nonschool providers. However, the
Science remains the largest
source of funding for early
with over , children in
junior and senior infant classes.
The Department has also
provided for the Early Start
project that serves some 
three-year-old children in
disadvantaged areas since 
and for about  children in
Traveller preschools.
Despite the progress in policy
development and provision
there remain a number of
significant challenges in the
area of Irish early childhood
care and education. To address
these challenges, the
Science asked the Organisation
for Economic Cooperation and
Development (OECD) to
conduct a review of Irish early
with a particular focus on
access, coordination and quality. The review took place in
November  and without
anticipating its findings, I will
briefly discuss some aspects of
these challenges.
Access
General access to early childhood care and education is low
in Ireland compared to other
European countries and falls
well short of the targets set by
the Barcelona European
Council (- March, ).
For example, only just over %
of  year-olds attend junior
infant classes, a universal and
free service. The reasons for the
low take-up may be complex
but well worth examining.
Access for children who experience disadvantage including
traveller children remains
extremely limited and has
developed rather ad-hoc.
Access to private care and
education including childminding is also limited by lack of
provision and high cost affecting affordability for working
parents.
Coordination
A major challenge to the development of early childhood care
21
PL ATFORM
and education in Ireland
remains the lack of effective
coordination, particularly
between the traditional
‘education’ and ‘care’ divide.
Given the strong policy
consensus that care and
education are ‘inextricably
linked’, it is reasonable to
expect a more coordinated
effort at administrative level. In
order to provide a continuum
of care and learning the principal Departments of Education,
Justice and Health will have to
develop an area of shared jurisdiction.
Quality
The issue of quality in early
childhood care and education is
complex; the concept of quality
may be quite different depending on the view of any particular stakeholder. However,
international research has
contributed to a growing
consensus of what quality in
early childhood care and education means and we also know
that the efficacy of services is
directly linked to high quality.
In Ireland, the issue of quality
is not well researched and
developed. The application of
the Child Care (Pre-School
Services) Regulations has led to
a strong emphasis on ‘static’,
health and safety type indicators while the more ‘dynamic’,
pedagogical aspects have been
neglected.
The Centre for Early Childhood
Development and Education
In  the Minister for
Education and Science asked
the Dublin Institute of
Technology and St Patrick’s
College, Drumcondra, to jointly
establish the Centre for Early
Childhood Development and
Education, and form a board of
management consisting of
representatives from both institutions. The aim of the CECDE is
to develop and co-ordinate
early childhood education in
pursuance of the objectives of
the White Paper Ready to Learn
and to advise the Department
of Education and Science on
policy issues in this area. The
Centre’s brief covers children
from  to  years of age in a
wide variety of settings, includ-
22
ing families, nurseries, crèches,
playgroups, child minders,
preschools and the infant
classes of primary schools.
The main objectives of the
CECDE are to develop a quality
framework for early childhood
education and to promote
targeted interventions for chil-
CECDE will develop early education quality standards and a
support framework to encourage compliance with these standards by early education
providers. We will also co-ordinate and enhance early education provision paying particular
attention to the involvement of
■ “A lot of work remains to be done,
particularly in the areas of access,
quality and coordination”.
dren who are educationally
disadvantaged or have special
needs. In addition, we are to
prepare the groundwork for the
establishment of the Early
Childhood Education Agency as
envisaged by the White Paper.
Within this context, the
parents. Finally, we are implementing an ambitious research
programme.
We have established a
Consultative Committee, which
includes representatives of the
teaching profession, and we
will publish a number of
reports in the coming months.
For further up to date information please visit our web site at
www.cecde.ie.
What next?
The coming months will be
crucial for the future of early
in Ireland. We expect the OECD
to report on their review in the
autumn and hope that
Government will consider their
recommendations very
seriously. While most of the
required policy framework is in
place.
There is a unique opportunity
for the Department of
Education and Science to
assume a leading role in these
developments and further
implement the recommendations of the  White Paper
Ready to Learn.
■
Heino Schonfeld trained as a Social
Pedagogue in Berlin, Germany, and
practised in Germany, the United States
and – since  – Ireland.
In Ireland, he worked in special
education, services for people with
disabilities and from  to  as
Head of Barnardos’ National Children’s
Resource Centre.
Mr Schonfeld has contributed to a
number of organizations and bodies at senior
level including the Irish Association of Social
Workers, the Disability Federation of Ireland,
End Child Poverty Coalition, Committee of the
National Voluntary Childcare Organisations,
the National Coordinating Childcare Committee
and the National Council for Curriculum and
Assessment.
He has been Director of the Centre for
Early Childhood Development and
Education since June .
TE ACHER TO TE ACHER
Talking to Parents
The child with special needs
A
s a result of the general shift in
educational policy towards
integration, significant
numbers of children with
intellectual, motor and
sensory disabilities are now being educated
in mainstream schools. Many more teachers must now acquire new skills, not only in
providing education for children with
special needs, but also in establishing good
relationships with their parents.
Most parents are highly motivated to do
the best possible for their children. There is
no trouble too much, no effort too great for
parents trying to make the world right for
their disabled child. There are some who
take their child’s disability in their stride.
However, many suffer stress because of the
additional energy demands and emotional
trauma that goes with having a disabled
child, in particular if the disability is very
severe or incapacitating.
There are many frustrations too, because
the world, its services and social institutions are there primarily to facilitate people
without disabilities. As the years go by,
many parents can become weary of the
constant struggle to get proper services
from Departments of Education, Health
and Social Welfare. Teachers need to
develop sensitivity to the perspective and
concerns of these parents, unless they want
to add to these problems.
By the time a disabled child reaches
school age, his parents may have been in
contact with many able professionals, each
with a specialised skill to contribute to the
child’s welfare. Parents quickly become
attuned to a focused professional approach
to their child’s problems. It is in every
teacher’s interest to be aware of this and to
rise to the challenge.
Many special needs children come to the
primary level school accompanied by
extensive paperwork in the form of educational, psychological and therapy reports. It
is useful to have a good grasp of this material, but it is no substitute for a proper
parent consultation. A report is essentially
a snapshot of the child taken from the
perspective of a professional with a specific
range of skills.
Parents have a unique perspective
because they are living with the child and
the disability. They are in a very real sense
the experts in their child’s ‘special needs’.
They have a bond of love and commitment
that extends from the past, through the
■ Parents quickly become attuned to
a focused professional approach to
their child’s problems.
present and into the future. They have their
own set of goals and aspirations that need
to be acknowledged.
Like any other parents, the parents of
some disabled children may on occasion
appear to be unrealistic in the objectives
they set for their children. However, it is
damaging to refer to the nature and severity of the child’s disability as a stumbling
block to parental ambitions, particularly in
the early years. At the same time, it is
important that a teacher exerts a moderating influence on the amount of pressure
that some parents may be exerting on a
child with special needs. No matter what
the sense of urgency in helping a child to
perform well or to ‘catch up’ with his peers,
everyone has a right to relax and be happy.
The parents of any child can become frustrated and angry from time to time, but
because of the unique stresses exerted on
the parents of a disabled child this can
often spill over into the relationship with a
teachers or other professional. It is crucial
that such anger should not be taken as a
personal affront. The reaction to criticism
or complaints should not be defensive. A
calm manner and willingness to meet a
parent’s concerns as far as they are practical or possible goes a long way towards
resolving this kind of problem and sustaining a supportive relationship.
A sense of humility about our own work
as teachers and how we can contribute to
the education of children with special needs
is also important. Extravagant claims about
the value of the education programme or
special schemes to remediate the effects of
specific disabilities are best avoided. In
special education it is unwise to make
promises for which there is no likely delivery date. This can lead to painful
disappointment and erosion of trust.
There are no magic wands around with
which to make good the limitations
imposed on a child by disability. There is no
educational programme so perfect or no
teacher so hard working that a child with
special needs will not always be struggling
to some extent. Many parents become
aware of this quite quickly, but for some it
takes time.
Armed with a good understanding of
disability and the flexibility to adapt
programmes and teaching methods to
meet specific needs, a teacher can be a
strong positive influence. With a good
teacher, children acquire new skills and
have a sense of achievement. Confidence
grows and horizons widen.
