ASTI President Ann Piggott has sent a message of good luck to the candidates sitting the 2021 Leaving Cert written exams in the coming weeks. “I wish all .
Pictures: Cork students commence a Leaving Certificate like no other in history Sitting the leaving certificate English paper on were Conor Gowen and Colm Murphy at Coláiste an Chroí Naofa, Carrignavar, Co. Cork. Picture Dan Linehan
John Bohane
CORK students commenced their Leaving Certificate examinations today with English paper one and home economics.
Jim O’Sullivan, the principal of Nagle Community College, in Mahon, said his students were pleased with their first day. “The students were very pleased with the English paper one. There was a lot of relief, after they completed the first paper. They are delighted to have started the process,” Mr O’Sullivan said.
“This is not a value judgment on any given profession. This is simply the science,” she said.
She said that “national and international evidence now confirms that age is the ‘strongest predictor’ of whether a person who contracts Covid-19 will be admitted to hospital or ICU or die as a result of their infection”.
She cited Professor Karina Butler of the National Immunisation advisory Committee (NIAC) who had confirmed that in a comparison between a 30- to 34-year-old and a 60- to 64-year-old, the latter was 70 times more likely to die as a result of Covid-19 than the younger person.
Deirdre MacDonald, of the Wexford Tony Boland branch, proposing the motion, said everyone has heard so much about wellbeing during the pandemic but action is needed.
She said finding time to get to know students, their personalities, talents, difficulties, and learning styles is directly linked to class size.
The issue could be addressed by reducing class size in line with international best practice, she added. “This would give real meaning to what has to date only been trite words on wellbeing and welfare from the Department of Education,” she said.
English and religious education teacher Therese Glennon said relationships in the classroom are important academically and for good mental health. She said it takes 10 to 15 minutes to correct a student’s work, so that would mean over seven hours with a class of 30.
Teacher unions to table joint motion over vaccine priority schedule
The conferences of the country’s three teacher trade unions are continuing today. By Adam Daly Wednesday 7 Apr 2021, 8:55 AM 2 hours ago 16,633 Views 91 Comments
Image: PA
Updated 1 hour ago
THE COUNTRY’S THREE teachers’ unions are expected to table a motion asking that teachers be moved back up the vaccine priority schedule at their annual conferences this morning.
The Irish National Teachers’ Organisation (INTO), Association of Secondary Teachers Ireland (ASTI) and Teachers’ Union of Ireland (TUI) agreed to a joint motion yesterday, which will look at options on industrial action if members are not moved up the priority list.