IssueNo165 November2016 ISSN1393-4813(Print) ISSN2009-6887(Online) Gender equality – are we there yet? Keeping InTouch 9 Interactive dialogue with members, and key news items 0 INTOgeneralsecretaryconsulting withbranchanddistrictofficersin Sligoonpaypolicy Pay and posts top of the agenda As this edition of InTouch goes to press, work is underway on a number of fronts. unwind the FEMPI legislation and restore pay to all members. While work at every level of the Organisation is underway to prepare the INTO’s submission on behalf of members, we continue to press for acceleration of LRA. e Dáil rally last month was an opportunity to make politicians and the general public aware that we are not there yet in terms of pay equality. Last month’s Budget failed to deliver smaller classes and badly needed funding for primary schools. Neither was there any provision for the minor works grant. It did, however, provide for pay restoration and it appears that there are additional special education posts intended to underpin the new model. ere is also some provision to begin to restore posts lost through the moratorium on promotion next year. In September we achieved significant progress with the securing of an agreement on fully restoring qualification allowance payments to every teacher who started since February 2012 when these allowances were removed for new entrants. is resolves the equality issue between post2012 entrants and their immediate predecessors in 2011. It does not resolve the issue of equal pay between entrants since January 2011 and earlier entrants, but the INTO’s work for pay equality continues. Indepth discussions to begin the process of repairing inschool management structures and ensuring that children with special needs get the support they deserve will be a key task in the coming months. is edition of the magazine contains details of the new Public Service Pay Commission which will report next year. e report will prepare the ground for direct negotiations to InTouchGeneralEditor: Sheila Nunan Editor: Peter Mullan AssistantEditor: Lori Kealy EditorialAssistants:Selina Campbell, Yvonne Kenny, Karen Francis Advertising:Mary Bird Smyth, Karen Francis Design:David Cooke Photography:Moya Nolan, Shutterstock Correspondenceto: The Editor, InTouch, INTO Head Office, Vere Foster House, 35 Parnell Square, Dublin 1 Telephone: 01 804 7700 Fax: 01 872 2462 LoCall: 1850 708 708 Email:[email protected] Website: www.into.ie/m.into.ie InTouch is published by the Irish National Teachers’ Organisation and distributed to members and educational institutions. InTouch is the most widely circulated education magazine in Ireland. Articles published in InTouch are also available on our website www.into.ie The views expressed in this journal are INTOUCH 3 those of the individual authors and are not necessarily endorsed by the INTO. While every care has been taken to ensure that the information contained in this publication is up to date and correct, no responsibility will be taken by the Irish National Teachers’ Organisation for any error which might occur. NOVEMBER 2016 Except where the Irish National Teachers’ Organisation has formally negotiated agreements as part of its services to members, inclusion of an advertisement does not imply any form of recommendation. While every effort is made to ensure the reliability of advertisers, the INTO cannot accept liability for the quality of goods and services offered. 19 INTO employee honoured Elaine Daly awarded honorary citizenship of Bethlehem for her work in Palestine Online support for staff reps Support course now open online 19 INTO sponsor Cumann na mBunscol 20 In the Media Recent news and media coverage 21 INTO Equality Conference Reports from the recent Consultative Conference on Equality 25 INTO Benefits 21 TracieTobin,CathaoirleachandDeirdreFleming,Leas-Chathaoirleach,INTOEquality CommitteeattheEqualityConferenceinSeptember.FrontCover:TracieTobin addressingdelegatesattheconference.Photo:MoyaNolan Discounts and offers from Membership Plus World Teachers’ Day World’s largest lesson 2016 inTo Advice Keeping inTouch 3 Editorial Pay and posts are top of the agenda 7 Letters Budget 2017 10 things you should know 9 Free app on leave launched This new app from the INTO will tell you what you need to know about your leave entitlements in seconds. Subsearch Looking for work? Need to find a sub? Visit subsearch.into.ie 10 Vacancy for INTO Senior Official Permanent position in Head Office Free job-sharing and teacher exchange registers online 17 Meet the CEC 27 Primary OnLine Database This month we introduce District 6 and 13 CEC representatives New INTO Equality Officer 9 Learning support information, recording members of the Traveller community and pupil data validation Principals’ seminar Alison Gilliland is taking over the Equality Officer role Packed seminar in Mullingar 18 JobBridge and probation Are you eligible? Q&A on Panels 28 Supplementary Panel rights JobBridge no longer accepted as suitable setting for probation 30 Staying safe online Online safety for children across their ages 31 Useful resource for NQTs All Together Now launched New programme will help to address homophobic and transphobic bullying in schools Meeting with student leaders Registers now open 14 13 Public Service Pay Commission New chairperson announced 14 Budget 2017 Failing primary education 16 National Committee elections Members wishing to be candidates should notify the general secretary Consultative Conference on Education Tullamore – 18 and 19 November INTOUCH 4 NOVEMBER 2016 Joan Ward reviews ‘Become the primary teacher everyone wants to have – A guide to career success’ November 2016 32 Moving in with a partner? Consumerhelp has some useful information for you 33 Handling parental complaints Advice from INTO plus data from Ombudsman for Children’s Annual Report 2015 reTireMenTs/reunions 38 Cumann na mBunscol l l Two stalwarts of Cumann na mBunscol retire One Wall Handball – a game for all! 39 Orla Finn talks to InTouch INTO member, Cork footballer and winner of this year’s All-Ireland Senior Ladies Football Championship newsdesK 61 Noticeboard Upcoming events 62 The Source Comhar Linn Crossword 63 Scoilnet Panel 40 Responding to critical incidents New publication from NEPS 36 Events around the country Finishing Touches 41 The Teaching Council Primary teachers are shaping policy 28 37 Update on vetting Further clarification in respect of vetting disclosures sought by the INTO still awaited English reading and mathematics Bumper Crossword this month National assessment report published by the Education Research Centre 39 TeAching MATTers 43 Forest School Claire Egan on an alternative approach to education 46 Annotating websites and video Some useful tips from PDST 48 Schooling in Germany InTouch looks at school systems in Hannover and Berlin 51 The Ark is 21 Cultural centre for children turns 21 52 Life in Biblical times A drama from Mary Howard 54 Friendship in the first year of primary school Jennifer Dooley elicits junior infants’ perspectives 57 Dancing on the Danube INTOUCH 58 Irish resources Tips from COGG 44 Homework Andrea O’Carroll asks if homework is all pain and no gain? 57 Eimear Allen recommends mixing a festival with sightseeing in Budapest 5 NOVEMBER 2016 59 Book reviews Ironman in Ireland, Wimpy Kid as Gaeilge and being saved from the Gallows 44 Keepingintouch Letters Budget 2017 Dear Editor, The budget demonstrated the low priority our current Government has for primary education. Ireland’s population has grown to the largest size since the Famine. Yet more than 100,000 of our children are crammed into super-size classrooms of 30 and more! The EU average stands at a mere 20 children. The budget failed to increase funding for school running costs, forcing hard-pressed families to beg, borrow and steal for their child’s education, bringing to mind the hedge-school system of Famine Ireland! The continued failure of this Government, and the last, to implement the EPSEN Act, thereby failing to guarantee children with special educational needs their constitutional right to an education, is another cruel blow to families. We need a government with fairness and compassion for children and families. We need true vision, a vision of a bright, educated Ireland prospering in an increasingly challenging world. Not steady-as-she-goes on the Famine ship! Hugh Cronin Cork City North Branch Dear Editor, As an INTO member and a resource teacher, I am angry and disappointed with the recent education budget. It failed to deliver what teachers and principals were hoping for. It failed to invest in frontline education services. The capitation grant was not increased, which leaves a lot of schools relying on the generosity of parents for donations, through voluntary contributions and various fundraising initiatives. Class sizes remained untouched; it failed to tackle pay inequality and children with special needs were not prioritised in this budget. The 15 per cent cut to special education staffing remains in place. There was very little welcome news in the budget, which shows us that we have a government ‘out of touch’, with what teachers really need. It was a poor budget overall. If the Minister for Education, Richard Bruton, wants us to “be the best by 2026”, he needs to invest money into the primary education sector first. Kyna Rushe District 15 Tell us what you think This letters page is designed for members to have their say about something you have read in InTouch or want to communicate with other INTO members. €50 voucher draw each month for letter writers. Winner October: Aidan Gaughran, Clonmel Branch. Email: [email protected] or write to: The Editor, InTouch, INTO, Vere Foster House, 35 Parnell Square, Dublin 1. Mark all such communications ‘InTouch letters’ and give a contact telephone number and your INTO membership number for verification. Long letters may be edited. things you should know 1 4 8 5 9 Members can now check Details of what was their entitlement to announced for primary leave with a new, free app, education in Budget 2017. INTO guide to teachers leave, Pages 14 and 15 available for iPhone and Full report on a very Android devices. Page 9 successful INTO Equality Conference. Pages Terms of reference for 21 – 23 the Public Service Pay Commission have been Recently published published by the updates on the vetting government. Page 13 process. Page 37 INTO online course to Complaints against support staff reps is teachers. Pages 33 – 35 now open. Page 19 2 6 3 7 INTOUCH 7 NOVEMBER 2016 Information for members on elections to INTO national committees. Page 16 Members wishing to participate in a teacher exchange or job-share can find details of the INTO teacher exchange and jobshare registers on Page 10. 10 Updated NEPS guidelines – Responding to Critical Incidents. Page 40 INTO News 5 e Irish National Teachers’ Organisation … who’s who, what’s new, and what’s happening 6 New INTO app launched INTO guide to teachers’ leave “Fantastic! Delighted this has finally been produced – buíochas” The INTO has launched a new free mobile app for members – INTO guide to teachers leave. From sick leave to career break to a wedding invitation, this app will tell you everything you need to know about leave entitlements via your iPhone or Android device. INTO members can now check entitlement to leave in seconds. The app contains information on brief absences, extended leave and sick leave. The ‘Brief absence’ section includes information on entitlement to bereavement leave, EPV days etc. It outlines whether or not the leave is paid or unpaid and whether substitute cover is allowed. The ‘Extended leave’ section covers maternity leave, parental leave, career breaks and more. As well as outlining entitlement it tells you how to apply, how long leave lasts and includes links to more information. INTOmember A quick guide to self-certified and certified sick leave is also available on the app. Download from iTunes and Google Play. Search for INTO guide to teachers leave ensuring software on iPhones or Android devices is up to date before downloading. Links to relevant circulars and websites are contained in the app allowing members to get additional information on leave. “It’s fantastic. I demoed it to the staff and they all agree it’s very useful. No more looking up circulars! “Great to have this information at my fingertips” Primaryschoolprincipal INTObranchsecretary subsearch for teachers and principals INTO SubSearch is designed to help teachers find substitute work – whether just out of college or seeking part-time employment. Substitutes register their profiles and availability on the site – while principals can search for registered substitutes in their area. SubSearch facilities include: l Substitutes may register for work in up to three locations. l Principals can search for available qualified teachers within specified distances of their school. l Substitute teachers can be automatically texted or emailed about their availability. l Both substitutes and principals can indicate a preference for work in a INTOUCH 9 NOVEMBER 2016 Gaelscoil or Gaeltacht situation. l Video tutorials and FAQs about using SubSearch are available online. l A weekly reminder is generated to substitutes on the list to update their details. Substitutes can update their availability for the next two week period. l SubSearch is compatible with smartphones and tablets. The mobile version of the site can be used by substitutes to update their availability and by principals to search for a sub. Register today on subsearch.into.ie Idteagmháil Free services for members Teacher exchaNge regISTer JOb SharINg regISTer Interested in a teacher Want to job-share? exchange? Members can avail of a free register provided online by INTO Head Office in the Members’ Area of the INTO website. The full terms of the job-sharing scheme are outlined in DES Circular 75/2015. Each teacher wishing to participate in an exchange must find a partner to exchange with. The full terms of the scheme are outlined in DES Circular 17/2015. The closing date for applications is 1 February 2017. If you wish to be included in the job sharing register log into the Members’ Area and complete the online form available at www.into.ie/ROI/MembersArea/JobShareAdvertisements/. Details posted on the online register may be viewed by INTO members who access the Members’ Area. Job-sharing notices will not be accepted by phone or email. In order to facilitate teachers making contact with a partner for the purpose of an exchange, a list of teachers will be compiled in Head Office. If you wish to be included in this register please complete the online form available in the Members’ Area at www.into.ie/ROI/MembersArea/TeacherExchangeRegister. The list of potential candidates for job-sharing will be posted online from Monday, 14 November 2016. Please note: You will need to register to enter the Members’ Area if you are accessing it for the first time. Teacher exchange notices will not be accepted by phone or email. Details posted on the online register may be viewed by INTO members who access the Members’ Area. The INTO has no role in matching teachers or approving job shares or exchanges. The purpose of the INTO list is simply to facilitate teachers making contact with potential partners. The list will be posted online in the Members’ Area of the INTO website from Monday, 14 November 2016. Vacancy for INTO Senior Official Permanent position in INTO Head Office, Dublin Unite & Organise Regulate Relations Provide Member Services Promote Equality General job description e successful applicant will be part of a dynamic team in Head Office committed to achieving the INTO’s objectives. While initial duties will be in the Conditions of Employment Section, flexibility is a key requirement and the capacity to work across all sections of the office is essential. l l l Key requirements and competencies e successful applicant will have: l A strong academic background and a minimum of five years’ relevant professional experience. l A comprehensive knowledge of the INTO to drive the delivery of INTO key priorities. l A thorough understanding of current issues in education and industrial relations. l Experience and expertise in negotiating and handling conditions of employment issues. l Excellent communication, interpersonal and collaborative INTOUCH l Safeguard & Improve Conditions Promote Education Standards skills and an ability to build, maintain and influence a wide range of stakeholders. High standards of research, policy development and project management skills. A commitment to promote, at individual and team level, the delivery of quality services to members. A results driven approach with evidence of being innovative, energetic and flexible in advancing strategy. A valid full driving licence. A detailed job description is available on request by email from [email protected]. Letter of application (maximum two pages) and curriculum vitae, together with the names and contact details of two referees, should be submitted by email only to [email protected] by 12 noon on Friday, 18 November 2016. e INTO is the largest teachers’ union in Ireland representing 41,000 members in the Republic and Northern Ireland. 10 NOVEMBER 2016 INTOnews chairperson of the public service pay commission announced Kevin Duffy, former chairperson of the Labour Court, has been appointed as chairperson of the Public Service Pay Commission (PSPC). A further six members are to be appointed by government. The PSPC will be advisory in nature and will make an initial report to Government in quarter 2 of 2017 on public service pay policy in the context of FEMPI legislation. The PSPC will consider remuneration* matters including: • Analysis on appropriate pay levels for groups within the public sector. • Comparing pay rates for identifiable groups with private sector/market rates having regard to evidence on recruitment and retention. • Comparing appropriate rates for identifiable groups within the public service with their equivalents in other jurisdictions having due regard to living costs. • Analysis on the appropriate pay levels for officeholders’ pay and pensions. When reaching its findings the PSPC will have regard to: • Superannuation and other benefits. • Security of tenure. • Pay comparisons. • Public service reform. • Recruitment and retention. • Impact on national competitiveness, sustainable national finances and equity. • Other issues determined by Government. sector market rates. • International rates and comparisons where possible. • The state of the national finances. agencies as appropriate, undertake or commission additional research or data gathering where further information is required to comprehensively progress its terms of reference and may Following this initial report invite relevant stakeholders to the Government will give make submissions to the consideration to what other Commission. matters the Commission may The PSPC must publish its KevinDuffy be asked to consider in due findings and the evidence on course. which these are based. The PSPC will utilise and analyse The PSPC will not take the place of direct negotiations between Government existing datasets and reports, as prepared and employee representatives. and published by existing state and other Unions win on collective bargaining The Public Services Committee of ICTU, of which INTO general secretary Sheila Nunan is vice chair, said it believed the PSPC could play an important role in helping to bring stability to public service pay determination as we move to replace the FEMPI legislation. This, it said, would benefit workers, government and taxpayers who ultimately foot the public service pay bill. During the summer, ICTU made a submission on the role and methodology of the PSPC. A key issue for the union side was the retention of collective bargaining. It has been made clear that the role of the PSPC will be an advisory one, ensuring that unions retain the ability to negotiate with employers. The union side believes that change and modernisation need to be dealt with through collective bargaining. The PSPC will not be another ‘benchmarking body’ but its work will inform a successor agreement to the LRA. In relation to the chair of the PSPC, the Public Services Committee argued strongly for the appointment of an individual with an indepth knowledge of industrial relations in Ireland rather than the ‘international chairperson’ favoured by IBEC. The employers’ group does not want work commissioned on private sector pay and benefits to be made public on the basis of confidentiality. However, in commentary, Industrial Relations News has concluded that there is “no reason why such information could not be revealed in an aggregate fashion, rather than in company specific way”. For its initial report the PSPC will be asked to provide inputs on how the unwinding of the Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest legislation should proceed having regard to: • The evolution of pay trends in the public and private sectors based on published data. • A comparison of pay rates for identifiable groups within the public service with prevailing non-public *Remuneration is defined as basic salary, allowances and all other benefits in cash or in kind, together with general terms in regard to superannuation, paid leave etc. The full terms of reference are available on www.per.gov.ie/en/terms-of-reference-for-publicservice-pay-commission-pspc/ SheilaNunan,INTOGeneralSecretary,consultingbranchofficersonpublicservicepayatarecent seminarinCork. INTOUCH 13 NOVEMBER 2016 NuachtCMÉ BUDGET 2017 By any yardstick Budget 2017 failed The INTO blasted last month’s budget as failing to start rebuilding the education system after eight years of austerity. The government’s priority should have been to invest in frontline education services to enable primary schools to deliver high quality services. By this standard the INTO labelled the budget a failure. Reacting to announcements by the DES, the INTO said the government had abandoned the Programme for Government at the first hurdle. According to Sheila Nunan, General Secretary, the government’s plan for education is in tatters because the budget had failed to match ambition with resources. The overall allocation for the DES for next year in Budget 2017 is €9.53 billion, an increase of €458 million on this year. But when demographics, LRA and other commitments like full year costs of last year’s budget measures are taken into account, there is only €130 million of new money. At primary level the budget provides for: l 390 additional teaching posts for rising pupil numbers. The equivalent figure last year was 440 teaching posts. l 580 additional special education posts. Last year’s budget provided for 445 posts in special education. The figure in this year’s budget of 580 appears to be a mix of increased enrolment, more children being assessed with a special need and some unspecified support for the proposed new model. l The budget figures contain €130 million to meet the costs of LRA provisions in the education sector. A sum of €52 million is included to meet