In special education, the focus is not
really on circumventing the disability,
because that may not be easy. It is rather on
building a future for the child, based on
existing strengths. The ultimate objective is
to explore and to develop the child’s potential and thus create a better quality of life.
The involvement of other professionals is
essential as part of this, but the continuing
support of parents, and their faith in what
they are trying to achieve, is probably the
most important element in the whole
process.
Sean Andrews is Deputy Principal of
St Raphael’s Special NS, Celbridge, Co
Kildare.
■
23
Reading/
Learning
Difficulties
How to simplify school life
for Children
T
he following suggestions are
based on my experiences with
children and their parents
during the past twenty five
years.
For simplicity of language I will refer to
the child with reading/learning difficulty as
the SLD (Specific Learning Difficulty) child
from now on. I also use the term ‘usually’
because there are exceptions to the norm,
eg some who may have no difficulty with
mathematics.
●
●
Classroom: English and other subjects
●
●
The SLD child usually hates to be asked to
read out loud in front of the class.
However, as there may be times when
s/he wishes to read, an agreed signal from
child to teacher may be arranged at the
beginning of the year. It is important to
have this agreed signal (eg raising of
hand) otherwise the child may be in a
constant state of anxiety expecting the
teacher to ask her/him to read.
Taped stories are helpful for improving
fluency and for giving the SLD child an
24
●
opportunity to ‘read’ the popular books
being read by peers.
Irish reading and spelling (especially
homework) may have to be ruled out. It
may be necessary to arrange an exemption from Irish altogether through assessment by a psychologist.
The SLD child usually cannot recognise
the spelling patterns in words, whereas
the child without this difficulty will
immediately see the pattern eg “They’re
all ‘ide’ words, I only have to learn the
first letter!” The SLD child needs to have
the pattern being taught put into a different colour and needs to be taught the
pattern and to be shown that eg only the
first letter changes – as in list of ‘ide’
words. Unless this is done words such as
hide , side, wide, tide, mean four separate
spellings to be learned without the
connection being made.
Spelling tests given to the whole class
usually mean a weekly occurrence of failure for the SLD child, despite hours of
learning at home. In a situation where
prizes for results are given, the SLD child
●
●
has no hope of gaining recognition for
the amount of effort expended unless an
award for good effort is given. In situations where prizes are or are not given
unless the effort of the SLD is acknowledged the comparisons which s/he makes
between others in the class and
her/himself will continue to damage selfesteem.
Given the same written work as the other
children the SLD child will usually find
the content too difficult and the amount
of written work too long. The few lines
produced will cause further comparisons
with the rest of the class.
Adjustments to the content where necessary, and to the amount, will lead to an
experience of success rather than failure.
There are excellent ‘remedial’ workbooks
available. Collins Early English Skills - are
one good example. For the weaker reader
Oxford Junior Workbooks - are excellent.
There are pre-reading workbooks also
and each number (except ) has an ‘a’
book, a, a, etc.
Creative writing tasks usually produce
●
simple stories, sentences, yet the child
may have a vivid imagination. Being
allowed to dictate a story to another
child, to the teacher or to a tape will give
expression to the child’s creativity,
instead of always restricting it by the
struggle to write and spell.
Drawing pictures while a selected piece
of music is playing and then sharing the
ideas, which the music gave, is another
good way of developing the creativity of
the SLD child. A child in one of my classes
said that he felt that Anach Cuain showed
a loss to the community (eleven men and
eight women died in a lake). I had not
told him the story.
Other subjects need to be simplified.
History can be made more intelligible
if a synopsis is made of the basic
information eg:
Stone stools;
Moved around;
Old Stone Age;
Hunted and fished;
Built shelters.
The SLD child needs to have
explained that everybody can
find it difficult to take information from a page and to
remember essential details
and that we all need ways to help us to do
this.
In geography the SLD child needs to be
shown how to find countries in the index
and how to look them up in the atlas,
otherwise mention of eg India in a reading textbook means very little to her/him.
S/he needs to know where Ireland is in
relation to the rest of the world.
are usually totally confusing, unless first
simplified into small numbers eg “A bus
had  passengers at the beginning of the
journey,  got off and one got on. How
many were there at the end of the journey?” By using small numbers they can
figure out the + – etc needed and can
then go back to work on the larger
numbers.
Mathematical Equipment
(i) Dienes Blocks are essential for teaching
place, value, addition and subtraction to
thousands, multiplication, division,
percentages.
In the absence of Dienes Blocks pictorial
representations can be used eg “a
shopkeeper has  apples (ten in a box, in
‘ten house’ and four loose ones in unit
‘house’).
Homework
Homework presents another major area of
difficulty in the life of the SLD child and
that of her/his parents. Homework needs to
be of a content and quality which is appropriate to the child, otherwise there will be
hours of frustration, failure and tears. Ten
spellings for the child with no difficulty
may mean five minutes of work, for the SLD
child it may mean forty-five minutes, tears
and no success.
As for class work, written work needs to
be easy enough to understand and short
enough so that it does not take ages to do.
A page of the class reader (where the SLD
child is able to read it even with difficulty)
is usually far too much, but a paragraph or
two may be manageable. Where it is definitely too difficult, other reading – at the
child’s level – needs to be provided.
While all this may seem
impossible in a large class with
numerous demands on the
teacher, it is consoling to
remember that the most
important thing which an SLD
child needs from her/his class
teacher, is empathy. In a situation where her/his needs and
difficulties are understood
even if the teacher cannot find time to
respond adequately to them, the SLD child
will feel safe and free from anxiety and will
feel able to communicate with the teacher
(when the teacher can find time to listen!).
A sense of humour eg about the teacher’s
own mistakes can also be very helpful,
because it helps the SLD child to
understand that everyone makes mistakes.
In the absense of any unit of training (as
part of the regular teacher training) in
reading/learning difficulty in the training
college, teachers have been faced with
trying to discover for themselves – while
coping with large numbers – information
which should have been an essential part of
Teacher Training.
I found this quotation helpful:
“Reading is the skill above all others
which adults value, so failure in reading
means failing to please parents and teachers. The consequences of this are first that
the poor readers begins to feel guilty at failing and eventually to feel unworthy, inadequate and unloved. Failure in reading has
now generalised to the whole personality so
that the inferior reader sees him/herself
also as an inferior person”.
■ “Reading is the skill above all
others which adults value, so
failure in reading means failing to
please parents and teachers”.
●
Classroom: Mathematics
●
●
The SLD child will usually find it very
difficult to memorise tables. For each
new concept being taught s/he will be too
busy struggling to figure out the table
involved that s/he will miss out on listening properly to the explanation of the
concept and will work too slowly to be
able to do the amount of practice
required in order to consolidate the
learning of the concept.
Being allowed to use a table book
removes all unnecessary difficulty and
also gives training in noticing the
number of patterns.
The SLD child usually finds it difficult to
learn mathematical concepts and to solve
problems with large numbers and
complicated language. Use of mathematical equipment, pictorial example, simple
numbers and more simple language will
help greatly with learning the concepts,
although methodology is often forgotten
and has to be re-learned.
Mathematical problems with large
numbers and a mixture of computations
For teaching percentages, especially if
combined with simple interest it is very
easy to show eg % by putting four units
beside the hundred.
In the teaching of history they can be
used for showing  years, , years, the
, block and the  flat can be
compared to the one unit for one year.
Otherwise mentioning  years etc to the
SLD child does not have much meaning.
(ii) Unifix cubes for the teaching of multiplication allow the child to learn the
concept in a fun way without realising s/he
is learning it eg put two counters on each
finger – call out  twos,  twos, etc and so on
to groups of three, four, etc after doing
sums based on groups of two.
(iii) A  hour clock for each child allows
for practice at showing hours, / hours etc,
and explains clearly  o’clock etc which in
turn makes it easy to understand bus/train
timetables.
(iv) Magnetic fraction boards and pieces
are absolutely essential. It is usually impossible to teach the meaning of fractions
unless the SLD child can hold halves, quarters, eights, etc and can compare them with
each other.
(v) Graded worksheets allow the SLD child
to learn in easy steps instead of trying to
follow the textbook eg for long multiplication the child needs a page or two of examples where s/he is multiplying by one ten,
x, x, x etc before moving on to tens
x, x, x etc and then by three tens,
four tens and so on.
