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.

An increasing number of primary school principals are retiring early due to the growing administrative burden and lack of middle management structure.

A campaign launched in Ireland this month to end homophobic bullying has become news around the world due to support from Hollywood superstar Colin Farrell.

Today’s Cabinet reshuffle saw Tánaiste Mary Coughlan switched to Education and Batt O’Keeffe moved to Enterprise, Trade and Employment.

In a first for Offaly, the coveted position of Vice President of the Teachers Union of Ireland (TUI) has been won by Denis Magner, Tullamore College.

A Department of Education ‘profile analysis’ of grades awarded at Leaving Cert and Higher Education levels has found evidence of ’significant’ inflation.

His parents were teachers and he wanted to be a teacher, but he became an engineer because he was strong in maths and it seemed to make sense.

From March 4, the Dublin Swahili Institute will begin delivering classes in Swahili at the Carmelite Community Centre, 56 Aungier Street, Dublin 2.

Talks are taking place between the Departments of Education and Finance, in an effort to pre-empt an “inoperable” situation in schools in September.

9,000 changes have been made to Joyce’s Finnegans Wake in an effort to make the notoriously ‘difficult’ 1939 work more accessible to readers.

Minister O’Keeffe has confirmed that the NCTE is exploring ways of providing teachers with home access to online content from Encyclopaedia Britannica.

The majority of adults have trust in teachers, are satisfied with the way they do their work and understand the complexity of the role, a survey says.

Two teacher unions have directed members to refuse from March 8 to carry out duties of vacated middle-management posts that have not been filled.

Students and teachers should note that the deadline for applications for the Ireland Canada University Foundation’s Irish language awards is March 5.

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.

Educator and entrepreneur Dr Seán Rowland was in Haiti last month to progress his endeavour to set up a National Institute for Teacher Education.

At the launch of Catholic Schools Week by Cardinal Brady on Jan 28, the Cardinal also announced the inauguration of Catholic Schools Partnership.

Hibernia College is launching a suite of Online Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Courses for teachers, commencing on February 1.

The presidents and general secretaries of the the four education unions - ASTI, IFUT, INTO and TUI - issued a joint statement on January 25:

Students and teachers with Irish are being encouraged to apply before March 5 for third level teaching positions at universities in Canada.