the carryovers from Budget 2016 such as changes in the staffing schedule and additional resource teachers appointed this September. l The allocation contains €10 million to implement the terms of the agreement reached between the DES and INTO/TUI on revised pay scales, restoring qualification allowance payments to every teacher who started since February 2012 when these were removed for new entrants to teaching. l In terms of day-to-day funding of schools there will be no increase in INTOpresidentRosenaJordanoutliningthe prioritiesforeducationatameetingwithTDsand senatorsinSeptember. capitation grants to schools. l There is an additional €8 million for ongoing curricular reform in areas such as primary language, Walk Tall/Stay Safe and induction programmes/Droichead. l In terms of tackling educational disadvantage, an additional provision of up to €5 million is included in Budget 2017 to implement a new Action Plan for Educational Inclusion, promised before the end of 2016. l Measures to commence the restoration of middle management posts will be introduced in September 2017. l There are two adjustments in relation to one-teacher schools. Where the school is the sole primary school on an island, the school will be able to appoint a second teacher. In relation to single-teacher schools generally with an enrolment of 15 or more pupils, a school can apply to the staffing appeals board for a second post where the single teacher has children across six or more class groups. l There will be no decrease in class sizes. Irish primary classes remain the second INTOUCH 14 NOVEMBER 2016 most overcrowded in the EU, with 25 pupils per class compared to an EU average of 20 pupils. Despite a commitment in the Programme for Government to reduce class sizes, Budget 2017 leaves supersized Irish primary schools unchanged. The INTO said Budget 2017 wasted the opportunity to tackle overcrowded classes. Over 100,000 pupils in classes of 30 or more have been abandoned by this government. l School funding will remain as is, 15 per cent down on 2011. The union said the total failure to increase day-to-day funding for schools will leave primary schools dependent on continued voluntary fundraising and parental contributions. In Ireland, lowest spending on education is at primary level. For every €8 spent on a primary pupil, €11 is spent at second level and €14 at third level. Budget 2017 reinforces inequality by targeting additional spending at second and third level. The INTO said primary school leaders would despair at the Budget. In addition to having to continue to fundraise for essentials, the budget provided no additional non-teaching time for teaching principals and will not begin to tackle the promoted posts deficit for at least another year. Ms Nunan said the Budget had failed to tackle pay inequality. Starting salaries for teachers are below the OECD average. Highlighting continued pay inequality between entrants since January 2011 and earlier entrants, Ms Nunan said some teachers are actively choosing emigration where they are paid a fair salary over working for unequal pay at home. She said this would have a direct negative effect on schools. “In the coming months schools will be unable to fill teaching posts as a direct result of government failure to tackle pay inequality.” Ms Nunan said children with special needs were not a priority for this government when framing the budget. “The 15 per cent cut to special education provision and cuts to disadvantaged schools have not been reversed despite economic growth,” said Ms Nunan. INTOnews primary education education budget 2017 slammed by elected representatives Funding for Education Motion in Dáil Éireann smaller class sizes. That must deputy carol nolan: I agree that the be a priority. issue of class sizes is one that must be addressed and I am hugely disappointed deputy Michael harty: In that, despite our having the second 2008, a two-teacher school highest class sizes in Europe, there was no qualified for a provision for a reduction in the third teacher pupil-teacher ratio at primary when it reached level in Budget 2017. a threshold of I am also disappointed that 48 pupils. This there was no significant move now stands at to address spiralling back-to55. In 2008, a school costs that are crippling three-teacher ordinary and middle income DeputyMichaelHarty school qualified households across this state. for a fourth That is the simple reality. teacher when it Budget 2017 does not go reached a anything like far enough to threshold of 78 restore the regressive, harsh pupils. That cuts imposed on our education DeputyCarolNolan now has risen to system since 2008. It is a missed 85. Thus, small opportunity and makes a sham schools which are growing of the minister’s so-called plan to create can have class sizes of up to the best education system in Europe. 27, or perhaps 30, before they Over 200 schools are currently using qualify for a second or a third prefab accommodation to teach our teacher. To compound this children and a significant number of problem, pupils of several schools do not have access to broadband different ages can be spread or robust wireless networks. DeputyCatherineMartin across large class sizes. These two factors are helping to put deputy Maureen o'sullivan: There increased pressure on teachers and are are a couple of particular issues that I putting our pupils at a disadvantage. want to discuss. One is the pupil-teacher ratio. For me, the priority is those classes with over 30 deputy pupils. Some of them are also catherine dealing with foreign national Martin: For the students who have language past six years difficulties. They are also dealing the education with pupils with behavioural system in this issues and also with learning country has difficulties. The research shows been slowly the benefits of the small class strangled. It has size, in particular its role in been called a identifying those with special managed education needs. The research decline by also shows that higher student some of those achievement is attained in the DeputyMaureenO’Sullivan presiding over it. DeputyJanO’Sullivan INTOUCH 15 NOVEMBER 2016 Education is fundamental to the progress of any country. It allows us to innovate, will attract businesses, encourage job creation and enhance our reputation globally. Primary school classes in Ireland are the second most overcrowded in the European Union, but the Government has decided to leave them as they are. The Government did not commit to multi-annual increases to school capitation grants, even though many of our schools are currently operating on shoestring budgets and dependent on parental contributions and fund-raising. deputy Jan o'sullivan: There has been no progress on class size. We all know, as has been said by previous speakers, that class size makes an enormous difference for children. Our class sizes are among the highest in the European Union. For the individual child, whether they be quiet, a child with troubles or a child who does not have the same supports at home as other children, being in a class of over 30 pupils can mean it is impossible for even the best of teachers to give them the individual attention they need. For that reason, I find it amazing that the Fianna Fáil Party did not insist on that being done in its confidence and supply arrangement with the Government. NuachtCMÉ National Committee elections notice The attention of members is drawn to Rule 40 of the INTO Rules and Constitution. Rule 40 governs elections to the offices of president, vice-president, district representatives on the Central Executive Committee, Benefit Funds Committee (Divisions 1 and 2), National Appeals Panel (Divisions 1 and 2), Equality Committee and the Principals’ and Deputy Principals’ Committee. Rule 40 states that a member may not be nominated for the above positions “unless that member has given notice in writing of intention to be a candidate to the general secretary not later than 5 p.m. on the first working day in December, for publication in the bulletin issued prior to the branch annual general meetings”. Members wishing to notify the general secretary of their intention to be a candidate for any of the above positions may do so: In writing to: The General Secretary, 35 Parnell Square, Dublin 1 By email to: [email protected] By fax: to 01 8722462 A full list of members who have indicated their intention to be candidates in accordance with Rule 40 will be published on the INTO website (Members’ Area) in December. Current members of committees who do not intend seeking re-election are requested to give ample notice to the branches in their respective districts. INTO Principals' and Deputy Principals' Committee (2017–2020) The INTO Principals’ and Deputy Principals’ Committee (PDC) advises the CEC on matters remitted to it by the CEC, as well as working on other matters relevant to principals and deputy principals as the PDC itself wishes to investigate. The PDC is made up of elected representatives from each INTO district, meets five times a year and organises the biennial Principals’/Deputy Principals’ Consultative Conference. Candidates seeking election to the PDC for 2017–2020 in Districts III–XVI shall be nominated by at least one of the principals’ fora and ratified by a branch in the relevant district. In Districts I and II candidates seeking election to the PDC shall be nominated by their district committees. by the CEC as well as working on other equality matters the committee itself wishes to investigate. The EQC is made up of elected representatives from each INTO district, meets three times a year, organises the INTO Equality Conference and members are eligible for re-election. Benefit Funds Committee The Benefit Funds Committee (BFC) consists of five elected representatives, one for each of five electoral divisions, together with the general secretary and the general treasurer. The committee meets monthly and administers various funds of the Organisation, in particular the Benevolent Fund and the Illness and Mortality Fund. National Appeals Panel The National Appeals Panel consists of five elected representatives, one for each of five electoral divisions. Members of the National Appeals Panel are appointed to hear appeals in cases of breaches of INTO directives or discipline. INTO Equality Committee INTO Education Committee The INTO Equality Committee (EQC) advises the CEC on matters remitted to it The current INTO Education Committee has a three year term of office, 2015 -2018. education consultative conference 2016 Friday 18 and Saturday 19 November 2016 # I N TOED C16 The 2016 Consultative Conference on Education will take place later this month in the Tullamore Court Hotel, Co Offaly. The topic of the conference will be ‘Teaching in the 21st Century’. Part of the conference will be a Researchmeet and Teachmeet on Saturday 19 November for delegates attending the conference. Researchmeet A Researchmeet is an organised but informal meeting where participants get the opportunity to share their research with other teachers in a series of presentations lasting for approximately 10 minutes. Delegates interested in presenting research at the Researchmeet can find further details, including how to register their interest, on the INTO website. INTOEducationCommitteemeetinginSligotoprepareforconference primary education and leadership. Teachmeet is an informal workshop where participants are offered a variety of nano (two minute) or macro (five minute) presentations on any aspect of education. Delegates interested in presenting at the Teachmeet can find further details, including how to register their interest, on www.into.ie. Teachmeet Teachmeet is an opportunity for educators to meet and share good practice, practical ideas and personal insights into INTOUCH 16 NOVEMBER 2016 INTOnews Meet the CEC Continuing our series of introductions to district representatives.... This month we feature CEC representatives from Districts 6 and 13. All district representatives on the CEC are serving primary teachers. Members wishing to contact their district representatives by phone should not do so during school time except in the most urgent of cases. Contact details for all CEC representatives are in the INTO members’ diary. Joe Killeen – district 6 Anne horan – district 13 Joe Killeen represents District 6 on the INTO Executive which includes counties Galway and Roscommon. Joe is from Corofin, Co Clare and began his teaching career at Kiltrusten NS, Strokestown, Co Roscommon. Since 1987 he has been teaching principal of Lough Cutra NS in Gort, Co Galway. Joe became Gort Branch Secretary in 1987 and represented Gort Branch and District for over 20 years. Elected to the CEC in 2008, replacing Máire Ní Chuinneagain, Joe and his other CEC colleagues have opposed education cuts. Joe was a member of the Small Schools Task Force set up to advise the CEC on opposing DES proposals to close small schools. Most recently he was on the review of the Principals’ Forum working group. Joe is also actively involved in a range of community, rural, cultural and sporting organisations. Anne Horan represents District 13, Limerick and Kerry, on the INTO Executive, and is originally from West Cork. Graduating from Mary Immaculate College of Education in 1980, Anne’s teaching career began in Dunmanus NS in West Cork, a one-teacher school. On moving to Co Limerick she taught in many rural schools before she was appointed to St Fergus NS, Glin, in 1992. Principal of two teacher Carrickerry NS, since 2008, Anne is an advocate of the value of small schools to their communities. She has been an active member of INTO at branch and district level since she started teaching and served on the INTO Benefit Funds Committee for three years prior to becoming CEC Rep in 2015. Anne considers her involvement in the INTO to have been instrumental in her love of teaching, often remembering the guidance she received from teaching colleagues and INTO members in West Cork in the 1980s. The culmination of her lifelong studies (for now!) is close, as Anne is completing an EdD from St Patrick’s College/DCU. She has also attained a B.A., M.Ed and a Post Graduate Diploma in the Teaching of Primary Science. correction Apologies to Dublin North Bay Branch. Last month we omitted the name of their branch from the bio of the District 14 representative Pat Crowe. e full list of branches in District 14 should have read: Dublin North Bay, Dublin North City, Dublin Tolka and West Liffey. New INTO Equality Officer The new INTO Equality Officer is Alison Gilliland. Alison will take over the role from Mary Lally who will retire from the INTO in the new year. A native of Co Monaghan, Alison previously taught in Our Lady Immaculate SNS, Darndale; Swords Educate Together NS in Dublin and in Granada, Spain. During her time teaching in Dublin, Alison was an active member of Dublin North West Branch. Alison is also a senior official in INTO Head Office with responsibility for INTO Learning which delivers trade union training to members and professional development courses for members. She is also a member of Dublin City Council. INTOUCH 17 NOVEMBER 2016 JobBridge and probation All together now! Last month the Teaching Council decided that internship schemes such as JobBridge, and similar such schemes that may be commenced in the future, will no longer be accepted as a suitable setting for probation. Therefore, from 3 October 2016, teachers availing of JobBridge will not be eligible to apply for probation. Teachers who have applied to Limerick Education Centre for probation prior to 3 October will be facilitated. Since December 2011 the CEC has directed members not to participate in JobBridge which it views as exploitative of newly qualified teachers MoninneGriffith,ExecutiveDirector,BeLonGToandSheilaNunan,INTOGeneralSecretaryatthelaunchof AllTogetherNow!Pic:TommyClancy Last month in the INTO Learning Centre, BeLonG To launched the All Together Now! programme to help address homophobic and transphobic bullying in primary schools in Ireland. The programme comprises four lessons based in the SPHE curriculum for fifth and sixth classes in primary schools. The lessons take an equality and human rights approach to respect, inclusion and homophobic and transphobic bullying. The lesson plans for All Together Now! include slides, scenarios, discussion questions and other tools for teaching pupils. The pupils are taught about types of identity-based bullying (based on the nine grounds of the Equality Acts and the DES Action Plan on Bullying). They are also taught about bullying behaviours such as verbal, physical, cyber or social isolation. All Together Now! was commissioned by BeLonG To Youth Services with funding from the DES. Speaking at the launch, INTO general secretary Sheila Nunan said: “Primary school teachers work hard to tackle homophobic bullying along with all other types of bullying. The All Together Now! lessons are a very welcome development to help teachers in their classrooms and schools.” Materials can be downloaded from www. belongto.org/campaign.aspx?contentid=13586 An article on this resource was published in the October InTouch and can be viewed at www.into.ie/Publications/InTouch inTo meets student union officials In October, INTO officials met with officers of the students’ unions in colleges of education to discuss a number of issues of concern. These issues included third level funding, probation/induction, INTO support for student unions and visits to colleges of education. The INTO general secretary and president provided details of the campaign on pay equality and the protest march to the Dáil on 27 October and sought the support of the student unions in the colleges. Channels of communication for the coming year were agreed. PicturedwithRosenaJordan,INTOPresident,atrecentmeetingwereLee Dillon,JamesDeegan,EimearDonaghy,SarahPhelanandDillonGrace. INTOUCH 18 NOVEMBER 2016 INTO Staff Reps Online Support Course The INTO Staff Representatives’ Online Support Course is now open. The course consists of four modules which will be accessible until June 2017: 1. 2. 3. 4. Staff Rep Role and Responsibility INTO Structures and Communications Understanding Teacher Terms and Conditions Managing Workplace Relationship Difficulties view.php?id=320 and the enrolment key is verefoster Link to course FAQs at http://intolearning.ie/staff-reps-faqs The link to the course is http://moodle.intolearning.ie/course/ Elaine Daly honoured Last month, long serving INTO employee, Elaine Daly, was awarded honorary citizenship of the city of Bethlehem and received a Bethlehem Passport. e Bethlehem Passport is issued by the OPEN BETHLEHEM campaign in partnership with the Governorate of Bethlehem. So far, the passport has been granted to more than 500 people around the world, including people such as Malala Yousafzai, Archbishop Rowan Williams, Pope Benedict XVI, Archbishop Desmond Tutu and US President Jimmy Carter. Elaine is apparently the first Irish person to receive the Bethlehem Passport. Since 2006, Elaine has organised 16 information trips to the West Bank and over 400 people, including INTO members and Head Office personnel, have travelled with her to meet with various Palestinian and Israeli individuals, groups and NGOs. ey’ve visited schools, universities, refugee camps, special needs centres, trade union offices, permaculture projects and ElaineDalywithher award.Alsoinpicture areINTOHeadOffice personnelwho travelledtoPalestine withElaine Ltor:DavidO’Sullivan, MerrilynCampbell, Elaine,ErinMcGann andNoelWard women’s groups. Each group has stayed in Bethlehem and the conferring of a Bethlehem Passport (which is a symbolic document and not a legal travel document) is an acknowledgment of the support Elaine’s trips provide to the people of Bethlehem and the local economy. e passport resembles an actual passport and contains Elaine’s picture and date of birth. e watermarked pages feature both the star of Bethlehem and the figure of St George – Al-Khadr – the patron saint of Palestine. e message inside the Passport reads: “e bearer of this passport is held to be a citizen of Bethlehem, to have contributed to the survival of this city, and to have stood by the ideals that continue to make Bethlehem an inspiration to the world.” An article written by Elaine, following one of her initial trips to Palestine, can be read in the May 2008 InTouch. inTo sponsor cumann na mBunscol RosenaJordan,INTOPresident,ispicturedpresentinga sponsorshipchequetoCumannnamBunscol.Picturedltor:Gerry O’Meara,Mini-SevensCo-ordinator,CumannnamBunscol;Gearoid ÓMaolmhichil,NationalChildren’sOfficer,GAA;RosenaJordan; MaireadCallaghan,Runaí,CumannnamBunscol;AogánÓ Fearghaíl,Uachtarán,GAA;JohnBoyle,INTOVicePresidentand LiamMagee,Uachtarán,CumannnamBunscol. INTOUCH 19 NOVEMBER 2016 NuachtCMÉ In the media In print Why we need more male teachers and more female principals In my opinion by Rosena Jordan. Classrooms are a microcosm of society. In our schools, children learn the stories they will tell themselves for the rest of their lives, stories formed from the material they have around them. What will today’s primary children tell themselves about gender? Men have been steadily disappearing from Irish classrooms since the 1970s. In 1961, nearly 40pc of primary teachers were male. Today, it is below 15pc. What message does that send to our children? Will they learn that the primary classroom is no place for young men? Irish Independent, 28 Sept 2016 on continued voluntary fundraising and parental contributions. Irish Independent, 12 Oct 2016 Budget 2017: Investment in education has long road ahead Irish primary classes remain the second most overcrowded in the European Union with 25 pupils per class compared with an EU average of 20 pupils. As the INTO said, more than 100,000 pupils in classes of 30 or more have been “abandoned by this Government”. The failure to increase capitation fees for schools means parents will be left once again to make up the difference in ‘voluntary contributions’ and near-endless fundraisers. The Irish Times, 12 Oct 2016 Are we ready to pay to be the best? Budget 2017: Threat to extra teaching posts The government’s action plan for education, which aims to make our system the best in Europe by 2026 is laudable in many ways... It is ironic that, on the same morning the plan was launched, the Irish National Teachers’ Organisation issued a statement about an OECD report which showed that, while most countries are spending more per student in 2013 than they did at the start of the crisis in 2008, Ireland is an exception. Spending here has fallen by up to 15 per cent against comparable EU countries in recent years. Evening Echo, 17 Sept 2016 ...Despite the extra posts for a reformed middle management system, the INTO and TUI also pointed to the continuing pay inequality for those first appointed after 2011. Although members of both unions are to see some bridging of that gap, they continue to pressure officials for full pay parity... INTO general secretary, More teachers next year – but nothing to help cashstrapped schools and parents ...There was a hostile reaction from