(Improved Reading Through Counselling by
Denis Lawrence).
■
Teresa McMahon has been a Learning
Support Teacher for  years in both a
shared capacity and also in a special school
for reading difficulty.
25
Things they didn’t
teach you in College!
Dealing with everyday complaints and
problems
There were many things which college
didn’t, probably couldn’t teach.
Who doesn’t remember the first terrifying experience of a parental voice raised in
anger at some perceived shortcoming in
the education of their children?
The first major bust-up in the school yard?
The cumulative annoyance of tale telling
and complaints to be dealt with everyday?
20 years of teaching experience has filled
in some of the gaps for me.
Complaint 
“Teacher, no-one will play with me”.
This comes from Zandra, age 8, a confident, pony-tailed little girl.
Translation: “Everyone else wants to play
chasing but I want to play hopscotch and I
can’t make them do what I want”.
Politically-correct reaction: “Why don’t
you join in the game the others are playing
for this break, Zandra, and we might organise a game of Hopscotch tomorrow?”.
It is better not to:
a. Say the first thing that comes to mind,
especially if it is along the lines of “I
wouldn’t be too keen on playing with
you myself”. This is unnecessarily nasty
and will only make you feel better for a
little while.
b.Make a rough use of Zandra’s ponytail!
Complaint 2
“Teacher, they won’t leave me alone”
Johnny, age 6, has brought a new toy tractor to school to show off. He does not,
however, feel like sharing it.
Allowable reaction: “Johnny, like a good
boy, bring the tractor inside and put it away
until going-home time. If you keep it outside,
you’ll have to let your friends play too”.
Do not (except in real need) react to this
situation by using the ‘modh díreach’ ie
“No tractor, no problem. Give it here to
me!” This will most likely result in you
forgetting to give it back and may even
involve a parental visit to inform you:
a. just how expensive the toy was;
b.that it was the last present his granny
bought him before she died; or
c. that if the tractor isn’t returned immediately, ‘The Board of Works’ will have
to be informed.
Complaint 
(This sort of thing happens on yard duty,
always while your attention is on your
lunch or the most recently injured junior
infant.)
“Teacher, teacher, teacher, Paddy says it
was a goal, but it went wide, right over my
jumper.” Gary, age 9, a budding Roy Keane
(in more ways than one!) is not happy with
the state of play.
Reaction: (allowable, I think, but try not
to sound too sarcastic!)
“If you would bother to bring out the
cones I bought for you at great expense
(with the PE grant) instead of using your
jumpers as goalposts (and getting them
soaked and filthy in the process) you
wouldn’t have that problem”.
Complaint 
“Teacher, s/he they are looking at me”. This
is usually, though not always, a girl – this
time Pamela, age 10, who is in bad humour
with the world.
Reaction: The following comments will
not help: “Lucky you!”, “You wish!” or
simply “Go away and don’t annoy me while
I am eating my lunch”.
The patient and dedicated teacher will
make him/herself known at this stage by
distracting the child into better humour
and making a brilliant suggestion for a new
game that all the children in the class will
play happily together for the remainder of
the break.
Complaint 
“Teacher, they’re all talking about me” (our
Pamela again – the humour is really foul
this week).
Bracing reaction (you won’t be able to
help it): “Not at all, Pam dear, I’m sure
they’re not. Now run along and join in the
game, there’s a good girl”.
You may get away with the above but do
not voice any of the following thoughts
that come to mind:
“I’m sure they’ve better things to talk
about”.
“You should be so lucky” etc.
Complaint 
The opposite but related complaint –
“Teacher, no-one will talk to me” – which
you will probably hear, possibly from the
same child, within a short space of time.
Reaction: Unprintable!
Complaint 
(Usually in Infant classroom and accompanied by tears). “Teacher, someone ate my
lunch.” Craig, age 5, and a fine big lad for
his age, is inconsolable.
Reaction: This is a serious matter and not
to be treated lightly. I suggest some possible solutions:
a. check behind lunch table
b.check child’s own bag – you may find
lunch or, better still, wrapper which
proves he ate it at 11 o’clock break and
has forgotten he did.
c. Worse case scenario – lunch cannot be
found.
In this case there is no choice but to offer
him something to make up. The organised
teacher may have something healthy and
nourishing in reserve for just such an
emergency. The rest of us must hand over
the bar that was going to taste so nice with
a good strong mug of coffee.
Complaint 
“Teacher, no one will look at me.”
Reaction: See Complaint 4. Works for this
situation too.
■
Mary Cronin is currently on career
break and enjoying the view of school
from a distance!
26
Sharing is Caring
Róisin Meaney is embarking on a job share for the coming year. She outlines
her thoughts, and creative solutions for finance, in this article.
I
’ve always been a fan of
sharing; especially when
the article in question is
someone else’s cylinder
of Pringles, or box of
Black Magic. And I have no
objection to someone dipping
into my pack of Minstrels now
and again. I’ve even been
known to hand over half my
Curly Wurly without bursting
into tears.
I think I can say that sharing
per se doesn’t cause me undue
worry. I try to look on it as a
sign of generosity and friendship and yes, caring, if you’ll
forgive the awful grouphugness of that expression.
(Preserve us all from group
hugs.) No, what I’m really
wondering is whether I’ll
survive the whole experience of
sharing my job – an idea that
seemed like a really good one
way back in January, on a
particularly horrible day.
Not that I’ve any objection to
splitting the workload down the
middle; oh dear me no. As far as
I’m concerned, two heads are
definitely better than one when
it comes to making out a yearly
scheme and fortnightly notes,
and devising a code of behaviour for the classroom. And you
can be sure I won’t be sitting at
home on my weeks off, biting
my nails and wondering if my
other half is nurturing our
twenty-eight little souls as carefully as I do.
I don’t intend to lose much
sleep wondering if she remembers to keep Joan and Barbara
at opposite ends of the room,
for everyone’s safety. Nor will
my days be taken up agonising
over whether she listens attentively enough to Clive’s neverending anecdotes at lunchtime.
I won’t consider ringing her up
28
in the evenings to check that
she monitored Joe’s sugar
intake, or reminded Pat not to
forget his lunchbox – again.
The state of the nature table
when I’m not around won’t
interest me. Nor will I wonder
whether toilets are flushed and
hands are washed in my
absence. I’m afraid I have to
confess that once they’re out of
sight, my sometime charges will
But I know in my heart and
soul that every second
Thursday, when that harptopped brown envelope plops
through the letter box, and I
pull out the payslip and read
the alarmingly miniscule
number in the bottom right
hand corner, I’ll have a few
minutes of wondering if jobsharing was really such a good
idea.
into VIP magazine – revealed
that the last eligible millionaire
in Ireland got married in
Kincasslagh last year. Daniel
and I would have been perfectly
suited too. He could have come
into the class on my weeks on
and done a bit of singing. And
Mammy could have made tea at
the Christmas concert. Ah well,
it wasn’t to be.
Solution two
Same mortgage, same bills,
same size petrol tank, not to
mention stomach, to fill – and
half the cash to do it with.
What is a girl to do on fifty
percent of the wherewithal?
When I thought about this
dilemma, I saw three possible
solutions.
I could get a bank loan to make
up the difference, and pay it
back whenever I went back to
working fulltime. Amazingly
though, my bank manager,
whom I like to call Sir, (actually
it’s more that he likes me to call
him Sir) wasn’t very forthcoming with the cash when I
explained to him that I was
hoping to job-share for about
fifteen years. It’s at times like
this you find out who your real
friends are.
Solution one
Solution three
I could meet and marry a
millionaire – shouldn’t be too
difficult. All I need to do is
discover where the eligible
millionaires hang out and present myself there some evening,
suitably dolled up. After some
in-depth research – look, the
internet is very deep in parts – I
discovered a fairly major obstacle; it seems millionaires tend
to hang out in very expensive
places – the kind of places that I
couldn’t have afforded on a full
salary, let alone half. How many
teachers do you know who go to
Mauritius for a holiday? Which
one of your colleagues would be
let into the corporate enclosure
at the Galway races?
