Parents welcome school admissions recommendations

Parents’ groups have welcomed an Oireachtas committee’s recommendation for a new “independent and transparent appeals process” to oversee schools’ admissions policies.

Áine Lynch, chief executive of the National Parents Council - Primary, said planned new legislation aimed at standardising such policies should lead to fewer appeals but “parents do need someone else to go to” when schools fail to adhere either to their own admissions policies or national guidelines.

The draft Admissions to School Bill proposes to remove the current system, known as a section 29 appeal, where parents can appeal decisions to the Department of Education.

School managers have expressed some concerns about creating a new appeals process, arguing that it may lead to more bureaucracy and create false expectations for parents.

However, the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Social Protection comes down in favour of an independent appeals mechanism, saying “this could possibly be provided for on a regional basis”.

It says: “Consideration should also be given, in the context of such a process, to provide for independent appeals in relation to the refusal of a school to offer a pupil a place in transition year.”

The National Parents Council - Secondary welcomed a separate recommendation for the Department to provide resources “within a statutory timeframe” to any school designated to enrol a student with special educational needs.

“If Ruairi Quinn is going to have this new admissions policy he needs to put in place the systems to ensure special educational needs are met, ” said the organisation’s spokeswoman Lynda O’Shea. She said her local school in Waterford, St Paul’s, was the only school in the city with ASD units to cater for the needs of children with autism but these were now full, with a waiting list of around eight children.

Other recommendations of the committee, published in a report on Wednesday, included:

l The phasing out of first-come-first served waiting lists, which were described as “discrimination against new-comers to an area”;

l Schools should not be permitted to give priority to a student on the grounds that he or she is the son or daughter of a former student or a staff member of the school. However, it says schools should be permitted to give priority to a student who has a sibling who is currently attending the school;

l The integrity of Irish medium schools should be protected while ensuring that no discrimination takes place in relation to admissions;

l Schools’ admission policies should be written in a simple and plain style so that they are accessible to all parents.

Alluding to current discussions about the Catholic Church surrendering patronage, the committee said: “Multiple patronage and ethos as a basis for policy can lead to segregation and inequality in the education system. The objectives of admission policy should be equality and integration.”

Atheist Ireland welcomed this statement in particular, describing it as “a significant and strongly-worded conclusion” which “goes to the heart of the religious discrimination in the Irish education system.

“The Minister should take it seriously, and act on it. It reflects the arguments made by Atheist Ireland to the Committee… Access to a local school without religious discrimination is a human right, and Ireland is in breach of its international obligations by permitting this religious discrimination.

“This religious discrimination disrespects the philosophical convictions of secular parents and their children and treats them as second class citizens,” the atheist campaign group said.

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Enjoy romantic views

The Cliffs of Moher, one of Ireland's top visitor attractions, loom high over County Clare's west coast. Standing 214 metres at their highest point, the cliffs stretch for 8km along the Atlantic coastline. From the cliffs, one can see the Aran Islands, Galway Bay, The Twelve Bens, the Maam Turk Mountains in Connemara and Loop Head to the south. O'Brien's Tower, another of Ireland's most photographed landmarks, guards one prominent headland of these majestic cliffs. 

The Burren and Cliffs of Moher region of north Clare has been awarded the prestigious designation of membership of the UNESCO supported Global Geopark network at the 10th European Geoparks Conference in Langesund, Norway. This iconic location attracts close to one million visitors per year. 
The unusual, underground visitor centre also houses the exciting Atlantic Edge display. This huge, domed cave contains images, exhibits and displays. The centre also has a gift shop stocking official Cliffs of Moher products, maps, guides, books and DVDs, visitor information and an accommodation booking service. 

Other facilities of this fully wheelchair accessible premises include a baggage store and ATM. Friendly staff will answer questions, provide assistance, give information on and directions to other attractions in the area.

More tours please  go to www.irelandconnections.com

Starting to run? Don’t just set goals, achieve them If anybody knows how to achieve their goals, it’s a man who rowed across the Atlantic and attempted the North West Passage in the Canadian Arctic

Setting and achieving goals are two very different activities and the difference between the two can often come down to small details and understanding your authentic motivation to achieve your goals. So, with that in mind, here’s a few points to consider as you ponder your hopes and dreams for 2014.

Be clear on your authentic “why?” 
Ask yourself why you want to accomplish the goals you are considering. Understanding motivation is a powerful but under-rated tool when it comes to achieving goals. It might take some time but this can be an absolute game changer.

I know from experience that genuine authentic motivation can be absolute rocket fuel for the goals you want to achieve. Personal motivation was the main reason I managed to row across the Atlantic Ocean a few years ago.

Free up space
If your new goal will require five hours a week of your time but you don’t currently have this time to spare, then you should take something off your plate before embarking on your new quest.

Don’t be mad
Albert Einstein defined madness as doing the same thing over and over again but expecting a different result. If you find yourself setting a goal you previously set multiple times before but have never achieved, ask yourself is it something you really want. If it is, then take some time to consider what has got in the way of achieving it in the past and how you can overcome this. Perhaps a fresh approach is needed.