the Irish National Teachers’ Organisation (INTO) whose general secretary, Sheila Nunan, said the Government’s plan for education was “in tatters” because the Budget had failed to match the ambition with the resources. “Despite a commitment in the Programme for Government to reduce class sizes, Budget 2017 leaves supersized Irish primary schools unchanged.” She said the total failure to increase day-to-day funding for schools would leave primary schools dependent Sheila Nunan, said the Government’s failure to reduce class sizes in its first budget meant a Programme for Government commitment was being left behind, and the lack of increase in rates of day-to-day funding for schools meant they would continue to rely on fundraising and asking parents for voluntary contributions. Irish Examiner, 12 Oct 2016 2,500 teaching jobs but pupil ratio will remain a problem Sheila Nunan, General Secretary of the INTO, said: “Despite a commitment in the Programme for Government to reduce class sizes, Budget 2017 leaves supersized Irish primary schools unchanged.” The INTO said Budget 2017 wasted the opportunity to tackle overcrowded classes. Over 100,000 pupils in classes of 30 or more have been abandoned by this government. Ms Nunan of the INTO, said “The total failure to increase day-to-day funding for schools will leave primary schools dependent on continued fundraising and parental contributions… primary school leaders will despair at today’s Budget.” Irish Daily Mail, 12 Oct 2016 On the airwaves Concerns over shortage of male teachers in the primary sector Rosena Jordan, President of the INTO, joins the programme to discuss gender imbalance in primary teaching. Kildare Today, 30 Sept 2016 Children at Dublin school running out of space The INTO says the plan for primary education is in tatters because the Government has failed to match ambition with resources. Newstalk.com, 13 Oct 2016 2,500 extra posts announced for schools The Irish National Teachers’ Organisation has expressed disappointment that dayto-day funding for schools has not been increased. The union said schools will have to continue relying on voluntary fundraising and parental contributions. It has also criticised the fact that a 15% cut to funding for children with special needs remains in place, classes remain overcrowded, and pay inequality for more recently qualified teachers continues. rte.ie, 12 Oct 2016 INTOUCH 20 NOVEMBER 2016 INTOnews INTO Consultative Conference on Equality 2016 Preparingforthe INTOConsultative conferenceon Equalitywere EqualityCommittee membersltor: JosephineByrne; TracieTobin (Cathaoirleach); Anne-MarieCoffey (standing);Deirdre Fleming(LeasChathaoirleach)and SheilaNunan,INTO GeneralSecretary The 2016 INTO Consultative Conference on Equality was held in Killenard on 30 September and 1 October. The theme of the conference was the ‘Impact of Gender on Career Progression in Primary Teaching’. It was attended by delegates who had been nominated through their branches and districts, as well as members of national committees and invited guests from trade unions and the education sector. male colleagues, who are far more likely to gain advancement externally, which seems to reflect trends seen in the UK. The research of the committee also indicated that teachers of both genders, while broadly satisfied with teaching as a profession, would find leadership roles far more appealing if a greater work-life balance could be ensured, and if the bureaucracy related to the role could be Opening session The conference was opened by INTO President, Rosena Jordan, who welcomed delegates and wished everyone success in their deliberations. Tracie Tobin and Deirdre Fleming, respectively cathaoirleach and leaschathaoirleach of the INTO Equality Committee, then set out the context of the conference with a presentation of the committee’s research into the area of gender and career progression, the result of focus groups in branches and a survey of members, undertaken over the past year. They noted the greater tendency of female teachers to seek promotion within their own schools, as opposed to their reduced, areas which are unlikely to improve without the lifting of the moratorium on promoted posts. Gender inequality and how we read it Dr Maeve O’Brien delivered her address on ‘The framing of gender inequality and how we read it’ (see page 23). Dr O’Brien noted that the inequality experienced by women in progression in primary teaching mirrors the broader labour market in terms of women’s pay and status, and that the significant number of men in positions of educational leadership is an international phenomenon, which exists at all levels within the educational system, from primary up to third level. Discussion groups RosenaJordan,INTOPresident,openingthe conference INTOUCH 21 NOVEMBER 2016 Discussions in small groups, facilitated by members of the Equality Committee, allowed delegates to consider the topics raised in the opening session. Discussion groups reflected a diversity of opinion on a number of issues. The full feedback from these groups is currently being collated and will be considered by the Equality Committee. This will then inform their conference report to the CEC. Reports from the discussion groups will NuachtCMÉ Left:SheilaNunan, GeneralSecretary, addressingdelegates. Right:LouiseCurtis, DublinNorthBayand INTOProjectTeamonNew EntrantPayoutliningthe inequalitybetweenher andhercolleaguesand SenatorAodhánÓ Riordáindeliveringhis address Workshops also be uploaded in full to the conference page of the INTO website. Project team on new entrant pay Although tangential to the theme of the conference, the Equality Committee recognised new entrant pay as being a very significant, ongoing inequality in the teaching profession. Louise Curtis, from the INTO Project Team on new entrant pay, was invited to speak to delegates following their discussion groups. A 2012 entrant and member of Dublin North Bay Branch, Louise outlined clearly the inequality between her and her colleagues, commenting that, “Our fight will not be over until full pay parity is achieved.” She received a standing ovation for her contribution. and their immediate predecessors in 2011, it does not resolve the issue of equal pay between entrants since January 2011 and earlier entrants. She assured the delegates that the INTO will continue to work for full pay equality. Senator Aodhán Ó Riordáin delivered a brief but incisive address, covering topics such as ‘Equality in the education system’. He commented on the fact that, in Ireland, children, even in primary school, may be segregated on arrival on the basis of gender. His comments were well received by the delegates. Final session Sheila Nunan, General Secretary, addressed the delegates on the battle for pay equality, and the forthcoming Budget 2017. She outlined what had been achieved by the INTO in securing the agreement on fully restoring qualification allowance payments to every teacher who started since February 2012, when these allowances were removed for new entrants. While she said this resolved the equality issue between post-2012 entrants INTOUCH 22 NOVEMBER 2016 Saturday morning’s session began with a choice of seven workshops, selected by delegates at registration. Dr Ann Caulfield, presented ‘Wellness and Self-care for Leaders and Teachers’ – the popularity of this workshop indicating the stress and strain of the modern teaching profession. Delegates also attended workshops with Anne Lyne, from Hayes Solicitors, who discussed the legalities of gender discrimination, and Micheline Sheehy Skeffington, who presented her personal battle for equality in NUIG. Dáithi Ryder and John Thomas Doohan, from the LGBT Teachers’ Group, were oversubscribed for their excellent workshop on diverse families, ‘Celebrating Diversity’. Anne Mc Elduff did a presentation on ‘Bullying and harassment in the workplace’, and examined discrimination in recruitment and other areas. Dorothy Morrissey’s workshop explored the extent to which discrete (male and female) gender identities are seen as ‘natural’, and the extent to which this viewpoint infuses systems and organisations, including education. Where possible, presentations from all workshops have been uploaded to the conference page on the INTO website. INTOnews Gender equality in teaching Following the workshops, Professor Pat O’Connor from the University of Limerick presented a paper, ‘Is Gender Relevant for Primary School Teachers?’ Outlining previous INTO campaigns, she discussed the role of the INTO in promoting gender equality in school leadership. She highlighted the dearth of hard data available, and threw down the gauntlet to the INTO to use resources to build a clearer picture of the inequality we currently suspect exists. She highlighted, particularly, the importance of identifying how many male and female principals are in administrative roles versus teaching principals, and how long it has taken them to achieve that position. Professor O’Connor also queried the previous efforts of the INTO to encourage more men into teaching, saying perhaps we should, instead, focus our attention on conditions and inequality in teaching as a femaledominated profession. She cautioned against treating male colleagues as a “scarce and valued resource” in schools, and encouraged every delegate to go back to their school, conscious of changing their own behaviours in the classroom, in their own career and in recruitment, to build a profession with equal opportunities for all teachers. Next steps In the days following the conference, delegates were sent a link to a short evaluation of the conference. The feedback received was overwhelmingly positive, with a number of constructive comments which were gratefully received. The INTO Equality Committee will meet again in late November, to consider the outcomes of the conference and prepare a report for theCEC. Reports from the conference are available on www.into.ie/ROI and you can view more pictures on the INTO Flickr account. Gender and career progression in primary teaching The statistical data informs us that 85% of primary school teachers in Ireland (ROI) are women and yet, according to the DES (2012), only 65% of women occupy principalships. Why, in primary teaching, an overwhelmingly feminised profession, are there such a disproportionate number of men in leadership positions? The debates around the issue of the feminisation of teaching have tended to mask this particular inequality. There is what can be termed a ‘moral panic’ (Francis 2006; Lahelma, Arnesen and Ohm, 2008) and myth around ‘failing boys and young men’ in education. An assumption that has gained currency through this discourse is that fewer male role models for boys and the feminisation of teaching itself are the source of poor educational outcomes for males. This is really putting the cart before the horse. Feminisation leads to poorer pay and status for workers/teachers but underachievement and educational failure cannot be attributed to the feminisation of the workforce. This populist myth has tended to mask issues of real gender inequality and moreover how social class mediates gendered educational experiences for students. With respect to the inequality experienced by women in progression in primary teaching, this mirrors the broader labour market in terms of women’s pay and status. Furthermore, the significant number of men in positions of educational leadership is an international phenomenon, and also exists at all levels within the educational system from primary up to third level. The persistence of these inequalities in progression for women rests on pervasive gender stereotyping and INTOUCH 23 NOVEMBER 2016 fixed views and understandings of gender and gender roles. The difference in numbers of men and women in principalships are seen to reflect personal motivations and individual choices that are natural to these two genders, and thus serve to legitimate this inequality in career progression and work. This kind of thinking ‘makes natural’ the idea that women prefer and are better at care work for example, and that men are better in authority and disciplinary roles. This is a legacy of patriarchy that legitimates gender identity as fixed and essential and gender differences and inequalities as natural or innate. If historically we had not challenged this ideological position, women may never have got the vote and been recognised as full citizens. However, the remnants of patriarchal thinking are still alive today in pseudo-scientific claims about male and female natural differences, and with respect to care roles and work/life balance. As educators we may experience inequalities that we need to recognise as such, and to take a critical stance so these are not reproduced in the classroom. Our own education, working, naming and debating issues together as staff and union members is a first step. However, policy informed by research that addresses inequalities, not just in terms of numerical differences, but that also recognises the experiences and diverse identities of teachers can and should effect change. DR MAEVE O’BRIEN, St Patrick’s College of Education INTOnews Have you registered your INTO Membership Plus card for 2016-2018? Your new 2016-2018 INTO Membership Plus Card, which is valid for two years, was enclosed in the September edition of InTouch. Please ensure you register your card by going to www.membershipplus. ie/teachers. If you have previously registered, simply login and you will be prompted to enter your new card number. You will then be able to view the full range of offers, be kept up to date with new offers throughout the year, enter competitions and much more. Make great savings on Christmas shopping with your Membership Plus card Whoever you are shopping for this Christmas, you can make great savings across the country with your INTO Membership Plus Card with over 1,500 offers and discounts of up to 50%. For details on these offers visit www.membershipplus.ie/teachers chrisTMAs shopping ideAs Argento Arnotts Born Clothing Carraig Donn Carrolls Irish Gifts Chapters Bookstore Debenhams Dunnes Stores HotelsIreland.com Kennys Bookshop Menarys Moores Jewellers Open Fairways Pamela Scott The Body Shop Ireland 10% Discount 4% off Gift Cards 10% Discount 10% Discount 10% Discount 10% Discount 8% off Gift Cards 6% off Gift Cards 12% Discount Up to 10% 15% Discount 10% Discount Save €70 10% Discount 10% Discount Countrywide and online Purchase online, then spend countrywide. Countrywide Countrywide Dublin and Cork Dublin 1 Purchase online, then spend countrywide. Purchase online, then spend countrywide. Countrywide Galway and online Tullamore, Carrick on Shannon, Letterkenny Five branches in Co Cork Courses countrywide Countrywide Countrywide World’s largest lesson in action From World Teachers’ Day (5 October) to Eradication Poverty Day (17 October), schools around the country joined the INTO Global Citizenship Schools for the Worlds’ Largest Lesson 2016, to promote the Global Goals for Sustainable Development 2030. In September 2015, World Leaders committed to the Global Goals for Sustainable Development. These are 17 goals to achieve three extraordinary things in the next 15 years: l End extreme poverty. l Fight inequality and injustice. l Fix climate change. To realise these goals everyone, however young they are, needs to take part. The INTO Global Citizenship Schools aim to teach our young people about the goals and encourage them to become the generation that changed the world. They also commit to including the whole school community in this endeavour. For more information see online www.into.ie/ROI/ GlobalCitizenshipSchool/ INTOUCH 25 NOVEMBER 2016 GroupworkatStDamian’sNS,Perrystown,Dublin 12,– makingposterstoraiseawarenessofthe Globalgoals INTO Advice 7 INTO advice for members on issues of importance 8 Updates on the Primary OnLine Database Learning support information on POD question. Schools have been requested by the DES to endeavour to assist parents/guardians in filling in any data-gathering form where a language difficulty exists. The DES has confirmed to the INTO that questions on GAM/NCSE and low incidence on the POD are not compulsory. The DES has also clarified with the INTO that the information on learning support collected in the annual census (October returns) is purely for statistical purposes and is not used to determine learning support hours or resource allocation. Pupil data validation The DES is currently in the process of validating information provided by schools through POD. As a part of this, pupils with valid PPSNs have had their name, date of birth and PPSN made un-editable on POD. Once the first phase of this process is complete, the name fields will be made editable for schools again. It is anticipated that this will take place during the set of updates to POD which are due by January 2017. The DES has requested that schools wishing to make minor changes to pupil names would wait for these updates to take place before doing so. Recording members of the Traveller community on POD Enhanced capitation for pupils who are members of the Traveller community will only be paid to schools by the DES if the parents/guardians of those children have given written consent to disclosure, through POD, that the ethnic or cultural background of that child is Irish Traveller. The DES has stated that Irish Traveller representative organisations are fully supportive of the inclusion of this inTo seminars for principals e INTO’s programme of seminars continues this year with the most recent seminar in Mullingar on 12 October. e seminar covered topics including CIDs and contracts, enrolment/admissions, legislation, complaints and disciplinary procedures, vetting, appointment procedures, sick leave and current professional challenges Information on future seminars is available on the INTO website at www.into.ie/ROI/Infofor Teachers/SchoolLeadership/ INTOPrincipalsSeminar Programme/ PrincipalteachersattherecentseminarinMullingar INTOUCH 27 NOVEMBER 2016 INTOadvice Supplementary panel e supplementary panel is an important condition of employment for primary teachers. It has provided a path to permanent employment for thousands of teachers since its inception in 1994. e INTO is committed to maintaining confidence in the panel system generally, but particularly in relation to access to the supplementary panel for non-permanent teachers. At the time of writing it is expected that a new circular will issue from the DES after the October midterm break. It is expected that the closing date for completed applications to be sent to the DES will be early December. e CEC has decided that a series of meetings will be held after the circular issues. We invite all members who feel that they may be entitled to apply for supplementary panel rights for the next school year, to attend a meeting where INTO personnel will guide members through the eligibility and application process. e details in this article are anticipated at the time of writing. Further updates and information will also be posted on the INTO website as soon as the circular issues. To help you understand how the supplementary panel operates, we have prepared this extensive Q & A. Further information and updates can be found on www.into.ie/ROI What is the panel? l e main panel is used to redeploy teachers in permanent posts where those permanent posts are withdrawn due to falling enrolment, etc. l e supplementary panel gives access to permanent teaching positions to teachers in non-permanent posts (who have reached a minimum threshold of service). What is the sequence in which panels operate? e main panel (permanent) is the first panel to issue, generally in mid-March. e supplementary panel is issued when the main panels are cleared. How do I qualify to gain access to the supplementary panel for the 2017/18 school year? 1 For teachers whose first teaching appointment in a school was prior to 1 January 2011 the criteria are: - at on or before 31 December 2016, you must be on the fourth (or higher) point of the salary scale (graduate) or be on the fifth (or higher) point of the salary scale (post-graduate). - You must earn at least €29,000 gross salary in the 2016 calendar year, including allowances (where applicable).e €29,000 threshold is reduced for teachers in part-time employment. It is also reduced for teachers who were on unpaid maternity/adoptive leave in 2016. - If you are on the fourth point (grad) or fifth point (post grad) of the scale, you must have employment for the remainder of the school year. - If you are on the fifth point or higher (grad) or sixth point or higher (post grad) on 31 December 2016 – there is no need to be contracted to the end of the school year. 2 Teachers whose first teaching appointment was after 1 January 2011 the criteria are: - at you must be on third (or higher) point of the salary scale on or All applicants must be fully registered with the Teaching Council, having completed their probationary period (including all induction meetings) by the closing date for application. INTOUCH 28 NOVEMBER 2016 INTOadvice rights– are you eligible? before 31 December 2016. - You must earn at least €26,100 gross salary in the 2016 calendar year, including allowances where applicable. - If you are on the third point of the scale, have employment for the remainder of the school year. - If you are on the fourth point or higher by 31 December 2016, there is no need to be contracted to the end of school year. Incremental progression secured from previous permanent service will not be reckonable, but incremental progression following resignation from a permanent post is counted. Only incremental credit for non-permanent teaching service in the ROI is reckonable. A teacher will be regarded as eligible for access to the supplementary panel if the only reason for not meeting the scale point criteria is due to the three month freeze(s) under the Haddington Road Agreement. All applicants must be fully registered with the Teaching Council, having completed their probationary period (including all induction meetings) by the closing date for application. I am unsure about my point on the incremental pay scale. Who in the DES do I contact in relation to this? For teachers with queries relating to point on the incremental point/salary scale, please email [email protected]. Teachers are advised that if they have concerns about their incremental point, that they try to resolve these as soon as possible. l l How do I apply ? An application form is attached to the circular. You must fill out parts one and three. Part two is only completed by those teachers applying for the Educate Together panel or an Foras Pátrúnachta panels. You should ensure all details are correct and return the form to DES by the closing date for application – this is expected to be early December. Late applications will not be accepted by the DES under any circumstances. What happens when the DES has processed all supplementary panel applications for the 2017/18 school year? DES will notify applicants by email of the outcome of their application, usually in March. Supplementary panel lists