What’s more, further indepth research on my part –
seriously, I had to dig very deep
So it looks very much like I’m
going to have to resort to solution three to sort out my money
worries. I’m going to have to
shoot to the bestseller list when
my book is published in
February – here’s where you
can help out – and stay there for
at least six months. I’m going to
have to flog it to at least three
quarters of the countries in the
world and make all the
bestseller lists there too. I’m
going to have to sell the film
rights to Stephen Spielberg and
make sure Colin Farrell and
Catherine Zeta Jones are free
that week.
Just as well I’m going to be
job-sharing. Looks like I’ll have
plenty to do.
Roisin Ni Mhaonaigh,
Limerick School Project.
■ When I thought about this dilemma,
I saw three possible solutions.
be most definitely be out of
mind.
And I have to say that another
bod sitting beside me at parent
teacher meetings will definitely
be a plus. Not that I’ve ever had
a nasty experience in that area,
touch wood, but I feel that the
presence of another teacher
would work psychological
wonders, particularly when
you’re using every ounce of tact
to let the parents know that
academically their Johnny will
never amount to more than a
hill of beans.
No, I’m fine with the whole
‘half the hours, half the work,
half the corrections’ thing. Not
to mention half the early mornings and half the yard duties.
Boy, will I enjoy lolling in bed on
a rainy September morning,
listening to Marian Finnucane
and planning my leisurely
breakfast – or should that be
brunch? (And sincere apologies
if you’re reading this on a rainy
September morning with half
an eye on the staff room clock,
wishing you were back in bed
listening to Marian Finnucane.
If it helps, you can assume that
this is my week on.)
■
Summer Course in Salzburg
Mary Ryng from Cork tells of her summer course experience in Austria, and
urges teachers to participate in the next Orff International Summer School.
F
ive o’ clock in the morning of  of
July, and my alarm clock rang stridently. I groaned – why couldn’t I
just turn over like every other self
respecting primary teacher in
Ireland – happy that the summer course
was finally over, and that the long awaited
holiday has begun. But not mine! For the
first week of July, I presented a music
summer course in Clonakilty. Now it was
time to travel to participate on my own
summer course – an intensive -day course
in Orff Music at the Orff Institute in
Salzburg. I first encountered the Orff
approach to teaching music at a weekend
seminar in London, where I decided that
the system is very relevant to the Revised
Music Curriculum, hence my application
for a place on the international summer
school. Struggling out of bed, I showered,
fed the rabbits, locked the house, and drove
to the airport. Salzburg, here I come.
Encounter with a Salzburg Taxi Driver
I arrived at my destination at six o’clock
that evening, having flown first to London,
then to Vienna, and then taken a three and
a half hour train journey to Salzburg. From
Salzburg station, I took a taxi to my final
destination. The taxi driver, on learning
that I was bound for the Orff Institute, put
Carmina Burina by Orff on the car stereo
system. He enquired where I was from, and
was very excited to hear I was from Ireland.
He wished to offer me some work! He
explained that his friend – a great
composer, the son of a famous opera singer,
was in Salzburg, working on a re-mix of
‘Eine Kleine Nachtmusik’ by Mozart. He was
mixing it with garage music and hip-hop.
He has lost some of his creativity when his
mother – the opera singer – died. But today,
he was ‘vigorous’ again! The taxi driver,
who had by now introduced himself as
Thierry, thought he should include some
Irish music on this re-mix. He gave me his
card and urged me to phone him. I
protested that I would be kept quite busy
on the summer school, but my new friend
wasn’t taking ‘no’ for an answer, so weakly I
accepted the card.
Later on the week, on my one afternoon
off, I was strolling in downtown Salzburg,
when a taxi came honking in my direction.
Out jumped my friend Thierry, who bowed
elaborately, and asked if, now that I was
free, I would come to the studio! A little
nonplussed, I had to explain that I was late
for class, and had to rush! To this day, I
don’t know if:
a)Thierry was part of elaborate white slave
traffic;
b)This was an original chat-up line; or
c)Salzburg taxi drivers are highly cultured.
I actually suspect the latter!
At the Orff Institute
The Orff Institute is part of the Mozarteum,
the Mozart University, and the students are
housed at the nearby Schloss Frohnburg,
which, guess what, is the building that was
used as the family home in the film ‘The
Sound of Music’. My room was in the new
wing, as I had requested an en-suite room.
It was simply but tastefully furnished, with
a desk, table, chairs, and a very inviting
bed. But no time to waste – the introductory session was already underway!
At the introductory class I met my teaching colleagues from all over the world. There
were  participants altogether, divided into
three classes of , and coming from most
European countries, as well as USA, Korea,
Japan, Taiwan, Thailand, Ghana, Iceland and
Australia! There were even two other teachers from Ireland, a secondary school teacher
from Galway, and a teacher from the College
of Music in Dublin. So I found myself in very
international company indeed. After a
general orientation, I sussed out the nearby
McDonalds’ and then gratefully fell into bed.
The Orff Summer School
Carl Off (-) was a prolific German
composer, who was very interested in the
musical education of young children. He
believed that children can best learn music
creatively, and he asserted that all children
are entitled to an education in music.
Children are encouraged to discover the
musical possibilities of their own bodies as
they move, experiment with body sounds
and vocal sounds, and play percussion
instruments. Rhythm is taught through
chants, rhymes and children’games.
Children engage in participative and
creative music making before beginning to
study the theory of music. The Orff
approach has become very popular, and
has spread to many countries. Nowadays,
the Orff Institute in Salzburg specialises in
preparing teachers to teach music and
movement according to the Orff principles,
offering both undergraduate and postgraduate courses, and summer schools for
teachers. At the International Summer
Schools, classes are taught through English.
Our summer school was a very intensive
course. It began at nine o’clock every morning, and finished at  o’clock in the
29
evening, with a two-hour lunch
break, and coffee breaks midmorning and mid-afternoon.
In the mornings, each group
had a movement workshop, a
singing workshop, and an
instrumental workshop. In the
afternoons, a variety of courses
were offered, and we had to
opportunity to choose before
hand what we wished to attend.
The two I chose were ‘Building
Music: Elemental Composition’
with a teacher from USA, and
‘Listening with all the Senses’
which was given by a
Composer-Broadcaster from
Spain. Other courses on offer
included ‘Creative Dance for
Children’; ‘Developing sensitivity through the arts’; and ‘Sing
the rhythm, move the groove’.
We had one free afternoon, to
explore the surrounding area.
On most evening, we had
concerts, given by the course
presenters, or local musicians,
or indeed by the international
participants.
The cost
The summer school cost €.
Accommodation at the Schloss
cost € per night for a shared
room, € for a single room, or
€ for a single en-suite in the
new wing, which was the option
I chose. The price included
breakfast –  rolls, butter and
jam, plus coffee! There was a
big well-equipped kitchen,
however, and each resident had
a locker and an individual little
fridge, so most people selfcatered, which kept costs down.
I budgeted € per day for
food, drink, local bus fares etc,
and I found this to be quite
adequate, because of the
kitchen facilities. I did spend a
bit more on souvenirs,
however, and on music books
and CDs.
My flight with British Airways
cost €, and the train to
Salzburg cost €. It was a beautiful journey, through the
Danube valley, through forests
and mountains, so it was a great
way to see some of Austria. On
the final night, I spent a night
in a hotel in Vienna, and this
cost €.
Like me, most of the teachers
present had paid their own
course fees and travel expenses.
30
What is it about teachers that
make us such a self-sacrificing
lot? We were all there in our
time, and when I told others I
would probably get  EPV days,
they were very envious. The
Australian teacher, in particular, had spent a short break
participating on the course, (it’s
winter there!) and because she
could not be home in time for
school on the Monday morning
after the course finished, her
principal had asked her to take
a day’s unpaid leave!
The following are my recommendations to teachers who
may like to participate in the
next Orff International Summer
School.
The next international
summer school will be in ,
and I certainly hope to participate again. I would urge other
Irish primary school teachers to
participate, as the Orff
approach is so relevant to our
Irish music curriculum. If you
plan early, you could make
Austria your holiday destination that year. Here are some
do’s and don’ts for those thinking of participating:
● A command of music is
assumed, so if you need to
improve yours, start now.