See and feel it
Having the ability to visualise your goal and what it will feel like to achieve is very powerful. There are a variety of techniques that can be employed here but simply put, if your goal is meaningful, then you should be able to see yourself achieving it and you should also have some emotion around what it will feel like when you accomplish this.

Prepare for challenges
The likelihood is you will encounter some challenges and setbacks along the way. Take the time to consider these in advance and how you can deal with them. For example, a client of mine recently decided that she wanted to make time in her life to regain her health and fitness.

We focused on equipping her with some techniques that would not only support her getting started but, more importantly, would also enable her maintain her new activity when challenges arose from other sources, particularly her work.

Activity is key 
Be very clear on what activity is required to achieve your goal. If a business owner says they want to grow their profits by 20 per cent in the next 12 months, they need to be very clear on what specific activities are required on a daily, weekly and monthly basis to make this happen. The more clarity you have here, the easier it will be to manage your time, eliminate distractions and ultimately achieve your goal.

Resources
If you require certain resources to help you achieve your goal, identify these up front and make sure you have them in place.

Habits and rituals 
If you can make your required activity a habit and incorporate it into your daily and weekly routine, then you will stack the odds enormously in your favour. By making it part of your routine, you will also, over time, remove the need for discipline and will power. If your activity requires monumental amounts of will power and discipline, this will be very difficult to sustain. So if needs be, start small and build on this.

Be brave
Tell friends and family about your goal. When you put your goals and dreams out there, the world does conspire to help you achieve them. This might sound a tad “fluffy” but I know from experience it works. Telling others about your goals may require some courage but it might also add a little pressure and accountability which can be very helpful and very healthy when it comes to achieving goals.

Fear of failure
There is nothing wrong with being afraid of failure, but don’t allow it to stop you from pursuing your goal(s). During the summer, along with three team mates, I attempted to row through the North West Passage in the Canadian Arctic. Despite our best efforts, we didn’t make it across the whole way.Ultimately Mother Nature was just too powerful and she didn’t allow us to pass on this occasion.

The reality of life is that we won’t always get the outcomes we set out for. In this instance, I had one of the most amazing experiences of my life, despite the final destination.

Being clear on your authentic motivation, understanding how you work and being courageous will go a long way towards achieving your goals and, in the process, making 2014 an incredible year. Good luck.

Finding approach to study that works for you key to a productive Christmas

Q I'm not sure if I'm on the right track with my CAO application and careers research. What should I have done by now?

A Now that Christmas is fast approaching and we have been back at school for more than three months, students are likely to have made some progress on their career exploration and planning. While it is possible to open a CAO application right up to February 1, early application is advisable.

At this point, students should be attending the open days of the colleges for which they wish to apply, reading courses regularly, and gathering information on as many courses as possible. It is better to have too many than too few at this stage and the next step is to decide what the order will be. This should always be in your order of preference.

Students should also pay particular attention to any restricted entry courses they would like to apply for as it is not possible to apply for these during the 'change of mind' process.

Q How can I make best use of the Christmas break to get on top of my school work?

A No doubt all over the country teachers are loading on the work in an attempt to ensure that the courses are finished as early as possible. In addition to this, students may be working hard on projects and briefs.

Some students may be getting work weary, while others are wondering where the year has gone.

However, the Christmas holidays are an excellent opportunity for everyone and should not be missed.

It is difficult for anyone to spend all day at school and then go home and write large assignments, such as essays. The Christmas holidays are a great opportunity to catch up on some of this work. It is also important to keep a good routine and have balance. Try getting school work done as early as possible in the day. This way you can get in a good couple of hours' study and still have the rest of the day for relaxing and family time.

It may also be a good idea to come up with a plan of what you want to achieve over the two weeks. There are two ways you can do this.

Firstly, if you find that you are easily distracted, perhaps give yourself a number of tasks to achieve rather than focus on the time you wish to spend on study.

The People's Procession of Light is back!

This free, fun-filled, family-friendly event will once again illuminate the streets of Dublin where we invite you to join us on our journey, bringing families, visitors and locals together to experience the magical spirit of Ireland. To mark the closing of The Gathering 2013, our theatrical street performers and enchanting characters will provide a visual and musical spectacle beyond imagination.

With Ireland’s top specialists in illuminated processions and aerial dance leading the way, this year’s Procession will create a spectacular river of light through the heart of the city. For the first time in the history of Irish public parades, the People’s Procession of Light will make its final leg of the journey through the iconic Grafton Street to the grand finale at St. Stephen’s Green.

Be part of it!

Be more than a spectator! Join the parade and help us illuminate the streets by bringing your own source of light to the procession.

Kids, grown-ups, families and friends are all welcome to participate in this very special New Year’s Eve celebration. Join our free lantern-making workshops, follow our easy step-by-step home kit or simply bring your own lanterns from home. Help us spread our visual message: The Light is on, Come on in!

Please note that participants are required to register for the Procession and workshops in advance.

Register to Participate in the Procession

Register for the Lantern Making Workshop

   

Happy Christmas!!!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4TEywsWQ9QE