are then compiled by the DES and circulated to panel operators throughout the country. e supplementary panel becomes operational when the relevant main panel is cleared. My name has been placed on the supplementary panel. When the main panel in my diocese clears, what happens next? A list of permanent vacancies from diocesan offices is made available to teachers on the panel on request. Only permanent posts are offered to teachers on the supplementary panel. If there are insufficient permanent posts to clear the supplementary panel, it is a matter for the teacher to secure fixed-term or substitute employment for the next school year. How is an offer of a permanent job made to me if I am on the supplementary panel? l Schools/principals can contact you directly. l Generally teachers will be contacted by phone/email – you must comply with all email or phone requests. l Schools can also advertise their INTOUCH 29 NOVEMBER 2016 l l permanent post on www.educationposts.ie or on www.staffroom.ie. Only teachers on the supplementary panel are eligible to apply for these posts. An interview generally takes place. A formal offer is made in writing, generally via email. You must accept a written offer within a three day period from receipt of email providing that offer is within the 45km radius of current school. If you refuse a written offer of a post that is within the 45km radius of your current school you will forfeit your supplementary panel rights. Your name will be removed from the supplementary panel list and you will have to reapply for supplementary panel rights for the following school year, and meet the eligibility criteria at the time. Is it true that I can refuse the first three offers that are made to me? l is is not true! It is an urban myth that you can refuse the first three offers – a teacher can only refuse any offer that is outside the 45km radius without forfeiting their panel rights. If a written offer is made to me and I wish to accept, what do I do next? When a written offer is made, you should accept the offer in writing (by email) within the specified timeframe. Fill in the Panel Update Form and return it to the DES as soon as possible. Your name will then be removed from the supplementary panel list as you have now secured a permanent post effective from the beginning of the school year. e principal of your new school will send the Permanent Appointment Form to the DES payroll section to ensure that you will be paid from 1 September 2017. Two INTO members outlined their experiences of the panel in the June 2014 issue of InTouch. You can read these articles online in the InTouch section of the INTO website at www.into.ie/ROI/Publications/ InTouch INTOadvice Online safety for children across their ages For parents, getting used to online security isn’t easy. One of the trickiest aspects is figuring out what to do with online safety as the years go by – what’s appropriate for toddlers, for example, isn’t exactly relevant for six-year-olds. So here is ESET Ireland’s advice on tackling cybersecurity for different ages. Age group: Under 5s This is one of the most important age groups. What happens during these formative years can have a huge impact on your kids for the rest of their lives. Moreover, with technology being introduced from such an early age – as young as three – it’s essential you are on top of your game to keep your children safe and secure. Top tips You need to ensure that your own devices are password protected, so that your youngsters can’t accidentally go online when you’re out of sight. This is as good a time as any to invest in parental-control software – this powerful technology is a real asset when it comes to safety (suitable up the age of 14). Start talking about online safety and set boundaries. For example, set limits to device usage and stress the importance of not talking to strangers online, the same as in real life. Age group: 5-9 Between the ages of five and nine, there is a decided shift in the way parents and children view technology. As an ESET study from earlier this year revealed, there are subtle differences in attitudes across the world. plenty of ways of staying protected. Top tips The teenage years are about give and take – as hard as it is to accept, your baby boy or girl is now a mature youngster, capable of looking after themselves and keen to be more independent. Equally, on the flip side, they’re still young, dependent on you for many things and in need of constant guidance, as well as age-appropriate boundaries. What’s essential is that there is trust – on both sides. This way, you as a parent, can feel confident about letting your children get on with their lives, while not having to look over their shoulders constantly. Continue with the previous tips, adjusting, for example, some of the settings on your parental control app. Ensure that your children are accessing age-appropriate content (films, video games and apps). If your children have their own devices, ensure that there are limits to what can be done/accessed. Age group: 10-12 This age group is where children begin to develop their tech skills, as well as gain a better understanding of technology and the internet – they know shortcuts, have favourite websites and are even active on social network accounts. It’s also the age group where children will start to really question and query things, where there is a desire to take ownership and responsibility over their devices and what they view online. Top tips Reinforce why you limit usage and why you have restrictions in place – it’s not about control, but about safety and what you deem appropriate for their age. Shift the focus of your conversation with your children to topics such as privacy and cybercrime. Your children are among the most vulnerable groups online. Reiterate the importance of security – from passphrases to two-factor authentication and encryption, there are INTOUCH 30 NOVEMBER 2016 Age group: 13-16 Top tips Again, your ongoing conversation with your kids will need to change and take on more adult topics – things to bring up at this age are cyberbullying, sexting and the threat of online predators. As you may have done with other things – like buying clothes and spending money on leisurely activities – let them take control of things like app, music or film purchases (setting limits of course). Point out that certain online activities, which they may consider harmless, are in fact illegal – something that parents themselves need a better understanding of. Stay up to date with latest threats with ESET Ireland’s blog or follow us on Facebook or Twitter. URBAN SCHROTT, IT Security and Cybercrime Analyst. www.eset.ie INTOadvice Advice for NQTs Invaluable advice for the newly qualified Become the Primary Teacher Everyone wants to have – A Guide to Career Success is written primarily for newly qualified teachers but will be of huge interest and support to even the most experienced practitioner. Its author, Seán Delaney, a senior lecturer in Marino Institute of Education, received a fellowship which gave him the space and time to write this valuable book. e book’s format is user friendly. Each chapter deals with one aspect of teaching and the ‘key points’ summary at the end of each expertly reinforces the main pieces of advice. Equally invaluable to the reader are the notes and references on each topic. e choice of chapter titles is indicative of the author’s are aspects of the teacher’s life which are often neglected as we try to be all things to the children we teach. While the author is not an advocate of homework – asserting that, “Even when you search across several countries, it is difficult to find any concrete benefits of homework” – he nevertheless offers some great tips on assigning and checking such tasks. Suggestions for varying assignments include giving a weekly allocation which may be completed anytime during the week or making homework optional! is is a book which will be of great support to teachers at all career stages. It deserves to be widely read and will repay the teacher reader many times over. One The choice of chapter titles is indicative of the author’s in-depth knowledge and understanding of exactly the type of advice teachers want and need in-depth knowledge and understanding of exactly the type of advice teachers want and need. e first four chapters cover the areas of preparation and planning, classroom management, teaching methods and good practice in communicating with children. While all these topics will have been well covered in pre-service teacher education, this book cuts to the chase and offers sound and practical ideas for those early days and years when novice teachers need it most. Of particular value to newly qualified teachers is the chapter which deals with communicating with parents and guardians. e advice here is a must read for any teacher who wants to cultivate a warm, approachable and effective relationship with parents. e author also advises on report writing and is practical in his approach to all aspects of parent/teacher interaction. In the chapter on ‘Integrating life, teaching and learning’, insightful counsel is presented on several practice-related topics; ‘Teachers need patience’, ‘Mind yourself’, ‘When inspiration fades’ and ‘Sensitive topics’, to mention a few. ese big reservation is the choice of title which does not do justice to the serious and well-researched contents. It reads like a self-help or ‘quick fix’ title which belies this wonderful work. Routledge. ISBN: 9781138675636. €29.50 Reviewed by JOAN WARD, former INTO president. INTOUCH 31 NOVEMBER 2016 INTOadvice 5 money questions toask before movingin withyour partner MONEy can be a potential source of conflict for couples who are moving in together. So, as well as discussing what takeaway to get, take some time to figure out how you will manage your money as a couple. Ignoring money issues can mean stress for your relationship, so it’s important you agree how to manage your joint finances with your partner before you move in together. As with any relationship issue, communication from the outset is key! 1 Do you have different attitudes to money? It’s important that you acknowledge and discuss any differences you have and figure out how to manage your money. For example is one a spender and the other a saver? You should discuss each other’s financial habits. Having regular, open communication about money is going to be helpful in understanding both of your attitudes and avoid any hidden resentments building up if you have different views. 2 How will you manage your dayto-day expenses? Agree how to pay for your shared expenses, such as your rent and bills. Take into account each other’s income. The key is to come up with an arrangement that suits and seems fair to both of you. For example, think about how best to share expenses if one of you earns more than the other. Also, discuss how you will keep track of your joint finances and who has responsibility for what. Maybe a joint account might work best for your shared expenses and you can still have separate accounts for your own money. The budget planner on the CCPC’s consumer website consumerhelp.ie can help to get you started on planning your household budget. It will help you work out what income you have available and what changes you may need to make to take account of your new living arrangements. It’s important that both of you understand how much you can afford to spend, so that you don’t end up bearing the cost of the other’s overspending. 3 What are your long-term savings goals? Discuss your savings goals. For example, you may want to save for a house deposit or for a wedding or even just a holiday. Consider the impact certain decisions may have on other goals. For example, if you want to save for a deposit on a house can you afford to do this while paying your current rent? You may also want to consider setting up a joint savings account and pooling your savings, which may give you better a better return than having individual accounts. 4 How would you manage if something unexpected happened? Think about how you would cope if one of you were to unable to work or if you needed money for some other unforeseen event. One option is to set up an ‘emergency fund.’ Aim to build up at least three months’ salary. There are other types of insurance products such as income protection or mortgage repayment protection which can help you prepare for the unexpected. 5 What’s the plan if things don’t work out? It is also important to have some kind of INTOUCH 32 NOVEMBER 2016 plan in place for what to do if you break up while living together. Who gets the furniture? Or who gets the pet if you have one? Make sure that you both have a clear understanding as to who owns what. Ideally, write it down. That way, there won’t be any extra conflicts if that unfortunate event does happen. When it comes to moving in together, you can help resolve potential conflict by both thinking things through and openly discussing your money. Things can be particularly difficult if you have bought a house together and then need to separate. It is worth seeking legal advice before you buy about what would happen to the property if this happens. You should always keep detailed records (bank/credit statements and receipts) of all the money you invest in the property including any initial deposit you pay, ongoing monthly mortgage repayments and any money you spend on furniture and fittings. Even if you separate on good terms and one partner wants to buy out the other, it can be complicated to remove a mortgage holder from the property deeds. One issue that can arise is that the person who wants to buy the house will have to go through the mortgage application process again and may not meet the bank’s lending criteria for a new mortgage on their own. When it comes to moving in together, you can help resolve potential conflict by both thinking things through and openly discussing your money. The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) has lots of tools and information on its consumer site, www.consumerhelp.ie, to help you manage your money if you need further help. INTOadvice Handling parental complaints Pending the enactment of Section 28 of the Education Act (1998-2012), which envisages the provision of a charter for parents or pupils, the parental complaints procedure agreed between the INTO and primary school management representatives remains in operation for dealing with complaints by parents against teachers. The purpose of this procedure is to facilitate the resolution of difficulties between parents and teachers, where they may arise, in a fair manner. The procedure is set out on the INTO, Department of Education and Skills and the various management bodies’ websites. It is also contained in the CPSMA Board of Management Handbook (Revised 2016). INTO advice is that parents should be made aware of the procedure for handling parental complaints in schools as this may assist in the resolution of such complaints, particularly at the informal stages. Informal to formal The procedure envisages moving from informal attempts at resolution through to more formal stages, including a written response to the complaint to the board of management. STAGE ONE – INFORMAL At stage one an unwritten/verbal complaint can be processed by the complaining parent approaching, in the first instance, the class teacher, the principal teacher and the chairperson of the board with a view to resolving the complaint informally. This stage should be attempted with any complaint. STAGES THREE (INFORMAL) AND FOUR – (FORMAL) decision that the complaint is not substantiated and the teacher and the complainant should be informed of such within three days of the board meeting. However, it is true to say that in most cases, at stage four, boards consider that the complaint warrants further investigation and, in that regard, a formal board meeting is arranged to afford the parties an opportunity to present their respective positions. The teacher should also be supplied with a copy of any written evidence in support of the complaint and should then be requested to supply a written statement to the board in response to the complaint. At stage three, the teacher should be supplied with a copy of the written complaint and a meeting with the teacher should be arranged by the chairperson and, where applicable, the principal teacher, with a view to resolving the complaint. All of the above stages should be completed in advance of the board having sight of the details of the complaint and/or deliberating on the matter. At stage four, the chairperson should make a formal report to the board in relation to efforts to resolve the complaint. The board may take a INTO SUPPORT INTO advice is that, at this point, a teacher who intends to make a written response to a board of management should contact their local CEC representative or INTO Head Office with a view to receiving advice and assistance in relation to this matter. It is also important that, in becoming involved in this process, teachers are afforded due process in the procedures. The application of fair procedures include that: l details of any allegations or complaints are put to the teacher; l the teacher/teachers against whom the complaint is made is given an opportunity to respond fully to any such allegations or complaints; l the parties concerned are given the right to be represented during the procedure – however recourse to l l l l legal representation is not envisaged at any stage. In general, teachers may receive representation, if they require it from their CEC representative and/or Head Office official; the complaint is fairly examined and processed; the parties are entitled to a fair and impartial determination of the issues concerned; if any person involved in the investigation (i.e. member of BOM) has a connection with one of the parties in dispute so as to raise a concern regarding his/her impartiality, s/he shall withdraw from dealing with the case; members of boards of management should be reminded of their obligations with regard to confidentiality in dealing with parental complaints. STAGE TWO – INFORMAL Stage two is generally triggered by receipt of the complaint in writing. It involves the chairperson becoming more actively involved in achieving resolution. At each point the INTO advises that a brief note is made of the fact that a meeting took place and the outcome of that meeting. This note could be agreed with the parent at each stage. Whilst explicitily provided for in stage three, the INTO advises a teacher to request the copy of the written complaint at stage two to enable him/her to effectively deal with the matter. STAGE FIVE Stage five of the procedure requires the chairperson to convey the decision of the board, in writing, to the teacher and the complainant. Complaints to other agencies In complaints in relation to child protection issues where a complaint is referred to the Child and Family Agency (CFA)/TUSLA, in line with the Child Protection Guidelines, either by the board of management or by the parent, or to the Gardaí by either INTOUCH 33 NOVEMBER 2016 party, INTO advice to members is that any investigation by the board of management should await the outcome of any Garda investigation in the first instance and any CFA/TUSLA investigation in the second. On 25 July 2016, Part V of the Teaching Council Act commenced and this relates to the fitness to teach of a registered teacher. It is now open to anyone to make a complaint about the fitness to teach of a registered teacher. However, with regard to parental complaints, the INTO advises engagement with the agreed parental complaints procedure in an attempt to achieve resolution. INTOadvice Complaints to the Ombudsman The Ombudsman for Children’s Office (OCO) was set up in 2004 to: – look into complaints made by or for children and young people about the actions of public organisations; – promote the rights and welfare of children and young people under 18 years living in Ireland. Education sector Who can complain? In 2015, 45% of complaints related to education. These included individual schools and decisions made by a range of educational bodies such as the DES, the NCSE and the State Examinations Commission. The number of complaints in the education sector decreased by 2% in 2015. The OCO Annual Report for 2015 also notes a decrease in the number of complaints about inappropriate professional conduct. Breakdown of complaints relating to education in 2015 The top sub categories of complaints for education are as follows: Handling of allegations on inappropriate professional conduct Handling of peer bullying concerns. Examinations results and accommodations. Complaint handling, decisions and policy. Expulsion, suspension and enrolment. In 2015, 29% of all complaints to the OCO were about schools implemented suggested areas for improvement as identified by the OCO. Examples include schools that have reviewed and improved their complaints and bullying policies, improved their record keeping, started engaging directly with families at an early stage and provided greater transparency in complaints management through sharing information with parents on how to make complaints. In the majority of cases the OCO influenced local resolutions between the complainant and the school. An example of the impact of these individual cases includes both parties agreeing to mediation and, in some cases, children returning full-time to school placement. In the longer term, there is often a very positive impact following engagement. In these cases, many board of managements and school principals have accepted and INTOUCH 34 NOVEMBER 2016 INTOadvice for Children’s Office Where do complaints come from? Percentage of times a sector was complained about in 2015 Complaints by county % in 2015 Three quarters of all complaints were made by parents Example of a complaint about a school Summary of complaint Sean* was on a school trip when another child took a photo of him and shared it via a social media app accompanied with a derogatory comment. Although the school managed the incident at the time, Sean’s parents complained to the OCO that the school had not given them an adequate explanation about why they were not informed immediately about the incident. there was any learning for the board of management to inform any future such events. The OCO found that the school had provided a rationale and apology to Sean’s parents about the delay. While the OCO found no grounds of maladministration, the school were asked whether there was any learning from the incident to prevent a re-occurrance. and digital cameras are not permitted on school tours. – The BOM introduced new procedures for teachers in charge of school trips on managing such incidents. ¨Thenameofthechildinvolvedinthiscasehasbeen changedtopreserveanonymity. Outcome OCO examination of the complaint The OCO examined the complaint by seeking a response from the principal of the school about the delay, from the board of management on the policies available at the time to guide practice in the use of mobile phones and whether – The BOM revised their mobile phone policy and agreed to review it annually. – The school, with the cooperation of the Parents’ Council, arranged an open lecture for parents on internet safety. – All parents now sign agreement forms acknowledging that mobile phones INTOUCH 35 NOVEMBER 2016 Source: Ombudsmanfor ChildrenAnnual Report2015– www.oco.ie Retirements Pictures from branch and district functions to honour retiring members Cork City North Stranorlar BackRowLtoR:RosenaJordan(President),PaulineDowds (BranchChairperson),SharonMurray(BranchSecretary). FrontRowLtoR:MaryGallagher,CharlotteBradyandCollette Carlin. BackrowLtoR:JosephMcCarthy(BranchTreasurer),BrighidCahalane(Branch Chairperson),BrendanWalsh,KierenCremen,MichealÓLaoghaireandCaoimheGalvin (BranchSecretary). MiddlerowLtoR:JohnHealy,EoghanO’Connor,MelHurley,PaddyHill,PadraigÓLoinsigh andKathleenHaverty. FrontrowLtoR:HesterForde,SusanO’Neill,MaryMagner(DistrictXVICECRep),Eibhlin MurphyCroninandMaryBarry. Reunion MIC welcomes back its Alumni ncegraduatingas‘nationalteachers’fromMaryImmaculateCollege, On1Octoberthisyeargraduatesfrom1966turnedoutinforceastheycelebrated50yearssi pastandcampustourstoentertainattendees,withmanyguestsmeeting Limerick.Therewasagreatatmosphereonthedaywithtraditionalmusic,picturesfromthe IC-Alumni-Reunion-2016.htmformorenewsandpictures. s/310567/M pastclassmatesforthefirsttimesincegraduating.Visithttp://mic.site-ym.com/new INTOUCH 36 NOVEMBER 2016 Newsdesk { News from the world of education and trade unionism, at home and abroad } Further clarifications in respect of vetting disclosures sought by INTO still awaited Last month the DES provided some updated information on vetting disclosures relating to student teachers, inspectors, NEPS psychologists, HSE vaccination teams and TUSLA staff. ere is no requirement for a school to receive a vetting disclosure from the Bureau in respect of the Department’s inspectors, NEPS psychologists who visit schools and psychologists visiting schools under the Department’s Scheme for the Commissioning of Psychological Assessments. e Act obliges a school to receive a vetting disclosure where it is permitting a person to undertake relevant work or activities on behalf of the school. e work in schools of inspectors and psychologists referred to above is undertaken on behalf of the Department (not on behalf of the school). All members of the Inspectorate and all psychologists referred to above have been garda vetted for their employment with or engagement by the Department. ere is no requirement under the Vetting Act for a school to receive a vetting disclosure from the Bureau in respect of HSE or TUSLA staff who visit schools in the course of their duties. e work of HSE and TUSLA staff is undertaken on behalf of the HSE and TUSLA. e Vetting Act requires that these staff are Garda vetted by the HSE and TUSLA respectively. ere is no requirement for a school or the relevant college/university to obtain a vetting disclosure from the Bureau prior to a student teacher undertaking teacher practice in the school in any case where – (1) the relevant college/university had, prior to 29 April 2016, received vetting information from the GCVU in respect of the person concerned and (2) that GCVU vetting information was obtained for the purposes of that person’s attendance on the course which includes National assessments of English reading and mathematics Television in bedroom lowers maths and English scores The Education Research Centre has published The 2014 National Assessment of English Reading and Mathematics, Volume II: Context Report. It focuses on the findings of questionnaires administered to teachers, principals, pupils and parents as part of the 2014 national assessments. The report aims to provide a context in which the English reading and mathematics performance outcomes outlined in the first report can be interpreted. The full report can be downloaded from the Educational Research Centre website at www.erc. ie/2016/09/ 28/erc-nationalassessments-2014 2nd-reportlaunched/ Several pupil background variables, such as language of the home were related to achievement. Pupils who mostly spoke English at home had significantly higher mean reading scores than those who mostly spoke another language (excluding Irish) at home. Second class pupils who mostly spoke a language other than English or Irish at home had a significantly lower mean mathematics score than those who spoke mostly English but at sixth class, those who spoke mostly English at home had no advantage in mathematics over those who did not. A range of home and family characteristics were also related to pupil achievement, with, for example, pupils from two-parent homes and those with fewer siblings significantly outperforming other pupils in both reading and mathematics. Socio-economic variables were also significantly related to achievement, with pupils from financially better-off families and those whose parents have higher levels of education having significantly higher mean achievement INTOUCH 37 NOVEMBER 2016 the school placements. When agreeing to the placement of a student teacher undertaking teaching practice, a school should seek confirmation from the college that it received vetting information from the Garda Central Vetting Unit in respect of the student concerned prior to 29 April 2016. Where such confirmation is received, a school authority may also, from a prudent practice/civil liability perspective, determine, in accordance with its own child protection and relevant recruitment/selection policies, that it is necessary to undertake other checks, which could include checking references or past work experience of a person. e final decision on the suitability of a person rests with each school authority. Visit http://education.ie/en/Circularsand-Forms/Active-Circulars/cl0031_201 6_faq.pdf to read the updated FAQ as per 13 October 2016. scores in both domains. Elements of home atmosphere were also related to achievement, with those pupils who have many books in their homes, those who have Internet at home, and those who have access to educational games having significantly higher mean scores in both reading and mathematics than pupils who do not. Having access to some types of technology at home was associated with higher achievement (e.g. having a computer at home), while access to other types was associated with lower achievement (e.g. a pupil having a television in his/her bedroom). A small number of characteristics of schools were found to be related to achievement. In line with the findings of previous assessments, the school-level variables significantly associated with achievement were those related to elements of school intake. Structural characteristics of schools, such as enrolment size and location, were not associated with achievement differences. Ócáidínuachta Two stalwarts of cumann na mBunscol say goodbye to the classroom A new school year brings new faces in classroom and staffroom and also marks the end of an era for others. is year, two long-serving stalwarts of Cumann na mBunscol brought the curtain down on their teaching careers after decades spent promoting Gaelic games in primary schools. Jerry Grogan’s voice is familiar to all who attend big games in Croke Park for it is Jerry who announces substitutions, added time and other items of interest to spectators. Jerry began his teaching career in St Enda’s, Whitefriar Street, in 1978 and he immediately became involved in Cumann na mBunscol. Around that time, he began to look after school teams who played during half-time in Croke Park and thus began an association with Croke Park that continues to this day. In 1979, Jerry’s path led him to Holy Trinity SNS, Donaghmede, where he spent the next 37 years before retiring as principal this year. e Gaelic games tradition in the school is secure as Jerry’s successor as principal is former Dublin footballer David Henry. Jerry has been part and parcel of Big Match Day in Croke Park since the early 80s. In 1987, when the INTO mini sevens were introduced, Jerry was the first organiser, a role he held for several years. In Croke Park, Jerry has played many parts: “I worked in the press box for 15 years looking after members of the press. I was presentation steward for six years – in charge of all the activities that go on at half-time and acting as master of ceremonies. Since then, I have been down at pitchside doing all the One Wall Handball … a game for all! JerryGrogan,thevoiceofCrokeParkandaCumann namBunscolstalwartforfourdecades. announcements from the sideline.” Jerry has been an officer of Cumann na mBunscol Átha Cliath for many years and served for six years as PRO of Coiste Náisiúnta. Jerry’s voice will still be heard in Croke Park for many years to come. A proud native of Cahirciveen, Jerry has given wonderful service to Cumann na mBunscol and the GAA. Brother James Dormer, a native of Dublin, retired recently from his post as principal of Doon CBS, Co Limerick, after a career spanning 46 years. Since his first posting in Wexford in 1970, Brother Dormer has been immersed in primary schools games, serving ten years on Coiste Náisiúnta, as treasurer from 2006 to 2011, and as Uachtarán from 2011 to 2016. (An article on Brother Dormer’s association with Cumann na mBunscol appeared in the April issue of InTouch). MaireadO’Callaghan, Runaí,and Cathaoirleach BernadetteRyanmake apresentationto BrotherDormerto markhisretirement. INTOUCH 38 NOVEMBER 2016 Cumann na mBunscol held its autumn general meeting on All-Ireland football final weekend. Enda Timoney, a second level teacher in Tallaght, was the guest speaker. Enda was invited by Oifigeach Forbartha Tim O’Byrne to speak on the suitability of One Wall Handball for primary school pupils. Enda, a lifelong handball enthusiast, explained that handball develops hand-eye co-ordination while One Wall Handball is particularly suitable for young players from junior infants to sixth class. In an average-sized PE hall, it is possible to have up to a dozen games of One Wall Handball running side by side. The traditional 60 x 40 game is now a minority sport and over 400 ‘One Wall’ courts have been built in the past five years. Further details from www.gaahandball.ie or contact Darragh Daly, National Handball Coordinator, at [email protected]. Newsdesk In touch with Orla Finn … INTO member, Cork footballer and winner of this year’s All-Ireland Senior Ladies Football Championship Orla Finn is a primary teacher in Scoil Iosaef Naofa in Cobh in Cork. Currently teaching second class, Orla trained in Mary Immaculate College from 2011 – 2014. While playing with the college she won two Giles Cup medals (2012 and 2014). Athletics used to be her main sport and she competed nationally and internationally but, as football became more serious, Orla had to choose one or the other. She choose football as she enjoyed the team aspect of it. Orla first played intercounty football when aged 13 with the Cork u14s. She has four AllIreland medals underage and now has six All-Ireland senior medals (2011-2016). OrlaFinnplayingagainstMeathinthe Round2Qualifierofthe2015AllIreland LadiesFootballSeniorChampionshiop atSempleStadium,Thurles (Photo:RamseyCardy/Sportsfile) Orla took the InTouch rapid response quiz this month. What songs would be on the soundtrack of your life? Take my Hand – Picture This and Final Song – Mo What’s your favourite stress buster? Hanging out with my friends. I really enjoy going to the cinema. What is your most prized possession? My phone, can’t go anywhere without it! What’s your all-time favourite TV show? Home and Away. What subject did you like best or least when you were in school? Irish was my favourite, after PE of course. My least favourite would have been drama. Where do you see yourself in ten years? Hopefully still teaching in Scoil Iosaef Naofa in Cobh and trying to chase a football around a pitch at 34. What’s the app you just can’t live without at the moment? Facebook or Instagram What’s your guilty pleasure? Has to be a bar of chocolate. Name one thing you’d like to learn this year? How to surf well! What is your best advice for children in the area of sport? Keep playing and enjoy playing! The more practice you do the better you will get. Who was your biggest inspiration growing up? My parents gave me amazing support and encouragement all through my career. Who was the toughest opponent you ever played against? Brid Stack. I used to dread marking her in training. What was the children’s reaction to this year’s All-Ireland win? The excitement was unreal. I was so honoured that two buses of pupils travelled to Croke Park on the day. What is your work/football life balance like? It’s pretty full on at times but I make sure I fit in some downtime too. What’s your favourite class level to teach? Second class. This is my third year teaching them and I enjoy preparing them for the Communion. INTOUCH 39 NOVEMBER 2016 What’s your favourite thing about teaching? I love the fact that every day is so different. I enjoy the innocence of the children and seeing them happy and succeeding. When you’re thirsty, what’s the remedy? Water! Who was the most influential teacher in your life? My sixth class teacher in Summercove NS – Mr O’ Callaghan. Where’s your favourite holiday place? Miami – We went on a team holiday there and it was great! Choices – Apple or Android; red or white wine; brown or white bread? Apple, white wine and brown bread! Ócáidínuachta How prepared are you if tragedy strikes? NEPS new publication, Responding to Critical Incidents: Guidelines & Resource Materials for Schools (2016) 3rd edition, has updated and combined the 2007 Guidelines for Schools and Resource Materials for Schools into one single publication. e publication is based on up-to-date research and the wealth of experience of NEPS psychologists and schools who have been involved in responding to critical incidents. It is available on the Department of Education and Skills website at www.education.ie under NEPS. e guidelines include: l How schools can be proactive in developing policies and procedures that promote mental health. l Templates, advice and information on how schools can prepare for critical incidents by identifying a Critical Incident Management Team and having a Critical Incident Management Plan. l A practical step-by-step guide for schools on how to respond effectively when an incident occurs in order to minimise the potential traumatic effect on the school community. is includes a new aid to guide teachers when meeting with students in the aftermath of an incident. Social media is now part of everyday communication and information sharing. Most students are avid and competent users. It can play a significant part in the aftermath of a critical incident. e revised guideline offers guidance to schools on the use of social media in the aftermath of a critical incident. It also has an up-todate list of useful websites and helplines. e revised publication also has an extended section on suicide/suspected suicide including information on suicide contagion. In the event of a critical incident, the primary role of NEPS is to advise and support the teachers and other adults who work daily with students and who know them well. Best practice indicates that, in the aftermath of a critical incident, students need to be with people they know and trust. NEPS provides immediate, short-term support, information and advice to staffs, it does not provide counselling. NEPS extends its sympathy and admiration to all the schools and families who have shown wonderful strength, compassion and resilience at times of tragedy. Social media is now part of everyday communication and information sharing. Most students are avid and competent users. It can play a significant part in the aftermath of a critical incident. INTOUCH 40 NOVEMBER 2016 Newsdesk SHAPING POlICy ON THE TEACHING COUNCIl ere are three primary teachers on the Education Committee of the Teaching Council and, overall, teachers constitute a majority of the committee. Primary sector representatives include Catherine Doolan, Declan Kelleher (Chairperson) and Máire Lineen. Council policies such as Droichead and Cosán fall under the remit of the Education Committee. Substantial discussions on Droichead have taken place at both Education Committee level and also at main Council meetings including a special Council meeting last August which was devoted solely to concerns with the current model. Issues around workload, resourcing, external evaluation and difficulties for small schools have all been communicated strongly by the primary teachers’ group in all discussions. In September, a working group was established by the Education Committee to review Droichead policy, with Declan Kelleher and Máire Lineen representing the primary sector. e group’s remit is to examine and analyse Droichead policy, make recommendations for change, and to present a final report to a special Education Committee meeting on 28 November. A further working group will shortly be established to develop and shape the Council’s policy on Cosán, to ensure that the CPD policy is firmly rooted and focused on the real needs of teachers. is work will be developed over the sligo school wins ‘something Fishy’ competition lifetime of the current Council. Catherine Doolan will represent the Council on a Progress Report Panel, which will shortly commence the review of progress reports submitted by a number of primary teacher education colleges, with regard to recommendations by Council as part of the teacher education accreditation process. e committee is also in the process of overseeing discussions with St Nicholas Montessori College, with regard to initial teacher education criteria and guidelines, and has facilitated a further round of consultation with Regulation 3 registered teachers in relation to the future of Montessori education on the continuum of teacher education. Ireland’s largest schools competition for energy awareness open for entries ArdfertNS,2016winnersofOneGoodIdea. Pic:FennellPhotography PupilsofScoilChroíNaofa,Bunninadden,SligowiththeirteacherAdrianOrmsby.Pic:JamesConnolly Congratulations to Scoil Chroí Naofa of Bunninadden, Sligo, who were the national winners of Inland Fisheries Ireland’s ‘Something Fishy’ 2016 competition. The students from the senior class in the school were awarded the prize at an event in the Clarion Hotel, Sligo. The ‘Something Fishy’ programme is an educational initiative of Inland Fisheries Ireland, in partnership with Blackrock Education Centre, which allows students to learn about fish and the environment in a local context. View the winning entry at www.somethingfishy.ie INTOUCH 41 NOVEMBER 2016 The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) has launched this year’s One Good Idea competition and is encouraging students from right across the country to enter. Contestants must come up with creative ideas for an energy awareness campaign to change behaviour and improve energy efficiency in their homes, schools and communities. Participants have the chance to win prizes for themselves and their schools. Entry can be made via www.seai.ie/onegoodidea. Closing date for entries is 11 November 2016. Teaching matters 3 Articles and opinions on primary teaching, with tips and ideas for the classroom 4 I An alternative approach to education: Forest School Shelterbuilding first heard of ‘Forest School’ while visiting my sister in Essex last summer. My nephew was due to start in Holly Trees in September and I scheduled a visit to see what it was all about. The deputy principal, Byron, showed me around the school and the Forest School area. His enthusiasm for the framework was inspirational. Byron introduced me to the work of Richard Louv. Louv describes the new phenomenon of the ‘nature-deprived child’ which affects many children and adults under the age of 30. Upon returning to Ireland I began to research Forest Schools in Ireland. There was one school in Dublin that offered the framework at the time – Ranelagh MultiDenominational NS – and a number of Forest pre-schools. Earth Force Education was facilitating the training in Wicklow and I met the owner of the organisation, Ciara Hicksman. Ciara has worked in Bush Craft for many years and holds vast experience working with children outdoors. My own school, Mullingar Educate Together, was very supportive and encouraging in my journey to become a Forest School Leader and I began my training in October 2015. Meeting so many like-minded people looking to learn about alternative ways to help children engage in the curriculum was an enlightening experience. I introduced the framework to my first class over six weeks this year. The children really enjoyed it. I noticed a remarkable progression in the children’s resilience skills, sense of responsibility and independence abilities. They were so proud of the new skills learned and were highly respectful of the freedom allowed. The class also became very aware of their environment and the flora and fauna that inhabited it. One example of this new sense of awareness occurred with an earthworm. One day in September, before I had introduced Forest Schools, the children brought in a football that had an earthworm on it. They were repulsed and asked me to remove it. On the first day of Forest Schools, an earthworm appeared in the centre of our circle. The children screamed and jumped up. I explained the importance of earthworms and why it was important that they stay in the soil, away INTOUCH 43 NOVEMBER 2016 from sunlight. On the third session, an earthworm appeared again! This time the children noticed that it was there and ensured they did not hurt the creature. As we were completing an activity that involved piecing leaves back together on the last day of our Forest Schools session, another earthworm moved through the grass in the centre of the circle. It was a sunny day so the children decided to use their leaves to cover the earthworm and ensure he stayed out of the sunlight. This is just one example of the change in attitude over the few weeks of the programme. The children were respectful and knowledgable of their surroundings. It really was a new awakening for them. Forest School is based on six principles, as agreed by the UK Forest School community in 2011. The lessons are structured with games to encourage children to engage in the outdoors and lead the learning. Skills like tool use, fire making, shelter building and risk taking are taught in a safe, well-structured manner. 1. Forest School is a long-term process of frequent and regular sessions in a woodland or natural environment, rather than a one-off visit. Planning, adaptation, observations and reviewing are integral elements of Forest School. 2. Forest School takes place in a woodland or natural wooded environment to support the development of a relationship between the learner and the natural world. 3. Forest School aims to promote the holistic development of all those involved, fostering resilient, confident, independent and creative learners. 4. Forest School offers learners the opportunity to take supported risks appropriate to the environment and to themselves. 