● A basic knowledge of German
is advisable for shopping and
eating out in Salzburg. I had
assumed that all menus
would be available in English,
but I was very wrong.
● You will spend a lot of time in
your bare feet – a pedicure
before you travel may be a
good idea!
● It’s a great course and a great
country – I highly recommend
that you GO FOR IT!
● Next year, the Institute will
offer a summer school taught
through the medium of
German, and there will also
be a course on Music
Therapy, also presented in
German.
For further details of all
courses, contact : The
University Mozarteum Institute
for Music and Dance Pedagogy,
Orff Institute, Frohnburgweg
, A- Salzburg, Austria
Website: www.moz.ac.at
■
Mary Ryng, Cork.
Teacher Status
Dear Editor,
I am a Masters Graduate from
UCC. I have worked as a substitute teacher on a daily basis for
the last  months. Last January I
went to do an interview in Mary
Immaculate College in relation
to a position on the primary
school teaching conversion
course. I earned a mark of 
out of  in the interview
process, and I also passed the
Oral Irish element of the test.
Add to this the fact that I have
been working as a soccer and
hockey coach in primary
schools for the last  years.
I have organised summer
camps in America for  years,
the male/gender imbalance in
the teaching profession and my
Honours Irish at Leaving
Certificate, and you may think I
would be confident of earning a
place at this institution.
However for the second year
running I was rejected. Now I
find myself at a crossroads, do I
enter into another profession
when I really wish to teach, or
do I go to Britain to gain my
qualification?
I feel that those people who
have gained teaching qualifications in Britain are being
treated like second class citizens. There is an atmosphere
prevalent that suggests that
unless you have come out of
Mary Immaculate College, you
are incapable of being a ‘real
teacher’. I have further confirmation of this when it is
considered I know of a number
of teachers who gained their
teaching qualification in
England. The world does not
begin or end in Mary
Immaculate College in
Limerick, or in the other teaching centres in Dublin.
So now I have a choice, move
to London and gain my teaching certificate, only to be
treated like a second class citizen when I return, or I can leave
the teaching profession. Should
you see my experience and
references earned from all of
the schools that I have worked
in, I am sure you will notice my
potential as a teacher.
Unfortunately, at this stage I
am strongly re-considering my
choice of careers. I would like to
31
take this opportunity to thank
the Government, the INTO and
all of the other teachers unions,
and all of the teacher training
institutes in the country for
their strong support.
Yours sincerely,
Edward O’ Sullivan
Teaching Ads
Dear Editor,
I am writing in relation to the
advertising of primary school
teaching posts in the national
newspapers and the words,
‘Assistant Teacher’. This is an
historical term which should no
longer be used, when advertising for a qualified teacher, or at
any other time.
There are many reasons, for
example:
. A qualified teacher is not an
assistant teacher having the
main day to day responsibility for a class of pupils, when
appointed.
. Qualified teachers have studied to degree level, or higher.
. With the advert of classroom
assistants and more recently
‘Special Needs Assistants’ in
schools, using the term
Assistant Teacher has been
confusing and ill-advised.
. When writing references for
teachers travelling abroad,
who have been employed as
primary teachers in this
country, the term ‘assistant
teachers’ indicates that these
employees were working as
assistants and not as teachers.
The Cork Diocesan Office,
among others, gives excellent
guidance, in addition to DES
and CPSMA directions. I
suspect, however, given the
number of advertisements that
are still appearing in newspapers seeking ‘assistant teacher’,
that these are not always
consulted.
This matter should be
brought to the attention of all
board of management
members, especially those with
responsibility for placing advertisements, as not only is
‘Assistant Teacher’ no longer
the correct term to use but it
also causes unnecessary confusion.
Yours faithfully, Michael Daly,
Cork.
Special Olympics – Thanks
Dear Editor,
You might remember you
generously allowed me the use
of the good offices of InTouch to
make an appeal to teachers to
have their school take an active
part in the  Special
Olympics World Summer
Games. You might allow me
again this time to say a heartfelt
thank you to all the schools who
volunteered their music, song
and dance groups to entertain
the athletes at ‘Special
Olympics Town’ at the RDS
during the week of the games.
The response is terrific. We
have a full programme now and
we’re ready to go. I cannot
thank you, the teachers,
enough. Your hard work really
is appreciated.
By the time this goes to print,
it will all be over and I hope
each school taking part has
gained as much pleasure in the
experience as I feel sure the
athletes will.
Thank you. You are wonderful.
Yours sincerely, Ailish Finnegan,
Entertainer’s Manager,
 Special Olympics World
Summer Games.
Maith Sibh
I have just returned from the
INTO Irish course in Spiddal
Galway and would like to thank
John Gallagher and the tutors
for all their help.
I am an English trained
teacher who is attempting to
learn Irish to fulfil the criteria
set out by the Department of
Education. I decided to go on
one of the courses and thought
that there would be others like
me attending, which proved
not to be the case. I was the only
beginner among a group of
around  or so teachers on the
course.
John and the tutors were very
patient, understanding and did
their best to make me feel part
of the group. At the end of the
course I found that my ear was
starting to tune into the
language and I was understanding or getting the gist of what
was being said. It was my first
experience of hearing the
language spoken as a means of
communication. I left the
course feeling quite positive
and enthusiastic about learning
Irish and would certainly go
again, if they will have me back!
Yours sincerely, Jane Hughes,
Balscadden NS.
Esso Promotion
Dear Editor,
May I avail of your columns to
make a relevant protest at an
initiative taken recently by the
Esso fuel company?
As many of your readers will
already be aware, the
Esso/Exxon corporation has an
abysmal record of
mistreatment, neglect and
downright abuse of the environment. In addition, in its avid
pursuit of profit, it has publicly
denied that it’s activities are
having any deleterious effect!
Neither does it spend, or
propose to spend, any of its
obscene profits on research for
cleaner, more environmentally
fuel-sources for the future. This
record has made Esso/Exxon the
target of world-wide protest at
it’s activities, which are
completely ignored.
Now, in an attempt to
improve it’s tarnished image,
Esso has targeted our children
in their schools. They have sent
to the schools a package including calendar, pretty pictures,
and the obligatory competition.
And the theme? The environment of course! Such blatant
and shameless cynicism
amounts, to my world, to an
abuse of our children and our
schools.
Could I, through you, ask that
every school, every teacher, and
indeed, every child, should
treat this as the monumental
check that it is and send the
whole expensive and misleading package back. With the
message that we are not going
to partake in their cynical exercise. Alternatively, we could
keep the pretty calendar etc but
cut off the Esso logos and send
them back with the same
message! Either way, I think
that we owe it, in honesty, to
the children in our care to
expose this for the cold hearted
deceit that it is, and refuse to
have anything to do with it.
Yours sincerely,
Veronica Lynain, Co Westmeath.
TIPS
Get Set for Athletics!
H
ere’s a series of activities to
get your pupils up and
running. The following
athletics ideas are intended
for an outdoor space, but
could be adapted for indoor usage, if you’re
lucky enough to have a hall!
1
Warm-up: Saucers & Domes Game
Divide your area into two halves
with upturned domes on one side
and right way ups on the other. Start half of
the class on opposite sidelines, running
out, reversing the domes in their half, and
running back to their sideline.
Planning and Organisation
It is recommended that a  min. lesson
consist of a warm-up phase concluding
with light stretching ( mins), skill
development session ( mins), and a
cool-down period ( mins).
By repeating some activities and devel-
2
Warm-up: Moving Tunnels
Groups of /… beanbag passed
through legs to player behind.
Child runs to end of line after passing.
Activity is repeated until tunnel has
crossed the entire zone.
oping others, a series of - lessons could
be achieved. When outdoors, it is advisable
that a clearly defined area be established to
operate as a perimeter for activities. Keep
groups to a max. of - children, and
provide sufficient equipment to prevent
excessive queueing!
3
Warm-up: Bean Bag Tag
- beanbags are passed around
zone by runners.  chasers wear
braids/bibs.
Chasers can only catch the child in
possession of the bean bag. If caught, they
switch with chaser. (take braid)
Stretching
Stretching
Light Exercises
Stretching
Light Exercises
Light Exercises
Running: (Junior Classes Option)
Teams of  ( on each side of zone)
Beanbag is passed to teammate on the
opposite side by running, walking, hopping
and skipping by turn.
