Education « Thurles Information

St. Patrick’s Thurles Welcomes Visit By Rev. Michael Drumm

Shane Dempsey, (Academic Coordinator, St. Patrick’s College, Thurles) Reports;

The well-known Catholic commentator and Chairperson of the Catholic Schools Partnership, Rev. Michael Drumm, is due to address an audience in St. Patrick’s College on Friday, 19th April.

Rev. Drumm, a regular contributor to RTÉ’s Late Late Show, will be the keynote speaker at a one-day symposium entitled “The Ethics of Religious Education.”

The place of religious education in Irish society is currently being re-evaluated and its once privileged place in the education system is being called into question. This one-day symposium seeks to explore both the current situation and the possibility of alternative approaches to religious education from a variety of perspectives, including: religious education, religious studies, philosophy, ethics, theology and education as well as the broader humanities and social sciences.

The event is being organised by Thurles native, Dr. Mary Shanahan, who lectures as part of the College’s Religious Studies Department. Speaking regarding this event, Dr. Shanahan commented that “The symposium presents an excellent opportunity for those who are interested in engaging in dialogue about the role of religious education in Irish society. We have been incredibly lucky to secure Rev. Drumm as our keynote speaker. He is a noted academic and well-known public figure who will be delivering what will undoubtedly be an engaging and thought-provoking paper. In addition, we are also very pleased to be collaborating with the Irish Centre for Religious Education on this project.”

College President, Fr. Tom Fogarty said that “As a College of Education with a vibrant Religious Studies department, this symposium affords us a very welcome opportunity to invite academics and the public at large to the College to share in what promises to be a very enlightening and informative occasion.”

The fee to attend Rev. Drumm’s keynote address, which will commence at 9.30am, is €7 (waged) /€5 (unwaged). For those who would like to attend for the full day the fee is €30 (waged) /€20 (unwaged).

Booking enquiries should be directed to Dr. Mary Shanahan, St. Patrick’s College, Thurles, either by email (mshanahan@stpats.ie) or by telephone (0504-21201).

Additional information can be found by visiting the College website, www.stpats.ie.

Thurles Insufficient Demand For Educate Together

Today was a day which appeared to focus on educational issues nationally.

Unions

At the Irish National Teachers Organisation’s (INTO) annual conference in Cork, Education Minister Ruairí Quinn called on all assembled members to accept Croke Park II proposals, asking teachers to be brave and work for nothing. ( See pay scales Here. )

The INTO Unions general secretary Sheila Nunan told Education Minister Ruairi Quinn that “Taking the knife to education sells the next generation short.” Ruairí Quinn was shouted down on a number of occasions, as delegates held up red cards and later the Government was accused of failing to offer newly-qualified teachers anything other than unemployment and emigration.

It was a similar story at the Association of Secondary Teachers in Ireland (ASTI) annual meeting. Here the Education Minister was heckled and jeered. ASTI President Gerry Breslin on the other hand received a lengthy standing ovation when he called for a rejection of the Croke Park II deal.

The Teachers Union of Ireland (TUI) last week had already overwhelmingly voted against the Croke Park deal.

Educate Together

Twenty three primary schools across this Republic are set to lose their Catholic Church patronage, choosing possibly to transfer to the multi-denominational Educate Together system of education. The move follows Department of Education surveys of parents in 38 areas, whose children were aged up to 12 years, as part of the drive to provide so called plurality and choice in the types of primary schools in Ireland. Parents expressed a preference for an Educate Together patron in only 20 of the 38 areas surveyed. Two towns possibly will see Community National Schools established, run by the local VEC.

In County Tipperary; Clonmel & Nenagh have opted for Educate Together type education, while Thurles Town & Tipperary Town showed insufficient demand for any change whatsoever to their present existing high quality educational primary school regime.

It would appear however that twenty three primary schools across the Irish Republic seem to have forgotten, that were it not for the educational patronage of both Protestant & Roman Catholic Churches in the early 1800’s, most of us would still be living in the Stone Age.

It would appear also that Education Minister Ruairí Quinn is intent on “fixing that which is not yet broken,” and if his current education plans continue to include the closing of schools with fewer than 4 teachers is implemented, with the exception of larger cities, not one Protestant ethos school will exist in the Rural Ireland of 2020.

Rockwell College Tipperary Engage Education Dept On Fees

Rockwell College, Cashel, Co. Tipperary could face penalties over the level of its charges to pupils, a Department of Education spokesperson has confirmed. The college which hosts some 500 boarding and day pupils is part of the free education scheme, the rules for which do not permit such schools to charge tuition fees or to conceal them under other educational categories.

Currently the Department of Education are engaging with the College Authorities, over concerns that fees paid by boarders and day pupils are above current approved guidelines.

A Department of Education circular states that if a school cannot demonstrate that the boarding fee is exclusively related to the economic cost of the boarding services provided, the school must either comply with the agreed limit laid down by the Department or be re-categorised for same funding purposes as a ‘fee-charging school.‘ Latter would result in the loss of all grant aid and other resources, which are presently unavailable to same fee paying schools.

The means that the Education Minister can withdraw state funding, where a collage is in breach of such stated requirements and indeed impose penalties, if current discussions, with the Department of Education, are not resolved fully under expressed concern issues now raised.

Meanwhile, Secondary school teachers are today urging the Government to rethink proposed cuts under the extension of the Croke Park Agreement. The Association of Secondary Teachers Ireland are starting their four-day annual congress today in county Wexford, and they will urge their members to vote against this latest pay & conditions deal.

Crawford Art Gallery Collection Comes To Thurles

Ann Marie Brophy, Executive Librarian, at Thurles Library, reports:

An exhibition of works, drawn from The Crawford Art Gallery Collection, Cork, comes to The Source Arts Centre & Library, Thurles, Co. Tipperary.

This major exhibition, entitled “The Way Home,” is presented courtesy and in collaboration with North Tipperary County Council Arts Services, The Source Arts Centre & Tipperary Libraries.

The exhibition will be opened by Dr. Hugh Maguire, (Director, The Hunt Museum,) on Saturday 6th April 2013, at 3.30pm at The Source Arts Centre & Library, Thurles, Co. Tipperary and an open invitation is extended to all who would like to attend.

This exhibition runs from 6th April – 11th May 2013 and is a must see for all art students, their teachers, art lovers and indeed the general public.

Exhibition Opening Hours: Mon – Sat 10.00am – 5.00pm & until 8.30pm on Tues & Thurs.

For further details contact: The Source Arts Centre & Library, Cathedral Street, Thurles, Co. Tipperary, Tel: 0504-90204.

Thinking Of A Future In Teaching? Check This Out

Shane Dempsey Reports:

Experience A Morning As A Student Teacher In St. Patrick’s College In Thurles

“The Student Teacher Experience,” will take place in St. Patrick’s College (Thurles,) on Saturday 6th April.

This event, which was ran for the first time last year, proved to be extremely popular with prospective students.

Those attending will be able to gain an insight into life as a student teacher in the College by sampling “mini-lectures,” hosted by all of the different College Departments.

St. Patrick’s College offers teacher education programmes, accredited by the University of Limerick, which qualify graduates to teach in post-primary schools in the areas of Business, Accounting, Irish and Religious Studies.

This event will take place from 11.00am to 2.00pm and those attending are encouraged to arrive on time, as the lectures will begin shortly after 11.00am.

To find out more information or to register for this event contact, Academic Co-ordinator, Shane Dempsey, (Telephone 0504 – 21201 ) or by email to sdempsey@stpats.ie.