5. Forest School is run by qualified Forest School practitioners who continuously maintain and develop their professional practice. 6. Forest School uses a range of learnercentred processes to create a community for development and learning recognised as vital to learning and development at Forest School. More information is available at www.earthforceeducation.com Claire Egan, Mullingar Educate Together (clairesprimaryschoolart.blogspot.ie) Cúrsaíteagaisc Is homework all Homework, love it or hate it, is a topic that divides staffrooms across the country today. The subject comes under fire regularly in the media, and more and more studies look at whether or not children need to do homework. The case for homework Most of us have heard some or all of the following about homework: 1. It directly affects achievement in school. 2. Homework teaches children life skills such as organisation and time management. 3. It allows parents to have a day-to-day connection with their children’s learning. 4. It fosters a positive attitude towards learning and school. 5. Starting formal homework as early as possible stands to children for the future. 6. Schools/teachers are deemed ‘better’ the more homework they set. These six points sound valid enough but research is mounting in evidence against homework, particularly at primary level. Researchers describe homework as a task that “overvalues work to the detriment of personal and familial well being”. With the youngest children in primary level, there is no study out there to prove any benefit of homework in their young lives. In fact, the studies that are available prove that it is actually counterproductive. One leading author, an American named Alfie Kohn, has written many books and articles about the negative effects of homework. In a publication this year, he stated that “homework has no relationship to achievement in elementary school” and “no test or study has ever proven the fact that homework teaches good habits, or develops positive character traits such as self discipline, responsibility or independence”. Homework in the primary classroom While many researchers who view homework less favourably can agree that it has a place in secondary education, there is no research backing up the claim that homework is beneficial in primary school, particularly in the early years. One researcher discusses how age and developmental levels play a role in the effectiveness of homework. Younger children do not understand the long term goals in the completion of such tasks and this leads to confusion and frustration. Children’s homework is compared with adults’ jobs in another study. It is work, not play, rarely a task that is perceived as fun and one that the students themselves The studies against homework completely outweigh the argument in favour of homework. choose not to undertake. Authors in the field describe homework as a “second shift” for children and highlight that teachers “should be mindful that homework is not stress-free for children any more than jobs are without stress for adults”. Many studies mention occurrences of frustration, burnout, negative experiences and upset when completing homework tasks. We live in a society that is increasingly aware of the importance of good mental health. Mindfulness is entering our classrooms as a way to teach young children coping skills and ways to handle emotions and stress in a productive way. Do we as teachers, want to be the ones responsible for adding stress to the children’s lives and, in many cases, to their home lives also? INTOUCH 44 NOVEMBER 2016 Homework and family life There is no denying that homework is a cause of conflict in the homes of the children we teach. We do not need to be parents ourselves to recognise this. We need only think back to our own school days and how homework affected us or talk to any parent with school-going children. There is much research available highlighting the link between homework and conflict in the home. A 2015 study links homework routines as conflicting with family leisure time. Such leisure time is already minimal in many homes where parents work long hours. It is found that the majority of parents do indeed want to be involved in their child’s learning but many simply do not know how. They may not know the language of learning or school anymore or may have had a negative experience themselves in education. This adds stress and frustration towards homework before it even begins. Crucially, it was discovered that children are particularly vulnerable to negative parental involvement with homework when they are struggling academically. These children already experience frustration, stress and lack of confidence in school and then face it at home also. Would it not be more beneficial for child and parent to spend quality time together instead of assigning unnecessary homework that is impinging on much needed family time? In Irish schools, we move with the times. We have positive curriculum changes, advances in ICT in the classroom, many different styles and methods of teaching but why are so many schools and teachers not willing to change the traditional style of homework? What do children think? In a research project this year, I sought to get children’s views on homework because it was clear to me that there is an obvious lack of the child’s view across all literature on the topic. In contrast, there were many articles and books about teachers’ views, some about the parents’ views but little or none about how the Teachingmatters pain and no gain? children themselves felt about homework. Working in a junior school, I was particularly interested in homework in the early years of primary school and involved both first and second classes in a questionnaire with an opportunity for drawing at the end. I wanted to explore their feelings and emotions around homework to see was there any evidence that it was having an impact on their wellbeing. An overwhelming majority of the children in the study cited positive emotions when they do not have homework. Conversly, children reported negative emotions in relation to homework. We would all expect this but do we ever question why children actually hate it so much or if we could do something to turn this view around? wellbeing. We also want to cultivate a positive attitude to education that will stand to them in the long term. Questioning the way we deal with homework in our primary schools would be a step along the way of achieving these aims. work, gives a tiny insight into what these young children need to be doing to improve their wellbeing and maintain a happy carefree state of mind that is so important in today’s busy world. A need for change Thankfully, there is a growing unrest around homework in Ireland and abroad. There is a suspicion that maybe we need to overhaul the notion of homework as we traditionally know it. Many schools in Ireland have creative, innovative ways of avoiding this notion of work that children dread doing at home. They have replaced it with fun, meaningful tasks that pupils look forward to. This surely can only be of positive benefit to the child and their home life. As teachers, we all want to ensure that young people in our care are healthy, well-rounded, well-adjusted individuals with a good sense of emotional The findings of the children’s questionnaires backed up the notion of many of the ‘anti-homework’ advocates. The children’s overwhelming responses against homework were what you would expect from any child regardless of age. I find it alarming, however, that such a large number of children experience upset at some point when completing homework tasks. In the drawing element of the questionnaire 90% drew outdoor activities when asked what they would do on a night of no homework. Their choice to be outside after school, rather than inside completing additional academic INTOUCH 45 NOVEMBER 2016 ANDREA O’CARROLL, Dunboyne Junior Primary School, Co Meath Cúrsaíteagaisc Annotate websites Over the years, some of the best notes and explanatory diagrams in our classrooms have disappeared in a puff of chalk dust or in the swift swipes of a cloth across a whiteboard. When engaged in whole-class teaching, these notes and diagrams brought clarity to a concept and the glazed eyes of confusion were often replaced by the twinkling eyes of understanding. As a profession, ‘annotations’ are part of our teaching toolkit. The following definition of what it means to annotate may suggest that annotations do not apply to digital resources; this article, on the contrary, will describe and explore some useful online annotation tools. Fig.2 extension to your browser for quick and easy access. Annotate Verb: (‘anə, tāt) annotate, add notes to (a text or diagram) giving explanation or comment: as in “documentation should be annotated with explanatory notes” and “an annotated bibliography”. Website annotations with Scrible – https://www.scrible.com/ Once signed up for free to Scrible as an educator, you can highlight text and add notes to any website you visit. These ‘annotations’ can then be shared with the students in your class. In the example below (Fig. 1) the text regarding the eLearning roadmap has been highlighted in green for emphasis. An additional note has been created with regard to the eLearning Handbook itself. The following page (Fig. 2) from Scoilnet and a collection of resources for Space Week has been annotated in similar fashion. Scrible can be added as an Annotations on video with VideoAnt – https://ant.umn.edu/ Videos are a great way to add to understanding and there are a number of tools like VideoAnt (developed by the University of Minnesota) to enable us add annotations/questions to videos so they can be noted while viewing. In the example illustrated (Fig. 3), there is a nice video created by Jonathan Bird profiling different types of shark especially the Bull Shark. (As a teacher, it is important to check all videos in advance of sharing to ensure appropriate content, irrespective of level of content filtering in existence in the school.) 1. It is best to register for the site as all annotated videos can be archived and used/shared again in future years. Once the url of the video you wish to use is pasted in, it will load into VideoAnt. 2. You can change the title of the video – otherwise just ‘Start Annotating’! 3. The video will display in a window on the left with a timeline and an ‘Add an Annotation’ button on the bottom. To begin, press play beside the timeline or on the video. 4. When you get to a place in the video where you would like to make an annotation, click on the ‘Add an Annotation’ button and the video will pause with a ‘New Annotation’ box appearing on the right. Type in the subject/title of this annotation, add the note/question/annotation, and then click on ‘Save Annotation’. 5. The video will resume playing from where it was paused. Continue to add annotations and they will continue to appear on the right-hand side. A succession of annotations have now been created for the video mentioned at the outset (Fig. 4). 6. Any annotation can be edited or deleted by clicking on the edit/’pencil’ icon under each comment. 7. To share your video with the annotations, just copy the URL from the top of the browser and share it with the people you wish to join into the conversation. As teacher, you can see the number of responses for each annotation. Adding questions to video with EDPuzzle – https://edpuzzle.com/ Assigning a video to view to enhance understanding is one thing, what we want to assess is whether our pupils are engaging with the content and the key messages/details. Using EDPuzzle, we can search and Fig.1 INTOUCH 46 NOVEMBER 2016 Teachingmatters and video Fig.3 EDPuzzle allows us to trim the video (Fig. 6) so we can zone in on the sections of the video applicable to the class in question. Rather than accepting the narrative accompanying the video, our own voiceover and questions can be added. Multiple-choice or open-ended questions can then be embedded in the video selected and the resulting information provides immediate formative data based on each pupil’s response. (Fig. 7) When an account has been created for free with EDPuzzle as a teacher, classes can then be created as required. Each class gets its own code that students use for joining thus ensuring that videos can be shared safely. Homework If pupils have device/broadband access at home, the use of EDPuzzle is something that might be considered as all interactions with the video can be viewed by the teacher. Face to face ICT courses These tools and a variety of others are contained in PDST Technology in Education face-to-face courses. Contact Fig.4 Fig.7 Fig.5 upload videos from YouTube, TED-Ed, Vimeo, Khan Academy, National Geographic and other sites ( the Bull Sharks example is shown again in Fig. 5). your local Education Centre to see what courses are on offer at the moment. School leaders can also request school based support so that ICT can be embedded in teaching, learning and assessment. Written by SEáN GALLAGHER, PDST Technology in Education Fig.6 INTOUCH 47 NOVEMBER 2016 Cúrsaíteagaisc Schooling in Germany Hannover An opportunity to visit schools and discuss education issues with teachers from other countries is an excellent way of understanding our own system better, as well as learning about other systems. Why other countries do things the way they do and trying to explain why and how we do things makes for fascinating discussion and engagement. Hannover, in Lower Saxony, is a city of about half a million people with just over 100 schools. INTO Director of Education and Research, Deirbhile NicCraith, visited the city as part of a study group. Primary school e primary school we visited had four class levels – grades one to four. Children are six when they start school, spend four years in primary then head to secondary. In the grade one class we visited, the children’s chairs had wheels so that they could move easily around the classroom for their different activities. No squeaking or scraping sounds! ere were about 20 children in the classroom, four of whom had special needs. At the time of our visit there were three adults in the classroom – the class teacher, the special education teacher and a special needs assistant. Afternoon activities are available for all children in the school building. ey are optional and free of charge for children but organised by the community not by the school. Inclusion Hannover has been moving towards a policy of full inclusion since 2013. By placing all children with special needs in one classroom, for example, into one of the first grade classrooms, as opposed to spreading them between all four first grade classrooms, the special education teacher could spend all of her time in the one classroom, working with the class teacher. Policy to support inclusion in Lower Saxony appears to be well resourced. Additional resource hours are given for every child with special educational needs which a school can combine to enable the SEN teacher to be in classroom fulltime, with class teacher and assistant. ere is cooperation between classroom teachers and social care workers from external organisations to support children. where they outlined their priorities, their philosophy, their teaching approaches and subjects they offered. Both teachers and parents were involved in the school planning process. e gymnasium we visited had published their school plan in booklet form. It is revised every three years. Teachers acknowledged it was a time-consuming process but worthwhile. In the vocational school visited, teachers put their notes on the internal school internet to share with colleagues – useful for colleagues to access if they needed to cover a colleague’s class. Abitur School leadership e Abitur is the equivalent of the Leaving Certificate. What struck me as unusual is that the host school for our visit, a Gymnasium (academic secondary school), was in the middle of the Abitur. ere were pupils sitting their exams as the normal life of the school carried on around them. Unlike Ireland, there appeared to be very little public focus on pupils sitting their final school exams. It was interesting to find that primary schools in Lower Saxony found it difficult to recruit head teachers, as the remuneration was not sufficiently higher than class teachers, and did not reflect the increased responsibilities involved. In Germany the municipality provides a lot of administrative support for schools. Vocational education ere are a number of pathways for students to pursue their education, including vocational and academic. After primary school, pupils opt for Gymnasium (an academic second level pathway) or a vocational school. Students on either pathway can continue to university education. Students can also change during their secondary education. In one vocational school, students showed off their entrepreneurial skills by selling goods which they made. In vocational education there is collaboration between industries, companies and the education system. ere is dual placement for students. Vocational schools can also have a mix of part-time and full-time students. Curriculum e schools we visited had autonomy to devise their own curriculum, within the guidelines of the State curriculum. e schools had a school planning process, similar to our own system, Professional development In Hannover, the head teacher liaises with the provider of professional development in order to meet teachers’ needs. It is considered important to enable teachers to determine their own professional development needs, and for the system to respond to teachers’ needs at school level. Evaluation e inspectorate in Hannover has developed evaluation forms based on data analysis and dialogue with head teachers. ey observe and record what they see but don’t make recommendations. Inspectors inspect primary and secondary regardless of their own background and the same observation form is used for all types of schools. e focus of evaluation is on leading school improvement, designing educational programmes, improving cooperation and quality of process. Feedback and statistics are given to the principal, and schools decide how to respond. Deirbhile NicCraith, INTO Director of Education and Research LongerversionsofeachofthesearticlesareavailableontheINTOwebsiteatwww.into.ie/ROI/Publications/InTouch/FullLengthArticles/ INTOUCH 48 NOVEMBER 2016 Teachingmatters Berlin Last year, Berlin City Council had to provide services for 100,000 refugees. Frau Gudrun Schreier has the job of overseeing the integration of the newly arrived children into the Berlin education system. Language acquisition is seen as vital to the successful integration of refugee children into the life of a school and indeed wider society. Therefore, it is seen as a priority that each newly arrived child needs, as quickly as possible, to be taught to understand, speak and write in German. In order to turn this principle into a reality the decision was taken to promote and support the provision in local schools of ‘Willkommensklassen’ (welcome classes). These are special classes within a school which are made up purely of nonnative speaking children, who initially have little or no knowledge of German. Located in mainstream schools with language acquisition as their principal function, they have a pupil teacher ratio of 12 to one and are staffed by teachers with a qualification in teaching German as a second language. The goal is that within six to 12 months 90% of the children will be able to transfer to a regelklasse (mainsteam class). Children in Willkommensklassen are not isolated from German-speaking children in a school. They attend Regelklassen for lessons such as music and PE, and mix with other children during break times and after school activities. As of July 2016 there were 1,004 Willkommensklassen in Berlin with 12,191 children in such classes. However, not all primary school aged refugee children attend Willkommensklassen. Children under the age of eight go directly into a Regelklasse. In Berlin, children begin school at six and the first two years are seen as preparation for formal learning. Given this perspective it is felt possible to help children develop their language skills within a Regelklasse. In addition, any child who is over eight and has acquired an appropriate level of German is also permitted to enter directly into a Regelklasse. In both of these cases it does not mean that a child no longer requires language support. However, it is viewed that the child’s additional needs can be met via the regular learning support mechanisms within a school. Every month, Frau Schreier reviews the number of refugee children who have recently arrived in Berlin and where they are living. Then, in co-operation with the 12 Berlin district authorities, they identify the school places required in each district and identify the schools that have space in which a Willkommensklasse can be established. The City Council ensures that the physical requirements of the school are met and teaching staff are then recruited. It is possible to establish such classes within a couple of weeks. When a refugee family arrives in an area they register with the District Authority and as part of the registration process children undergo a language test. Following on from this the children are allocated a place in a local school with their age and level of German determining if they will go into a Regelklasse or a Willkommensklasse. Individual schools decide what is taught in the Willkommensklasse and which lessons a child will attend in Regelklasse. In addition, schools determine when children transition full time to a mainstream class. To support schools, Berlin City Council has expanded access to psychological services and general social services support. In addition, Ferienschulen (holiday schools) have been set up during school holidays so children can continue to improve their German throughout the year. Teachers were the driving force behind the provision of Willkommensklasse. While the idea of such classes is not new in Berlin, as the numbers of non-German speaking children began to rise teachers in Regelklassen argued that the ad hoc arrival of such children placed too many pressures upon them. Teachers felt that they were inadequately resourced to meet the needs of such children and, at the same time, to maintain education standards for existing class members. For this reason Willkommensklassen were reintroduced in 2011. This overview of how refugee children are integrated into the Berlin school system was made possible by a study visit funded by Erasmus+ funding during which the author interviewed Frau Gudrun Schreier. Sprache als schlüssel zur integration (Language as the key to integration) INTOUCH 49 NOVEMBER 2016 ALEx O’MAHONY, Holy Spirit NS, Ballymun, Dublin Teachingmatters 21 years of creativity for children at The Ark This year, The Ark, Ireland’s only dedicated cultural centre for children, turns 21. The birthday celebration will be an explosion of creativity for and by children. In 1995, The Ark was born of deeplyheld