Continous Running: (Junior Classes )
Groups of 4… following the leader. The
leader alternates on signal for turn each.
(Senior Classes Option)
(Senior Classes Option)
Parlauf Relay: Teams of  – spread around
the perimeter, running and passing the
beanbag continuously for a given time,
counting the laps completed.
Running
Jumping
Reaction Sprints: Sprint from various starting positions behind sideline eg facing
backwards, sitting, lying on back etc… react
to Go! and sprint -m only.
Use pairs of skipping ropes closely spaced
on the ground to explore hopping, jumping
from two feet to two feet, one foot to two
feet and one foot to the other.
Run in groups of  for given time. Each
group is given a letter of the alphabet to
find countries, foods, popgroups, boys or
girl’s names beginning with that letter, as
they run together.
Jumping
Skipping with and without ropes… stationary and moving, two feet together, alternating feet, skipping for speed and stamina.
Jumping
Explore jumping over very low obstacles
(Canes on cones), jumping from two feet to
two feet, one foot to two feet and one foot
to the other. Use standing jumps and
running/bouncing approaches.
Throwing
Underarm throw… bean bags into the hoop
targets
Cool-Down: Soilse Tráchta Game
Throwing
Throwing:  handed overhead throw
Colour call and react session… Glas =Run,
Dearg =Stop, Oráiste=Walk,
Buí=Reverse, Dubh=Lie on back, Ban=Lie
on front, Gorm=stretch to sky
Overarm throw for distance and accuracy
using coloured hoops arranged as graded
targets.
Use a large ball while seated and standing.
Then try with an approach run to sideline.
Cool-Down: Make the Number
Cool-Down: Bridges
Stretching
Light Exercises
Equipment used
Cones, Bean bags, Hoops, Large Balls,
Skipping Ropes, Canes, Domes (Cones
on a pole!)
32
A rolls ball through B’s legs and collects on
far side. Then, through  different bridges…
holding ball high to finish. Reverse A and B
partners and repeat!
Stretching
Light Exercises
Jog around perimeter, and on the call, form
groups of that number in the zone.
Stretching
Light Exercises
■
Written by John Murphy and Tony
Sweeney of the PE Subject Association
(IPPEA)
TIPS
Give HESSIAN
a Make-Over
The first article,
suggesting a variety of
uses for Hessian, of a
proposed series designed
to assist teachers in the
implementation of the
visual arts curriculum
Curriculum Strand: Fabric and Fibre
T
hese activities involving exploring
and working with hessian fabric may
be used with all classes and offer
endless possibilities for the children to
engage in personal, creative and imaginative work by changing the surface of the
hessian in a variety of different ways.
Curriculum Objectives
●
●
●
●
●
like? Look like? How is it made?
Explore and experiment with fabric and
fibre.
Make a small inventive piece in fabric
and fibre.
Step : Discussion (Stimulus)
●
Make holes in hessian fabric with your fingers.
Make a pattern in a piece of hessian by making holes.
What does the word ‘fabric’ bring to mind?
Where do we find it? What do we use it
for? Do you have other names for ‘fabric’?
Show some hessian. Where have you seen
fabric like this before?
What does the hessian feel like? Smell
Stimulus
▼
Activity
▼
Evaluation
KEY MESSAGE
Step : Explore and Experiment ( Activity )
What can you do with your piece of hessian?
● Scrunch it?
● Fold it into various shapes?
● Roll it ?
● Twist it?
● Make a concertina fold?
● Make a bow by pinching it in the middle?
● Fold it into fan shape?
● Make other interesting shapes?
Discover lots of new ideas
Can you design a costume using pieces of
hessian? Try adding found objects such as
33
TIPS
Deconstruct pieces
of hessian. Fray the
edges of hessian. Pull
threads from the
centre. Pull threads
from the centre of a
piece of
hessian. to create
patterns and/or
pictures. What can
you see?
Extra Ideas
l
Attach decorated pieces of hessian to
the sides of shopping bags to create
individual items.
l
Fray and decorate pieces of hessian to
create table linen.
l
Work in co-operative groups on large
pieces of hessian to create banners and
wall hangings.
feathers to make a hat
Step : Change the Surface of Hessian
(Activity )
Children may choose one or more of these
suggested options for decorating their
piece of hessian, according to their age
and ability.
● COLOUR the hessian using chalks, paints,
crayons, dyes, pastels, inks, etc.
● WEAVE in items such as ribbon, plaits,
braid, wool, fabric scraps, cord etc.
● TIE on items like ribbons, bows, tassels,
lengths of wool, braid etc.
● STICK on items such as buttons, beads,
wool wraps, plaits, bows.
● MAKE plaits, pom-poms, fabric wraps,
tassels and attach then to the hessian
● STITCH an original pattern, picture or
design on a piece of hessian.
Have fun
▼
Be creative
▼
Try out lots of different things
KEY MESSAGE
Step : Talk about what you have done
(Evaluation )
●
●
Show your work to others in your class.
Put your work on display.
Keep some samples of your work in your
portfolio. Write about your work.
■
Compiled by members of the Primary
Curriculum Support Programme
(Visual Arts). Michael O Reily, Gemma
McGirr, Judy Costello, Una Kelly. For more
ideas visit www.pcsp.ie
34
TIPS
The Objectives
of Magic
T
he magic of storytelling is as old
as humankind. In preliterate
societies stories were used to
communicate, to educate and to
entertain. It was a means of
carving out tribal identity, it preserved the
knowledge (history) of the tribe and it was a
vehicle for resolving the eternal human
struggle of being human. It allowed people
to explore the dichotomies of good/evil,
wise/ foolish, joy/sadness, hope/despair,
fear/courage, beauty/ugliness and whatever.
We need stories for psychological health.
We need to understand our lives as having a
beginning (birth), a middle (maturity) and
an end (death). Life doesn’t make sense
otherwise. The stories of previous generations confirm this sequence. Our stories will
provide meaning for future generations.
Stories are present in all societies. They
take the form of the grand epic, legends,
myths, folklore, fairy tales, poems and
ballads.
Past stories inform our present thinking
and everyday language. We talk of a
Herculean feat, an odyssey, a mentoring
system. These Greek words from myth which
have made it into everyday usage trigger at a
physical level the imprint of the myth. We
tap into the struggles and solutions of before.
Psychiatry, psychology and psychoanalysis
weren’t available to primitive cultures. The
psyche (which is a Greek word for soul) was
understood and healed through story.
We have inherited a wealth of folklore
from all parts of the world and today much
of this has been recorded. We have aboriginal stories, North American, South
American, African and European.
Cinderella is thought to have originated in
Russia. Traditional stories have also been
used to explain natural phenonema e.g.
how the tides came to ebb and flow.
As Irish people we have a particularly
wealthy seam of story. We have our legends,
epics, folklore, myths, stories of saints and
superstitions. Much of this story is particular to localities. Some has still not been
recorded. There is a wealth still present in
Gaeilge which is in danger of being lost
with the erosion of the language. Our story
tradition is particularly colourful in that
the pagan heritage has been woven into the
Christian. St Brigit, for example, as we know
her, is thought to be an amalgam of the
Abbess of Kildare and the Celtic Goddess,
Brigit daughter of Dagdu.
Where does this fit into our classrooms?
Teresa Grainger (Traditional Storytelling in
the Primary Classroom) says, “Oral stories
speak directly to our senses, evoke feelings,
demand imaginative engagement and
foster the development of thinking, learning, language and literacy.” She later goes
on to say, “Work on storytelling can ensure
speaking and listening is planned,
integrated into the curriculum and developed in a coherent manner through collaborative group work, individual work and
whole-class work.”
Where do we start? Right at the beginning
with our curriculum books. Our four strands
in oral language: receptiveness to language,
competency in using language, development
of cognitive abilities through language, and
emotional and imaginative development
through language. Is storytelling consistent
with these strands? Most certainly. Does it
fulfil all the objectives under the strands?
Not all, but many! Check it out!
