A survey by the National Centre for Excellence on Maths & Science Learning shows 48pc of post-primary maths teachers are not qualified in the subject.

Next month, Education Minister Batt O’Keeffe will receive a paper from his advisory body, the NCCA, outlining options for a new Junior Cert exam.

The Junior Certificate exam is likely to continue for a further three years - allowing current first-years to complete the cycle - and then be scrapped.

“Change is needed, firstly in the attitude of the Department of Education, and then in all aspects of the teaching of Irish in English-medium schools.”

“The vast majority of the children involved are Irish citizens, whose services appear to have been selected for reduction on ethnic grounds.”

Teachers are in “a volatile and uncertain state” about the future of the education system and their own jobs, according to ASTI boss.

“Inclusion of climate change and energy security in the school programme is a critical step towards inculcating responsible citizenship in young people.”

Students from across Ireland have been competing in the regional finals of SchoolBots 2009, a computer programming competition for post primary.

With the ending of the €100 annual grant for Transition Year students, there are fears that some schools may decide to scrap the programme.

In a confidential report, the NCCA has warned that new Junior and Leaving Certificate exams place too much emphasis on oral Irish.

Minister Batt O’Keeffe has launched a new online game, aimed at teaching students business skills such as marketing, finance and stock management.

The Universities have dismissed proposals to re-introduce bonus points for Leaving Cert maths, claiming the move would not achieve the desired effect.

Search giant Google has said it cannot find suitably qualified staff in Ireland because of “dumbing down” in the education system.

For the past four weeks, parents, students and teachers from Dublin’s northside have been picketing the office of Minister Sean Haughey.

A survey reveals that 82 per cent of Fine Gael representatives believe radical revision of our second level system is necessary for effective operation.

An EU-wide survey shows that young Irish people believe in technology and think the Government should spend more money on scientific research.

Nine Transition Year students from St Paul’s Secondary School, Oughterard, Co Galway, have written, designed and produced “Life’s Real Fairytale”.

A top south west London boys’ school has adopted a policy of limiting homework to 40 minutes per night, plus 20 minutes of independent learning.

As more students celebrate better Junior Cert results than in previous years, business leaders slash the examination as “archaic” and “out of touch”.

The AQA exam board is withdrawing from its anthology the poem, ‘Education for Leisure’, in which the protagonist is an angry knife-carrier.