belief in children’s right to art and culture as equal citizens within our society. That radical vision was informed by the principle that children have the right to artistic and cultural participation just as they have a right to play. We believe in every child’s right to discover and love art in a society where creativity and culture are valued and enrich all our lives. Much has changed in Ireland for children, for the arts and for education since The Ark was founded. Ireland has welcomed many new citizens and, despite high emigration through the recent recession years, we have seen our young population grow such that recent projections predict a peak of 574,000 children of primary school-going age by 2018, the highest since the founding of the state. Research and understanding about the significance of early childhood development has also brought about changed emphasis in our education system and curriculum and in artistic practice for young children. In light of that new understanding, The Ark’s remit has expanded to include children from the age of two and we embrace the artistic scope of the early childhood curriculum framework in its emphasis on communicating, wellbeing, identity and belonging, exploring and thinking. Not surprisingly, these themes could also be the very qualities or effects of a profound experience of art, at any age. Parents’ and teachers’ lives have evolved also, not least in the way we work, commute and share information. Children’s lives are now informed and shaped by a digital revolution which has brought challenges and competition for the ‘live arts’ both in the structured and unstructured aspects of their lives. We have taken account of these considerations from parents and teachers through a recent series of customer focus groups and are committed to making our scheduling and programming as convenient as possible for schools. Children enjoying aneventat TheArk Through two decades, The Ark has been constant in making and sharing great art for children in the faith that art can transform our understanding and experience of the world. Teachers have been our colleagues and allies in this belief. They know better than anyone the other transformative social and developmental benefits of arts participation as part of a child’s learning. Now, thanks to research published last month we have more data and analysis than ever to support this argument. Commissioned by The Arts Council and conducted by the ESRI, this report measures the impact of the arts and cultural participation on the cognitive development and emotional wellbeing of children and young people in Ireland. Arts and Cultural Participation among Children and Young People, in turn, draws on data from the Growing Up in Ireland study which is a longitudinal initiative of the Department of Children and Youth Affairs. The findings clearly show the positive emotional and cognitive effects of taking part in artistic and cultural pursuits. For example, the study has identified “that children aged nine who frequently read or take part in music, dance or drama have an improved academic self-image – or the confidence to cope with schoolwork by the age of 13. They are also happier, have reduced anxiety and fewer socio-emotional difficulties.” The study also points to the impact of arts participation within schools in “fostering broader interest in the arts outside of school hours.” There are reminders in the study too of the barriers INTOUCH 51 NOVEMBER 2016 to participation in the arts. At The Ark, we are keenly aware of this and understand that often a child’s first or only visit to a cultural experience might be with her or his school and we intend to retain our low, subsidised ticket price for schools to encourage as much engagement with the work as possible. For many working in the arts and education these findings will come as no surprise. But, for the first time, they give artists, educators and arts organisations a set of measurements which are useful both in evaluating our work and promoting the intrinsic relationship between arts participation and learning. For 21 years now, The Ark has been making and sharing great art for, by and about children. Teachers and schools have been at the heart of that work in enabling children to visit The Ark at its home in Temple Bar. This year, we will also be out and about, touring around the country giving children the opportunity to discover and enjoy music and sculpture in arts centres. In addition, we look forward to announcing our forthcoming CPD workshops and summer courses in Dublin and in other locations around the country. Classroom activity packs can be found on the website to accompany our programme but also can be used independently in the classroom. For more information check out ark.ie/schools. Aideen Howard, Director, The Ark Cúrsaíteagaisc Photos:Historicalre-enactmentsinNazareth:Palestinianfarmerharvestingolivesandtraditionalweaver.KobbyDagan/Shutterstock.com life in A drama scheme, started with a third class, adapted to older and younger agegroups investigates through the lens of four groups what it might have been like to live in Biblical times. The main ideas in this drama are: a) The children will experience a sense of what life was like in Palestine around the time of Jesus’ birth, becoming familiar with some details and vocabularies around a selection of different occupations and customs. b) They will discover through the suggested strategies the importance of work and of pulling together. c) They will feel curious, competent and enthusiastic in working through drama. d) They will do this by taking roles in the drama as people who live in a community whose occupations are varied and who depend on each other. A PowerPoint presentation is available online that tells of the lives of shepherds, weavers, grain farmers and carpenters at that time, the roles that pupils will eventually take on. The drama carries an inherent impulse to compare ‘then and now’, ‘old words – or new?’ and can be readily structured to support a history scheme, find moments for reading and writing and support ongoing verbal and non-verbal participation. Classroom resources • The PowerPoint presentation (available online). • One large piece of fabric to spread on the floor, that the whole class can sit around, or smaller ones overlapping but clear that they make a whole. It should be fairly plain for children’s input to stand out. This represents the area of the village and its surroundings. • Mountains are shown by crushing newspaper loosely, placing it under the fabric to give a visible rise to the terrain. • A long piece(s) of flimsy fabric, blue/silver, lightly twisted, representing a river winding within the ‘terrain’. • A rich fabric piece for the teacher in role as the centurion (folded across one shoulder). • Card for drawing on (A4 card cut in four): – Occupation Cards for each group, one between two children (document online to be printed on A4 cards). – Two scrolls, one ornate. • Good markers Part 1: Building context and pupil investment in the drama It is ideal if all three sections are done in the same space and in one session. i) Showing the slides (PowerPoint) To arouse the children’s interest and curiosity, explain new words, encourage their own responses and, through the shepherd and the people who follow, gradually bring them into the drama world. Teacher tells the children that coming up to Christmas is a great time to learn about what it was like living in Palestine around the time Jesus was born, that the Romans ruled there at the time, and that you are sure they will watch and listen carefully because later you will need them to be some of the people in the village. Teacher supports a) Read the Occupation Cards. beforehand. The children will use these later so it is important that they have this content from the start and that the children hear the words frequently. Unusual new words pinned up in the classroom helps greatly. b) Consider the prompts that only the teacher can see when showing each slide. It is the picture and the interaction it engenders that will provoke conversation and new learning. At slides three and four, note what the shepherd wears and carries. Proceed similarly through the next three sections. End with reflection on what the children find most interesting and why, and what it has told us about the people then… INTOUCH 52 NOVEMBER 2016 and now they can be these people. ii) From occupational mime to still image Whole-class. All children do all four mimes, which refer to some of the information just learnt. In each one teacher, calling out the sequences, joins in for a few minutes, then watches the children. Teacher then calls “Hold it still … you’re all making lovely still images”. Calling “freeze” can harden the pose and lose its spontaneity. And/or call on an individual group and ask the others to notice something in particular they are doing, and how well. Rotate this. • “Shepherds, you have just moved your sheep from one patch to new grass. We will need to stay for some days, so we’d better build a sheep pen. Cut down some of the strong branches on the trees nearby. Saw (carried in leather bag) them into good lengths and push the uprights into the ground. Then get the branches that go across. Test it often to make sure it is strong.” • “Weavers, you are weaving cloth for one of our highest elders to wear at a big festival soon. They said it was very special and nobody else seems to know about it (important). Check that your loom is steady on the wall: the threads hanging down well weighted at the bottom and hanging straight. Take your spindle of coloured thread (slide 19) and weave it in and out between the hanging threads. Be careful not to make a mistake, stand back and check sometimes.” • “Carpenters, you are making chairs and a table for your sister who is getting married. Lifting it carefully from a shelf in your workshop, saw some wood and work at finishing the back of a chair, then plane the surface of the table. Check often to make sure that the table’s surface is even. What might you use to do this? “ • “Grain Farmers, it’s ploughing time. Your two mules are ready outside with the plough behind them. Take the yoke down carefully from the wall in the shed. Place it gently across the necks of the mules, then join up the plough and mules. Hands on the plough and start working this heavy plough.” Teachingmatters Biblical times – Drama – Reflection. iii) Forming the occupation groups by teacher ready for next lesson. An extra motivation (optional): tell the children that, at the next class, they will be helped to each find a name for themselves and decide what bit they are really good at in their occupation. (Biblical names usually.) Part 2: Building our community, mapping our places i) Materials laid out as in resources – children sitting in their groups around the fabric, Occupation Cards (one between two). Teacher explains that the fabric represents the site on which will be built a special map of the village: help is urgently needed to decide where they belong on the map. “Something special may be happening soon … I think the weavers know about it ….” (At this stage the teacher will often address the children as the people who live there – often this is almost imperceptible). ii) The ‘river’ is dropped in place so that it meanders around the site, followed by a whole-class discussion recalling the different kinds of people and places they learnt about in the slides, different terrains, rocky, grassy, etc. Some children draw a selection of these (rocks, grass, trees, etc.) and place them around the site, so that a simple kind of physical features map emerges. iii) Children confer in their groups, consult their Occupation Cards (help with words if needed) and decide where their place will be and why. They make some drawings representing their group and, in a simple ritual, each group in turn places the drawings on their chosen place, telling where they’ve chosen and why. Just as this ends: iv) Teacher ‘hears’ someone at the door, comes back with a parchment (hidden earlier) and reads that their most important, and favourite, elder wishes to visit the village on the day of the special festival. They have heard that the people do excellent things and would like to see them at work and celebrate that. Excitement!: “we’d better get going…” v) Children decide in their groups what jobs they will do now, then move out and start acting it out (they can converse as they work). Teacher moves around, checks that each child is clear about who they are and what job they are doing (perhaps in twos), engages with them in role, admires the work. – Reflection and decision that we will carry on with our plans next time we meet. Part 3 a) Unexpected news i) The village is set up as before: Teacher asks the children-in-role what have they been doing/making since they last met, leading into a discussion about what they will do for the elder’s visit. “We’ve been asked to carry on with our usual work but we would like it to be special…” Leaving the children to continue, teacher quickly goes outside the door puts on the ‘robe’ and comes in as a Roman centurion holding ornate scroll and, with a very grand and serious demeanour, announces that all people must go to Jerusalem to be enrolled. b) Ending the drama offers a number of options i) Write to say that this is unfair (class can do this) Can we refuse to go? What is the consequence, it is the law?. ii) The Romans: How did it happen that they rule here? General extended, focused discussion and/or history lesson. iii) Circle of Ideas: Everyone walks through the village: on a sign from teacher, villagers meet in twos and, (if prompting needed) starting with “What do you think we should do?” and replying with “My idea is…” they exchange with each other what they think they might do – a non-verbal or shy child can make an image here instead. Group reconvenes, gives feedback on what might have surprised or impressed them in the conversations, leading to reflection on the drama overall, highlights, their best memories and discusses the possibilities. iv) Decision to go, possible steps i) Mime: Pack up the mules/donkeys for a long journey and start out ii) Still images of INTOUCH 53 NOVEMBER 2016 moments on the journey: an accident, sharing a meal with others, signing the register – the big building is intimidating, where do we go? The Roman soldiers who keep order can be friendly or gruff, still image of the joy of being home again. v) Directly after the centurion’s announcement the children can present a tableau depicting the Nativity OR can present a short Nativity play. vi) There is a ready bank of vocabulary and experience amassed by the children that envisions a presentation of a series of stills, each accompanied by children telling a chosen section of the story, including their own ideas of how it might end. Online resources • Selection of PowerPoint slides from Free Bible Images: www. freebibleimages.org • PowerPoints and Occupation Cards available online at www.into.ie/roi/ publications/ intouch Further research Main source: Embry, M., (1994) Work and Society, Everyday Life in Bible Times and (1995) Homes and Families, Growing up in Bible Times, Lion Publishing plc., Oxford: now Lion Hudson, Oxford: marketing@ lionhudson. com, with thanks for their courtesy and support . MARY HOWARD, Chairperson, The Association for Drama in Education Cúrsaíteagaisc Friendship in the first year Eliciting junior infant children’s perspectives Friendship is a significant element of a young child’s life, a context in which children learn valuable life-long social skills. School has been identified as an especially important setting for friendship, where children are likely to come into contact with large numbers of potential friends and playmates. Having friends or lack thereof can impact hugely upon children’s happiness, learning and adjustment to school. Despite the potential benefits of having friends, how much time and attention do we afford it in our demanding school schedules? Furthermore, if we are to attempt to fully understand and cater for this complex type of peer relationship, is it not vital that we consult the children themselves? If so, what are the implications for teachers and schools? This article will address these questions through the perspectives of five junior infant children who have recently been included in a research study as part of a Master’s Degree in Early Childhood Education. This exploratory study sought to elicit the children’s perspectives on the significance of, and opportunities for, The schoolyard proved to be a particularly significant context for friendship in school friendship development in the first year of primary school using children’s drawings and photographs, alongside informal interviews. The names used in this article, Elisa, Harry, James, Lucy and Luigi, are pseudonyms chosen by the children in order to protect their identities. Ad 15 Friendship in school These five-year-old children proved to be extremely capable of expressing their opinions on friendship in school. Arising from their perspectives, some significant elements of friendship in the first year of primary school are: 1. School as a source of friendship. 2. Friendship in the classroom setting. 3. Friendship in the schoolyard. 4. Challenging aspects of friendship in school. 5. Opportunities for exploring school friendships beyond the school context. School as a source of friendship The first year of school proved itself to be a definite source of friendship for these children. For the pupils, friendship in school involves making friends. This may simply involve asking others to be friends with you, getting to know other children, being kind to one another and picking the children you like the most to be your friend. Friendships with individuals from the children’s own class emerged as a significant feature of the conversation around friendship in school. The children also valued opportunities to make friends with children from other classes as is portrayed in Harry’s friendship drawing below. Furthermore, preschool appeared to be a source of friendship for these children. Friendships which lasted across the transition to school appeared to provide a sense of comfort and familiarity. However, in contrast, James recounted his experience of the loss of friendship when his best friend started in a different primary school. HARRy’SFRIENDSHIPDRAWING Harry’sdrawingabovedepictsfriendshipwith childrenfromanotherclass.Ella,whomhemetin school(left)andStuart,whomhemetinpreschool (right).Thenumbertwoontheirjumperssignify thatthesechildrenareinclassroomnumbertwo. Friendship in the classroom setting The children also identified the classroom as an important context for friendship in school. They took friendship photographs in the classroom and these images were used to elicit their perspectives during informal interviews. Interestingly, it was only during periods of play in the classroom that the children chose to photograph their friends. This implied that play was an important part of the school day to engage with friends. In relation to the organisation of play, the children noted that when play was teacher controlled and not free choice, opportunities to interact with friends in class were sometimes limited. Furthermore, classroom management Teachingmatters of primary school impacted upon the development of friendships in the classroom. Seating arrangements and the organisation of teams, which were determined by the teacher, contributed hugely to the development of particular friendships. Four of the children mentioned being friends with children who were currently or previously on the same team. This represents the direct impact a teacher can have on the development of friendships as a result of being in control of seating arrangements. Opportunities for friendship in the schoolyard The schoolyard proved to be a particularly significant context for friendship in school. It represented a space away from the usual constraints and restrictions of the classroom in which the children can run around. For Elisa, there is a certain sense of freedom associated with spending time with friends in the yard: “we can run wherever we want”. In addition, the schoolyard is Lucy’s favourite place to spend time with her friends. Her reason for this is “cause we play there”. For these children, friendship in the schoolyard revolves primarily around play. They value this space outside the classroom as it enables them to have both time and space to play with friends. Luigi chose to portray friendship in the schoolyard in his friendship drawing. LUIGI’SFRIENDSHIPDRAWING Luigi’sdrawingdepictsplaywithhisfriendsinthe schoolyard.Gabriel(left),Thomas(topleft),William (centre)andLuigi(right). Challenging aspects of friendship in school Despite offering many positive experiences, friendship in school was not without its difficulties. For James, the challenges he has faced related to a lack of familiarity with the new children in his class: “I didn’t really think that I could talk to anyone cause I didn’t know pretty much people’s names.” Whilst in Luigi’s case, the frustrations he has faced were related to when friends run away from him in the schoolyard. He mentioned that “it’s hard because I can’t get him.” Elisa also commented on a time when she and Harry attempted to be peacekeepers and mend a troubled friendship. Opportunities for exploring school friendships beyond the school context School friendships were not considered to be context specific. In other words these children valued opportunities to further explore and develop these friendships outside the school context. This was mainly in the form of play dates but the children also referred to the afterschool setting and birthday parties to a lesser degree. Elisa’s reasons for liking play dates is simply “because I get to see my friends more,” whilst for Harry, a positive associated with having friends is that “you could invite them to your house”. Lucy’s drawing portrays her friends going on a playdate with her to her house. The term play date clearly suggests an opportunity to play and so we are presented with another example of how these children value play opportunities with school friends. LUCy’SFRIENDSHIPDRAWING Lucy’sdrawingportraysherself(left)andtwoofher friends,Summer(centre)andEve(right),goingona playdatetoherhouse. So what does it mean for infant teachers and schools? The following guidelines set out potential implications arising from the INTOUCH 55 NOVEMBER 2016 evidence presented: • Provide children with opportunities to voice their opinions on friendship in school and attempt to understand their friendship needs. • Support and encourage children to make friends in school, help them to develop the necessary social skills. • Facilitate preschool friendships for children starting school, consider assigning preschool friends to the same junior infant class. • Nurture and develop play in the classroom setting and understand its potential for young children’s friendships. • Ensure that play in the classroom is not always teacher dominated, allow children