New ESRI study finds that most Irish primary school classrooms are not designed to be student-centred or to accommodate new technology.

As the number of full time students in Ireland reaches the million mark for the first time in the history of the State, new teaching positions come on stream.

Schools are being charged one-third more for gas than they should be because they are treated as businesses, Fine Gael TD Brian Hayes says.

This year, Gorey Community School - one of the biggest in the country at 1,600 pupils - held a lottery to allocate remaining places for Sept 2010.

Last week, the Department of Education rescinded a 2008 decision to give patronage of a proposed new post-primary school in Lucan to Dublin VEC.

For the first time, secondary school managers were invited to appear before the Oireachtas Committee on Education to discuss fee-paying schools.

Minister for Education Batt O’Keeffe has stated that last year the Government spent more than €50 milllion on temporary prefabs.

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

Minister O’Keeffe has claimed that 3,300 construction jobs could be created in 2009 by the Government’s €900 million school building programme.

This week the rush was on for places at Mercy Mounthawk Secondary School in Tralee, Co Kerry. The school has a history of queuing…

As figures show the State spent EUR454m on school transport between 2005 and 2007, Fianna Fail TD Chris Andrews calls for the scheme to be revised.

The JMB, which represents up to 400 secondary schools, is awaiting legal advice on whether some grant cuts would breach the 1998 Education Act.

The Minister for Education and Science Batt O’Keeffe outlines the rationale behind the stringent measures announced in Budget 2009 for the education sector.

Minister O’Keeffe has promised to publish on the internet the list of schools scheduled for building, along with their prioritisation within the programme.

Right Rev Ken Good, Bishop of Derry and Raphoe, said the Budget proposals break a 1968 agreement reached by the church with the State.

Fine Gael Education spokesman Brian Hayes outlined 32 cuts in education not mentioned by Minister Brian Lenihan in his budget speech.

In outlining the Budget measures, Minister Batt O’Keeffe called on the education partners to “work with him in collectively meeting challenges”.

An OECD report confirms that Irish primary teachers teach some of the largest classes in the developed world, and also have longer teaching hours.

In a confidential paper, the Catholic Church makes clear it is seeking control if its “fair share” of new second-level schools in “greenfield” areas.

Members of North Tipperary Vocational Education Committee (VEC) have unanimously agreed to seek an urgent meeting with Minister Batt O’Keeffe.