Remarks by President Mary McAleese on 31 January at The Irish Primary Principals’ Network Conference 2008, held in the Irish National Events Centre, Killarney.

Minister Mary Hanafin has announced that there will be 210 extra places provided on primary teacher training courses for postgraduate students.

Minister Mary Hanafin agreed that it was very difficult to dismiss the “very small” number of teachers who should not be in classrooms.

Last month, the principals of St. Kilian`s German School and the Lycée Français d`Irlande signed the Eurocampus Agreement, officially sanctioning a European school campus in Dublin.

The High Court has ruled that the parents of Cian O Cuanachain are not entitled to costs arising from their court action seeking to compel the state to provide funding for Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) education for their autistic son.

Dates and arrangements for Scléip 2008 have been announced by Gaelscoileanna Teo.

Institutes of Technology run the risk of breaching anti-discrimination legislation because of their excessive use of workers on fixed-term contracts, trade union IMPACT has said.

Two students will represent Ireland at the World Championship in Hawaii this summer.

A number of courses for Transition Year coordinators and teachers are being offered at venues around the country in January, February and March.

Irish philanthropists have committed over €6 million to fund an exciting parent and child early learning programme in Dublin’s docklands.

Over 750 primary school principals will gather this week for discussion and professional development workshops at the annual conference of the Irish Primary Principals’ Network (IPPN)

A survey carried out by a UK industry body reveals that most parents and teachers think personal finance should be taught in British schools.

The diet of the average teenager in Ireland is high-fat and high-salt, with frequent consumption of burgers, chips and soft drinks.

A programme which offers teachers places on research projects in third level colleges has been announced by Micheál Martin, Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment.

Gonzaga past pupil Peter Sutherland, now Chairman of BP and Goldman Sachs International, is in the news again this week for his comments on teachers.

This September, places will be reserved in two Catholic national schools in west Dublin for children who are non-Catholic.

Senior management at Kerry County Council claims that some primary schools in the county are using six times more water than they pay for.

The abolition by the government of the Summer Works Scheme in its very first budget shows a deep level of cynicism and will have a devastating effect on schools, according to Kilkenny Councillor Mary Hilda Cavanagh.

The scheme provides funding to second-level schools and colleges to support learning partnerships with schools or other organisations in developing countries.

Researchers at Manchester University are seeking a method of comparing schools which would take account of factors other than exam results.