opportunities to interact with their choice of friends. • Consider whether classroom management practices hinder or support the development of friendships. • Provide children with sufficient and suitable opportunities for play and friendship development in the schoolyard. • Provide opportunities to interact with children from other classes in the schoolyard. • Provide children with support, both in the classroom and in the schoolyard, to deal with any friendship challenges they may face. • Provide parents/guardians with information regarding their children’s friendships in school in order to support friendships outside school context. Changes to policy and practice, such as those outlined above, have been designed to cater for the potential friendship needs of children in the infant years of primary school by attempting to encourage positive friendship experiences. Simple measures such as these urge infant teachers and schools to afford greater attention and consideration to friendship in everyday school life and to develop an appreciation of the significance of these early friendships for young children. JENNIFERDOOLEy,Castleknock,Dublin15 Teachingmatters DANCING ON THE DANUBE Mixing a festival with sightseeing in Budapest Line-up The 2016 line-up included Rihanna, David Guetta, The Chemical Brothers, Sia, Muse, Tinie Tempah, Jess Glynne, Hardwell, Kodaline, John Newman and Afrojack, to name but a few. Activities Among the activities on offer are beach sports, yoga classes and bungee jumping. Ability park, NGO Island Getting around Thecity You can avail of free travel by tram, bus and train with a Citypass. TothefestivalTake the festival boat or suburban train to Filatorigát. ThefestivalNavigating around the festival can be tricky so it is worthwhile to spend a few hours exploring the island to familiarise yourself with the layout. Accommodation and Artzone are popular interactive daytime destinations for visitors. Stages/venues The main stage hosts the headline acts and is also the venue for a themed party each evening. The OTP Bank Stage is a circus-like tent where acts such as Kodaline played. The Colosseum Venue is an intricate structure made entirely from pallets, while DJs spin their decks in the Telekom Arena until the early hours of the morning. Cirque du Sziget, Sziget Beach, the Campfire and Luminarium should also be visited. There is plenty of accommodation in Budapest if you opt not to camp. We stayed in a four star hotel for €40 pps per night, which included access to the hotel’s thermal suites. Costs For 2017, a seven day ticket costs €275 and a day ticket costs €65. See szigetfestival.com for details. The price of food and drink at the festival is higher than in the city but still significantly lower than in Ireland, with a meal costing €6 and a pint of beer for less than €3. Amenities Attractions in Budapest For festival goers brave enough to camp, there is a pop-up supermarket on the island stocking essentials. There is also an abundance of food stands from every corner of the world. Wifi zones enable visitors to stay connected on the island. The Festipay system that is in operation allows for contactless payment everywhere with a Festipay card. A sightseeing cruise along the river Danube is a great way to see many of Budapest’s famous monuments. The Citadel, Buda Castle, St Stephen’s Basilica, Parliament Buildings and famous baths are must-see attractions. The Szechenyi baths host parties on Saturdays but it is essential to book tickets early. Budapest has many rooftop bars which give beautiful panoramic views of the city. It is easy to see why Sziget has twice been voted the Best Music Festival in Europe. The 2017 festival is its 25th anniversary which is bound to be bigger and better than ever. A week sampling a festival while exploring beautiful Budapest is the perfect mix for a summer holiday. Tips n PurchaseaCitypassuponarriving intheairport.Itcosts€33andentitlesyou tofreetravelfortendaysalongwithfreeentry tooneofthecity’stouristattractions. n DownloadtheSzigetapptocreateapersonalised festivalschedule. n Bepreparedforvariationsinweather.Evenings canbecoolandthunderstormsarenotunusual. n Allowforafewdayseithersideofthe festivaltotakeinBudapestoranother nearbyEuropeancity. EIMEAR ALLEN, Dublin North East Branch. A longer version of this article is available at www.into.ie/ROI/Publications/ InTouch/FullLengthArticles/ INTOUCH 57 NOVEMBER 2016 Images:top,RockstarPhotographers(@rockstarphotographers);below,lcepparo/Shutterstock.com After years of frequenting festivals in Ireland – for which packing wellies and raincoats is standard – the idea of attending a festival with guaranteed sunshine was much more appealing. For a week in August, close to 500,000 music lovers descend upon Obuda Island in the centre of Budapest for Sziget festival, transforming it into a hive of activity. It began nearly 25 years ago with an emphasis on local music and arts but has grown to attract festival goers from all over Europe. More than just a music festival, Sziget now encompasses art, culture, social and civic issues and provides a plethora of activities for its visitors. A flurry of colour and sound greets the hordes of revellers entering the ‘Island of Freedom’. Thousands of fairy lights illuminate the island while performance artists weave between the interactive art installations that decorate every inch of the festival. From the acts, venues and activities on offer, to the sunny weather and beautiful scenery surrounding the island, every aspect of this festival is truly incredible. Cúrsaíteagaisc ElEATHANACH Nuachtlitir leictreonach do pháistí Is nuachtlitir leictreonach í Eleathanach a bhíonn ar fáil ó Roinn Froebel, Ollscoil Mhá Nuad agus ar bronnadh an Séala Eorpach Teanga air i 2009. Le cabhair COGG, Choláiste Alexandra, agus léachtóirí Roinn Froebel cuirtear ábhar spéisiúil do pháistí bunscoile ar fáil saor in aisce. Tá sé dírithe ar na hardranganna agus scríobhann rang na hidirbhliana i gColáiste Alexandra na hailt. Chomh maith leis sin, coimeádtar súil ghéar ar leibhéal na teanga. Toisc gur nuachtlitir sheachtainiúil í, bíonn deis ag múinteoirí ábhar nua a chur i láthair an ranga gach seachtain. Is bealach éifeachtach é Eleathanach chun a chinntiú go mbaineann an t-ábhar léitheoireachta a roghnaítear le cúrsaí na linne agus go bhfuil téacsanna dílse á n-úsáid sa seomra ranga. Bíonn an Eleathanach ar fáil gach Luan i bhfoirm pdf ar shuíomh Roinn Froebel: www.nuim.ie/froebel-departmentprimary-and-early-childhood-education /eleathanach. Is féidir ríomhphost a sheoladh chucu agus seolfar an Eleathanach amach chugat i bhfoirm Word. Cuirtear 20 eagrán amach in aghaidh na bliana agus tá páistí na tíre ag baint taitnimh as na hailt shuimiúla! Úsáid sa Rang Tá na smaointe seo bunaithe ar Eleathanach 240 atá ar taispeáint ach is féidir a mhacasamhail a dhéanamh le haon e-leathanach l Athscríobh scéal: is minic a bhíonn easpa muiníne ar pháistí tabhairt faoin scríbhneoireacht. Bain leas as scéal nuachta chun scafall agus struchtúr scríbhneoireachta a chur ar fáil, m.sh. Bhí Craobh na hÉireann sa pheil ar siúl i bPáirc an Chrócaigh ag an deireadh seachtaine. An scór a bhí ann ag deireadh an chluiche ná Baile Átha Cliath 1-15, Maigh Eó 1-14. Bhí áthas ar fhoireann Bhaile Átha Cliath ach bhí díomá an domhain ar fhoireann Mhaigh Eo. l Déan eagarthóireacht ar alt (sa leagan Word) chun an teanga a shimpliú nó a shaibhriú agus a chur in oiriúint do leibhéal an ranga ar mhaithe le difreáil, m.sh. Is aisteoir den scoth/cáiliúil/ iomráiteach é Matthew McConaughey. Tá suim ag Matthew i / Is maith le Matthew litríocht na Gaeilge. l Déan gramadach a chleachtadh: iarr ar pháistí samplaí den Tuiseal Ginideach a aimsiú sna scéalta, m.sh. clar teilif íse, Craobh na mBan, Páirc an Chrócaigh, Foireann Chorcaí. Déan plé ar na cúiseanna gur roghnaigh siad na samplaí sin. Is féidir an cur chuige céanna a úsáid chun ainmfhocail fhirinscneacha agus bhaininscneacha, réamhfhocail, briathra nó dobhriathra a aimsiú agus ansin a chur in abairtí. l Cuir ceannlíne scéal nuachta i bhfolach. Iarr ar pháistí ceannlíne nua a chumadh. Pléigh an cheannlíne nua. l Priontáil scéal, gearr suas na habairtí, measc suas iad agus iarr ar pháistí na INTOUCH 58 NOVEMBER 2016 habairtí a chur san ord ceart. l Iarr ar pháistí focail anaithnid a aimsiú i scéal nuachta agus brí na bhfocal a fháil san fhoclóir. l Iarr ar pháistí cúig cheist a chumadh bunaithe ar scéal nuachta ar bith. Roinn an rang i ngrúpaí chun na ceisteanna a chur ar a chéile. l Cuir liosta ceisteanna bunaithe ar na scéalta nuachta ar an gclár bán. Iarr ar pháistí na freagraí a aimsiú agus a scríobh. l Iarr ar pháistí scéal nuachta a léamh agus a athinsint don rang ina bhfocail féin. l Cuir scéal nuachta a bhaineann le do scoil féin leis an e-leathanach. Curtha le chéile ag MáIRE NIC AN Rí faoi choimirce COGG Teachingmatters Reviews ironman in ireland! Ironman: The Gauntlet is set in the present day where the protagonist, Tony Stark, a quick-witted and fast-tongued mogul turned inventor, philanthropist and superhero has been requested to speak at an eco-summit with some of the leading voices in the world. He finds himself in Ireland where things are not to play out as expected. Tony is betrayed by the very technology he has created and suddenly finds himself in a dire situation, held captive and, worse still, without his iconic suit. As things go from bad to worse with the resurfacing of one of his greatest enemies, the Mandarin, and the impending possibility of mass destruction and murder, Tony must find a way to escape and prevent the planned world-changing atrocities. Ironman: The Gauntlet is written by our own Eoin Colfer, the Wexford born author best known for his award-winning children’s novel Artemis Fowl. This is the first in a series of novels reimagining the tale of one of Marvel’s most famous and favourite heroes. Set against the backdrop of Ireland, Colfer brings this action-packed, exciting adventure to our shores. For anyone who is interested in science fiction and, in particular, the works of Marvel, this is a must read. The story is hugely entertaining, exciting and is as fast-paced as you would expect a read associated with Marvel’s Ironman to be. True to form, Colfer handles the subject matter very well. His attention to detail, including flash backs of Stark’s childhood, his relationship with his father, his knowledge of Ireland’s landscape, culture and history and also his knowledge of the nuances of the Marvel comic adds depth and significance to the story. ISBN: 978-1-4052 85414. egmont.co.uk €9.99. Age range 8 - 12 years. CHRISTINE SMYTH, St Anne’s PS, Fethercairn, Dublin 24. Wimpy Kid as gaeilge Aistriúchán ón mBéarla ar an leabhar The Wimpy Kid atá againn anseo. Scríobhann buachaill óg darbh Greg Heffley dialann ar a shaol agus é ina dhéagóir ag freastal ar mheánscoil. Mar sin baineann an leabhar go príomha le déagóirí, agus bheadh sé thar a bheith oiriúnach do dhaltaí meánscoile. Bhainfeadh na ranganna airde sa bhunscoil tairbhe áirithe as áfach. Tá struchtúr an oilte ag baint leis an leabhar. Toisc gur dialann atá i gceist is féidir leis an páiste (nó an múinteoir) aon eachtra ar bith a léamh ó am go ham. Is féidir leis an múinteoir aon eachtra ar bith a úsáid leis an rang mar ‘Leabhar Mór’. Tá caighdeán na Gaeilge simplí go leor agus cuidíonn na léaráidí go mór chun an scéal a sheoladh ar aghaidh. Meallfaidh na scéalta greannmhara na páistí i dtreo léitheoireacht na Gaeilge. Bíonn Greg i dtrioblóid go mion minic i rith an leabhair. Uaireanta éiríonn leis bob a bhualadh ar a thusimitheoirí, ach uaireanta eile cliseann ar na pleananna a bhíonn aige. Nuair a foilsíodh an leabhar seo faoin teideal The Wimpy Kid sa bhliain 2007, crimes and punishments It’s probably a little known fact that Ireland utilised the death penalty as a punishment even after independence from the United Kingdom. However, there was a distaste for the death penalty in the new Irish Republic even though it took until 1990 to repeal the punishment completely. Sentenced to Death, written by Colm Wallace, a primary school teacher, is a collection of historical records of Irish people who were condemned to death but did not have their sentence imposed on them. Each story gives an insight into why some people were driven to committing the most heinous of crimes and this makes for very interesting reading. I am not entirely sure if the book is appropriate for primary school students but sixth class pupils may find the stories interesting. However, I would recommend this book for teachers with an interest in Irish history or law. Somerville Press. ISBN: 978-0-99273-649-1. Cost: €15 SIMON LEWIS, Carlow ETNS. INTOUCH 59 bhain sé clú agus cáil amach go han tapaidh. Aistríodh é go teangacha éagsúla ar fud an domhain. Is breá an rud go bhfuil leagan Gaeilge den leabhar tar éis teacht ar an bhfód anois. Le Máirín Ní Mhárta. ISBN 978-1-906907-99-0. Futa Fata, An Spidéal, Co na Gaillimhe. Níl aon phraghas luaite. DóNALL ó FIONNáIN, Coláiste Hibernia. intriguing history of a Kerry school A History of Coolard NS 1846-2016 documents, in an intriguing manner, the story of this North Kerry school from its foundation in the time of the Great Famine up to the present. The book also provides a feast of interesting material about the local history of Coolard. The school has remarkable continuity, serving its community during the last three centuries. The building of today combines elements that were provided in each of three centuries so that the accommodation reflects the change and development of education over a long period. Many images from long ago are included and demonstrate how education progressed and how teaching and learning advanced over the decades. The author, Maurice O’Mahony, served as principal of the school for 43 years. The book may be obtained from Coolard NS, Listowel, Co Kerry. Price €30, postage included. NOVEMBER 2016 InTouch_Nov2016_Q16.qxp 25/10/2016 16:16 Page 61 Finishing Touches x Resources for teachers, noticeboard of upcoming events and the Comhar Linn Crossword x Noticeboard Copy date Copy you wish to have considered for publication in the December issue of InTouch should arrive in Head Office by 14 November. The deadline for the January/ February issue is 9 January 2017. Mortgage advisory meeting for INTO members Date: Thursday, 10 November: 7 p.m. Venue: Teachers’ Club, 36 Parnell Square Dublin 1. Booking essential. Please email [email protected] quoting your INTO membership number or teacher number/school roll number. Calling all graduates of Coláiste Mhuire Marino Kevin Haugh is hoping to create a database of graduates from Coláiste Mhuire Marino with a view to creating an Iar-Mhic Léinn Choláis te Mhuire Marino agus Institiúid Oideachais Marino and enabling those interest ed in reconnecting to do so. If you are a graduate of Coláiste Mhuire Marino and would like to reconnect with your colleagues of yesteryear please email [email protected] Tax support for members Register for FREE Tax Information Seminar Thursday 24 November: Clarion Hotel, Liffey Valley, Dublin – 7 p.m. Thursday 26 January: Ardilaun Hotel, Galway – 7 p.m. Irish Tax Support is a professional tax advisory and accounting service. Seminars for INTO members will cover topics such as PAYE income, rental income, self-employed income, inheritance/gift tax, 31 October deadline, general tax advice and tax refunds from Revenue. To register your attendance, please email [email protected] or ring (01) 8047745 and quote your INTO membership number or school roll number. INTOUCH 61 NOVEMBER 2016 Global Solidarity If you are interested in Human Rights Education or Global Citizenship Education, check out www.into.ie/globalsolidarity for FREE online lessons from many classroom friendly resources. Then why not sign-up to Global Citizenship School. Nótaídeiridh Comhar Linn Crossword no 176 AdrawforfiveChristmasHamperswillbemadefrom all correctentries.Simplycompletethecrosswordand sendittoInTouch,35ParnellSquarebeforeMonday 5thDecember.Tofacilitatemembersparticipating inthisChristmasDraw,wewillacceptrepliesbyfax (onepermember)to018722462upto5pmonFriday 2ndDecember. Across 1. How Barry can rescue what may accompany the turkey. (9,5) 7. See 25 down. 12. This could cut through a chesty problem. (6) 14 & 48a. If the taxman is confused about a hundred, then perhaps Tom is missing something here! (4,3) 15. This town attracted one leading star for Christmas! (9) 16. Song from the heart of Marian. (4) 18. A ship for a fool. (3) 20. Town in Kildare responsible for part of a great hydrant. (4) 21. Is steam found around this French painter? (7) 23. Will such errors take in a single lady? (8) 26, 29d & 45d. America's Second Amendment entitles one to go sleeveless, by the sound of it! (3,5,2,4,4) 27. So well it might be a Kerry town! (8) 28. Go wrong in the heart of Derry. (3) 30. Mother takes an American soldier to find a travelling trio. (4) 31. Encounter me with an alien. (4) 34. Henry embraces a novice in the vestibule. (4) 36. Royal loo associated with the the Magna Carta? (4,4) 37. Young horse with a grey nail. (8) 39. The despondency of some igloo makers. (5) 40. Germs make one race a bit upset. (8) 42. Your objection notwithstanding, normally only six deliveries are allowed. (8) 43. Hurry to a town in Fingal. (4) 44. Some bamboo is needed for the old pulpit. (4) 47. Once again, perform 'Scarlet Love'. (4) 48. See 14 across. 51 & 57d. One defensive structure, or two more - taller, perhaps? (8,5) 52. Most of the time, it belongs to us. (3) 54. Elevated beginnings for the Cheeky Girls, perhaps. (8) 56. Lob rats around a school for delinquents. (7) 59. Incline to be thin. (4) 60. You can swim in this in the first half of the season. (3) 61. It's grand to employ Erato, for example. (4) 63. & 4d. "What's disposable about old German money...?" Such a thoughtless statement! (8,6) 65. Surmounting the first sixteen letters. (4) 66. A fish has got right inside the ditch. (6) 68. Wish to cause Desmond anger. (6) 69. Similar to the cock's announcement, insects are most direct. (2,3,4,5) Down 1. Lucy A sat around a hospital department. (8) 2. Edible fastening. (3) 3. Prove the First Lady right, as always. (4) 4. See 63 across. 5. Barker from Springfield is a yuletide assistant! (6,6,6) 6. A taxi for a scourge of organized crime. (3) 8. The tradesman turned up, and was fired again. (5) 9. Glue makes Sid heave up. (8) 10. Hinder with a popular Christmas gift. (6) 11. That part of the agenda is a mite confused. (4) 13. This cable was her undoing. (6) 17 & 48d. Honour North screeched a lot about this iconic TV programme! (3,6,6,3,6) 19. Hook's sidekick gives a cardinal most of 31 across. (4) NAME: SCHOOL ADDRESS: PHONE: 22. Maple used in palace rafters. (4) 24. Cram hair into an upholstered piece. (8) 25 & 7a. Might this have hung on Buddy's door at Christmas? (5,6) 29. See 26 across. 31. ‘A Tropical Disease’ - 16 across (after Malcolm). (7) 32. Pull a harbour vessel. (3) 33. The Prima Donna is very keen to turn up. (4) 35. Omit to write that a holiday is not possible. (5,3) 38. A line about the longest river. (4) 40. The bachelor swallows a ring, being a legless type. (3) 41. Place gold before teachers' relations. (5) 45. See 26 across. 46. I leave jewelled headgear in the home of Irish kings. (4) 48. See 17 down. 49. To the ship, it's a money-spinner! (4) 50. Uses oxygen, as the Bears might do. (8) 53. Eased off, giving a degree to Edward. (6) 55. A silly smile? It's more straightforward without a novice present. (6) 57. See 51 across. INTOUCH 62 NOVEMBER 2016 58. Garden feature made of linen? (4) 62. Give the saint directions for cooking this. (4) 64. Turn up the end of your jersey? Affirmative. (3) 67. Measure the middle of the cello. (3) In Touch Crossword No. 175 October Solutions Across 1. Dot 3. Denominator 8. Whinny 9. Tardiest 10. Poker 11. Roots 13. Cadet 15. Magical 16. Advisor 20. Manly 21. Twigs 23. Dogma 24. Literate 25. Carafe 26. Tape measure 27. Tot Down 1. Down payment 2. Thinking outside the box 3. Diner 5. Nadir 7. Rot 12. Secret agent 13. Claim 14. Toddy 17. Sergeant 18. Anglers 19. Big top 22. Strum 23. Drake 24. Let Winners of Crossword No. 175will be announced in next InTouch issue due to print deadlines preceding crossword deadlines. Winners of Crossword No. 174 are Paul Howard, Mungret Limerick and Jim Supple, Rosboro Road Limerick Finishingtouches comhar Linn draw winners – september Car – Toyota Auris Sinéad Gallagher, St Patrick’s NS, Coolagh, Sligo. Cash €1,500 Themostviewedresourcesfortwoweeks inOctober Diarmuid Duggan, Scoil Mhuire NS, Schull, Co Cork. Weekends for two in Jury’s Inn ST VINCENT’S GNS, DUBLIN 1 http://stvincentsgns.weebly.com 1 BIA scoilnet.ie/uploads/resources/11778/11409 .pdf Flashcards, display cards and questions. 2 BBC – DAY IN THE LIFE: STONE AGE https://vimeo.com/21927963 One of four episodes created by Beakus for BBC History to help get kids into ancient history. 3 óICHE SHAMHNA ncte.ie/upload/scoilnet/oiche_shamhna Talking book in Irish for infants – second class. 4 HALLOWEEN THEMEPAGE scoilnet.ie/primary/theme-pages/ halloween Facts and activities relating to Halloween. 5 SCOILNET MAPS http://maps.scoilnet.ie Interactive OSi maps for Ireland. Includes lesson activities. 6 COUNTIES OF IRELAND edware.ie/graphics/ireland_flash.swf Interactive quiz against the clock. 7 HELP A HEDGEHOG ictgames.com/helpAHedgehog/index.html The teacher enters words and the children have to read as many words as possible in one minute. 8 MÉ FÉIN – SCÉAL scoilnet.ie/uploads/resources/6230/6039.pdf Liosta de thearmai a bheadh usáideach d'aisti a scríobh. 9 BIA AGUS SPRAOI resources.teachnet.ie/mmorrin/2004/ contents.html Printable resources relating to the topic of food. Ruth Hopkins, Beheymore NS, Ballina, Co Mayo. Laura Egan, Dominican Convent, Ballyfermot, Dublin 10. Simple site that has a strong visual presence. ONES TO WATCH PADLET https://padlet.com Each free guided tour with workshop for primary schools is led by members of the Gallery’s Education Department and takes place every Wednesday and Thursday until the Christmas break. Time: 10 a.m. to 11.30 a.m. To book contact 01 6633510 or [email protected] Ever heard the one about the Dancing Goat and the Red Berries? An Irish/African tale which fits into the Story Strand Unit (infants to second classes) and the Myths and Legends Strand Unit (third to sixth classes). Please, contact: education @africainstitute.eu, if interested in a Curriculum Support Programme resource for SESE, History and related subjects. A virtual wall that allows users to express views on a common topic. Potentially great for collaborative writing strategies. PENPAL SCHOOLS penpalschools.com Online platform where students around the world read, share and discuss issues happening where they live. MENTIMETER mentimeter.com Can transform the classroom into an interactive classroom where every student has a voice. INTOUCH 63 NOVEMBER 2016 10 MOUNTAINS, RIVERS AND LAKES osi.ie/education/schools-and-thirdlevel/primary-schools-2 List of the highest mountains, the longest rivers and largest lakes in Ireland.
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