We teach storytelling by getting to enjoy
story ourselves, by becoming storytellers,
by letting the children develop as
storytellers, by inviting in storytellers (who
possibly are grannies, grandas, the shopkeeper, the candlewick maker).
If we are uneasy about starting as a storyteller we can start by reading myth, magic
and lore to the children. We also need to
spend money and build up a library of story
from around the world. There is a vast
amount in print.
The greatest story ever told is, of course,
the bible. When Jesus told his parables he
told them for the audience of the day, but
the eternal power of story is testament to
their relevance today. I salute the teacher in
Donegal who adapted the parable of the
Good Samaritan. A motor cyclist was on his
way from Ramelton to Letterkenny when he
crashed. He lay on the road but the local
farmer passed him, the local nurse passed
him but the local punk-rocker came to his
aid. Thanks Hilary!
We can tape the children, the children
can tape each other, we can use audio
recordings, we can use video cameras and
commercial video tapes. We can allow the
children to dramatise, to improvise and to
use story as inspiration for the visual arts
and movement.
We might argue as teachers that older
children are not as interested in magic as
younger children. The popularity of Harry
Potter and Lord of the Rings give lie to this.
However, there are many genres of story
and the acid test of any story is does it flow
and does it touch us.
Teachers need story just as much if not
more so than children. We need to lose
ourselves, go beyond our everyday selves
and reclaim that enthusiasm of wonder and
imagination. Enthusiasm literally
translated from Greek means ‘god filled’.
Because we are undergoing so much change
spiritually, societally, and educationally we
need to tap into that, which we have all but
forgotten, but which we know at a visceral
level works and that is telling the story.
Eithne O’Doherty taught in Scoil
Cholmcille, Newtowncunningham.
(currently seconded to SDPS)
■
35
BOOK REVIEWS
The Fiery Chariot
by Máire Welford
T
he Fiery Chariot by Máire
Welford is the sequel to
The Black Bull of Ardalba.
The children – Brona, Rory,
Róisín, and Aidan return to
the magical kingdom of
Ardalba where a splendid,
exciting adventure unfolds.
There they renew old acquaintances both friends and foes
with some surprising results.
Their first challenge is to aid
and represent Queen Maeve in
a bid to win the great chariot
race for a magnificent silver
bowl specially designed by
Samhain, Lord Datho’s master
silversmith. But arch rival Lú
plans to win the race by foul
means if necessary. However,
when trickery and treachery
fail, his anti-druid – Archeld,
steals the bowl for Lú. The
children are then drawn into
further danger as the risk their
lives to honour Maeve and
retrieve the silver bowl.
From an educational point
of view, this story provides
children with an exciting
insight into celtic mythology –
the culture and traditions of
the time. It provides vivid
description of daily life, feasting and storytelling, the power
of the druids and dwellings of
the time eg forts and crannogs.
It would be suitable for children from rd-th class
upwards. It is published by
Mercier Press, available in
bookshops and retail at €.
Reviewed by Marion
Cummins, Scoil Mhuire,
Dunkerrin, Birr, Co Offaly.
■
Beyond Stammering – The McGuire Programme for Getting
Good at the Sport of Speaking
By David McGuire
T
he McGuire Programme
started in  and is
now a world-wide
organisation run by people
who stammer to help other
people who stammer. Full
information can be found at
www.mcguireprogramme.com
where many accounts are given
of how this holistic approach
has profoundly changed the
lives of people who stammer.
Using many of the
concentration techniques of
sports professionals and a
cheerful ‘can-do’ approach
Dave McGuire gives detailed
instructions on how to improve
breathing using a system
known as "costal" breathing.
Stammerers are then given
guidance on how to prepare for
and deal with stress-inducing
situations in a very carefully
structured programme.
Throughout this excellent
self-help book we are given
anecdotes of success and failure, disaster and triumph by
many of the practitioners of
this method. Forming a selfhelp group based on the
programme seems to offer the
best chance of success.
Teachers who have pupils
with speech problems are given
an insight into the pressures
and torments suffered by stammerers and of the inadequacy of
a hearty exhortation to “speak
out clearly and don't be afraid!”
Publisher: Souvenir Press.
Published: May .
Cost: Stg£. (approx)
JIP – His story
by Katherine Paterson
S
et in mid-nineteenth
century Vermont this is
the story of Jip – an
orphaned eight year old living
on the town’s ‘poor farm’. He
exists amongst the outcasts of
the area, including a ‘lunatic’
who is caged in a room until
Jip befriends him.
Told that, as a baby, he had
fallen off the back of a wagon
leaving town, he often
wonders why no one ever
came back for him. However
36
when a stranger is seen in the
area and Jip is sought out, the
mystery is solved. His troubles
however, are only beginning.
The book has a rather oldfashioned narrative style
perhaps more suited to the
convinced and enthusiastic
reader but would be ideal for
reading to a senior class. The
treatment of those less fortunate, albeit in former times,
raises an interesting discussion on charity and the racial
issues are as relevant today.
The book is not too long (less
than 200 pages) so that the
story moves to reach its
conclusion before the young
reader/listener tires of the
theme. recommended.
Cost Stg £4.99 Avaialble from
all good book shops.
Published: Puffin
Reviewed by Siobhán
Uí Bhraoin, Scoil
Chualann, Bóthar Vevay, Bré,
Co Chill Mhantáin.
■
OGHAM
O
gham is the oldest
surviving Irish writing
and the script seems to
have been designed to write
Irish as it was spoken some
time before the coming of St
Patrick.
The CD ‘OGHAM’ traces the
origin and development of
Ogham writing. It is a scholarly
presentation which elucidates
on many aspects of Ogham but
particularly on Ogham stones
and their inscriptions. These
inscriptions are not sentences
or long pieces of text; they
consist of personal names only
in a limited number of formulae. Ogham stones are memorial stones commemorating
specific individuals. The
general consensus is that they
are primarily memorials or
graves but other possibilities
are suggested.
This CD Rom focuses on the
Ogham inscriptions on stones
found in Ireland, Wales, the Isle
of Man, Cornwall and England
and has been designed around
articles interpreting these
inscriptions. The articles on
individual stones can be
accessed in four different ways
which are linked:
● from an alphabetical listing
of sites;
● from a list of catalogue
numbers;
● from a list of works found in
the inscriptions;
● by locating the stone on a
map.
Drawings or photographs of
almost all the stones are
provided.
There is copious information
on the origin of Ogham and of
the inscriptions themselves;
the condition of the stones and
their distribution; their archaeology; their subject matter; the
nature of the language in them
and various theories about
them.
The CD is in bi-lingual format
and you can select either the
English or Irish language
version. You can also switch
from one to the other on any
page. It is a very well researched
and comprehensive account of
the  (approx) existing
Ogham stones. It is suitable
both for those wishing to find
out about Ogham stones in
their locality as well as those
wishing to make a fuller study
of the topic. I would highly
recommend it.
‘Ogham’ is available from:
Fios Feasa FON:   
Baile an Fheirtearaigh,
Co Chiarrai.
E-Mail: [email protected]
Website: www.fiosfeasa.com
■
Reviewed by Sean Byrne,
Patrician Primary School,
Newbridge, Co Kildare.
37
COMHAR LINN
WINNERS OF JUNE  DRAW
Questions & Answers
used my credit card extensively on
holidays. When the Statement of
Account arrives, I find that I am
unable to repay the amount due and
end up paying the debt over an
extened period.
What should I do?
I
Credit cards are very useful when
paying all types of bills. However,
they must be used wisely if you are to
avoid paying a high interest rate on
the overdue amount.
A
TIP
■ Pay off the balance of your credit
card at the end of each month, especially after high usage periods such as
summer and Christmas holidays.
■ Shop around for the most competitive rate and be aware of your credit
limit.
■ If you have several credit card
debts, consider consolidating the
loans into one personal loan. This will
give you the opportunity to clear the
debt with one set of payments over a
fixed period of time.
Draw up an annual budget
and set out your priorities.
Car – Toyota Corolla
Frances O’Toole, SN an Cusan, Athlone,
Co Westmeath.
Weekend for two plus  All Ireland Football
Final Tickets
Deidre Hayden, SN Colmcille Senior,
Ballybrack, Co Dublin.
Weekend for two plus  All Ireland Football
Final Tickets
Sheila Byron, Bishop Shanahan NS,
Templeogue, Dublin .
Cash – €
Terri Kenny, SN Naomh Brid, Kiltegan,
Co Wicklow.
The plan will highlight your
spending pattern and help
you to control your spending.
Crossword No. 62
A draw for 2 x £100 will be made from all correct entries. Simply complete the
crossword and send it to InTouch, 35 Parnell Square, Dublin 1, by Friday 26 September, 03
Across
1. One hundred work for the policeman. (3)
3. If this mountain has a gun, all quail. (11)
8. A sheep is writing the name of a musketeer. (6)
9. Put Milly out when you perform this
operation! (8)
10. The solar Pole will take one of the
French to New York. (5)
11. Alights on property. (5)
13. The Southern quarrel is rigid. (5)
15. What the gent hit will make it taut. (7)
16. Strange, the artistic way the RA rules.
(7)
20. If it's yours, it's not fate! (5)
21. Have a thing about the dark time. (5)
23. Get Leonard to play slowly. (5)
24. Unwanted post for a Chinese ship? (4,4)
25. Hit by a southern lorry. (6)
26. What the successful Rugby player must
do after initial failure! (3,3,5)
27. Put down a ballad. (3)
Down
1. A group of pupils? 'Deed, a big suit is
found here. (5,6)
2. Such preparation involves moving the
camera around the learner. (8)
3. It is not the clergy who are the making of
Italy. (5)
4. Such a mad icon is always on the move.
(7)
5. Up to the time when one finds some of
the punt I lost. (5)
6. Such flowers may break Nils up. (6)
7. Nay, it could be none in particular. (3)
12. With which to gain access to a haunted
house? (8,3)
13. In bad weather, set about the French.
(5)
14. The loud stringed instrument belongs in
the woodwind section. (5)
17. The final result of net value displacement. (8)
18. In this position, the cricketer shows an
excellent limb. (4,3)
19. Such an dealership upsets Cagney. (6)
22. Chronological device one might
otherwise merit. (5)
23. Pillage away, one is told, here in
Bedfordshire. (5)
24. Aeroplane made of black stone? (3)
Solutions - In Touch No. 61
Across
1. Fin 3. Screwdriver 8. Setter 9. Implicit
10. Flint 11. Shrub 13.
Fiend 15. Extract 16. Spoiler 20. Doubt 21.
Staid 23. Cargo 24. Look
into 25. Daring 26. Grandmother 27. Gun
Down
1. Fast friends 2. Nutrient 3. Sweet 4.
Existed 5. Rules 6. Vicars 7.
Rut 12. Barrel organ 13. Faced 14. Depot 17.
Learning Support 19.
Pagoda 22. Dried 23. Chair 24. Log
Name :
Address :
W INNERS OF C ROSSWORD N O .60 WERE
M S N OREEN M URRAY , CARRIGALINE, CO C ORK
AND
EVELYN M AC N EILL, GREYSTONES , CO W ICKLOW
38
NOTICES
COPY DATE
STORYTELLING
WANTED
■
■
■
Copy you wish to have
considered for publication
in the October issue of InTouch
should arrive in Head Office by
 September. Copy for the
November issue should arrive
by  October.
The Storytelling in the
Liberties website, hosting
 stories produced by school
children from the Liberties area
of Dublin, was launched in
June.
Check it out at www.thedigitalhub.com/storytelling
CHESS
REUNIONS
■
Leinster Schools’ Chess
Association will again this
year (⁄) be organising
chess leagues and tournaments
in the Leinster area. Competitions will start in October and
continue until April .
The Association organises
competitions for primary and
post primary schools at all
levels of chess competence. For
further info contact John Forde,
Schools’ Liaison Officer, 
Howth Rd, Raheny, Dublin 
(Tel:  ).
CLASS OF 1973: ST PAT’S
DRUMCONDRA.
Informal gathering on Friday,
 September in the Conrad
Hotel Bar from  pm
CLASS OF 1978: ST PAT’S
DRUMCONDRA
Reunion on Saturday, 
September. Further details
Cóilín ó Coigligh  /
www.pats.utvinternet.com
SEEDLINGS
PROGRAMME
■
IBBY CONFERENCE
■
■
IBBY, the International
Board on Books for Young
People will hold a conference
on Saturday,  December.
Theme: Fighting for Writing –
Children’s Books in Areas of
Conflict. Venue: Marino
Institute of Education, Griffith
Avenue, Dublin . Opening
Speaker: Mary Robinson.
Contact Máire Ní
Dhonnchadha at IBBY, c/o ILE,
Irish Writers’ Centre,  Parnell
Square, Dublin . Email:
[email protected]
As part of its role in
promoting healthy eating
and gardening, Bord Glas has
produced two Seedlings
Educational Packs – one
targeted at junior and senior
infant and the other at first and
second class teachers.
The Seedlings Programme is
aimed at supporting teachers’
work directly by assisting them
in covering areas of the primary
school curriculum and in
particular the Science and SPHE
curriculum. The Programme is
available on the Bord Glas
website at www.bordglas.ie
WE NEED YOU!
This issue of InTouch focussed on Early Childhoold Education.
For forthcoming issues we have picked central themes which,
we hope, will be of interest to teachers. They are:
October:
Multi-Cultural Education
November:
School Leadership
December:
Multi-task teaching
January/February:
Educational Disadvantage
March:
Equality
Sets of Buntús Film Strips.
Contact () 
STSG
Early booking advised. Info re
booking/fees to
[email protected] or tel
 .
COMPETITION
WINNERS (MAY/JUNE)
■
STSG (Separated Teachers’
Support Group). Open to
widowed, divorced and single
parents.
Meeting: Friday,  September.
at  pm. Venue: Teachers’ Club,
 Parnell Square, Dublin .
New members most
welcome. For further information contact Ciaran Lankford at
  or  .
Email: ciaranlankford556@
hotmail.com
■
●
●
●
●
BASKETBALL
●
■
TEACHER’S (AND FRIENDS)
BASKETBALL.
Every Monday in Clondalkin
Sports Centre, Nangor Road, pm. Fun and fitness guaranteed. Pay as you go.
For more information
contact: Áinnle O’Neill on 
 or  .
MATHS CONFERENCE
■
Second annual conference
of the Primary Teachers’
Mathematics Assoc. Date: Sat, 
October, , from . am
until . pm in Marino
Institute of Education, Griffith
Ave, Dublin . Topic Uncovering
the Mathematics while still covering the Curiculum. Workshops by
range of speakers.
●
Congratulations to the
following winners:
Bernadette McLoughlin,
Ballinasloe BNS € voucher
for River Island.
Joan O’ Carroll, St Mary’s NS,
Nenagh – € voucher
sponsored by Clerys.
Fionnuala Colohan – Fuji
@xia Slimshot digital camera
sponsored by AIB..
Eileen Ostheimer, Scoil
Mhuire, Castlegar, Galway –
€ voucher for BlackTie.
Irene O’ Keefe St Joseph’s
GNS, Finglas West – €
voucher for Elvery’s Sports.
Sile Ui Rinn of School an
Spioraid, Cork – Open
Fairways Golf and Hotel
passport.
SPOT THE
HANDWRITING
COMPETITION
■
Congratulations to the
following winners for
correctly identifying the 
samples in June InTouch:
Agnes Carthy, Co Clare.
Mary Fennessey, Co Kildare.
Regina Nolan, Co Offaly.
Marie Quirke, Co Carlow.
Marian Dunne, Co Wexford.
Sinéad Maguire, Dublin .
Mary Reynolds, Co Donegal.
Interested in Reviewing Books or
Software for InTouch?
If you would like to join our Book Review or Software Review
Panel please forward your name, school and home address,
tel no and email address to:
The Editor,
 Parnell Square,
Dublin .
Details can also be emailed to [email protected]
We would welcome articles on these themes.
Articles on these or any other issue should be sent to
The Editor,
InTouch,  Parnell Square, Dublin 
or email to [email protected]
Please indicate which panel you would like to join
and also if there are any areas of particular interest to you
eg early childhood education, Irish language, literacy etc.
39

InTouch September 2003 - INTO

Transcription

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