Ninth Level Ireland

“It is believed that widespread discontent and ‘forceful’ opposition is growing among administrators in UCD schools to a new review of the entire curriculum across every course being pushed by the UCD administration. Speaking to the College Tribune a source working in the administration of a school in the Arts & Social Sciences has revealed there is growing frustration among staff …” (more)

[College Tribune, 29 September]

“The Minister for Education and Skills, Richard Bruton, TD, today announced a €10m grant for the country’s 14 Institutes of Technology to address their most critical health and safety, infrastructure and ICT needs. The grant will ensure that the Institutes can fund a range of small-scale building works, refurbish existing facilities and / or upgrade equipment. This funding is being made to the institutes by the Department of Education and Skills through the Higher Education Authority …” (more)

[Department of Education and Skills, 30 September]

“Without wishing to go all ED Hirsch, here’s my first attempt at presenting an adjunct/alternative to the Junior Cycle’s skills-heavy, knowledge-light 24 Statements of Learning. Some of this might be more appropriate for Leaving Cert but the point is that to be a fully ‘engaged citizen’ (as they say), you really ought to know some stuff …” (more)

[educationandstuff, 30 September]

“The first Action Plan for Education was launched by Minister Bruton in 2016. It aims at making the Irish education and training service the best in Europe by 2026. Ireland already has a top 5 position in Europe in several important spheres (for example, post-primary literacy, third level participation, take up of STEM at third level) and a top 10 position in others (educational attainment, innovation, low dropout from school) …” (more)

[Department of Education and Skills, 29 September]

“Staff unions at third-level colleges are backing the Union of Students in Ireland (USI) in their opposition to a student loan system that would see graduates paying back much higher fees than currently charged. The ‘study now, pay later’ model is one of three options put forward in the report published in July by the expert group chaired by Peter Cassells …” (more)

[Niall Murray, Irish Examiner, 30 September]

“Students in England will take their pick from gold, silver and bronze universities after the government said it would create new league tables based on teaching quality. But unlike at the Olympics, bronze will be a booby prize, awarded to universities found to be ‘significantly below’ benchmark standards in some areas – a decision unlikely to be popular with vice-chancellors …” (more)

[Richard Adams, Guardian, 29 September]

“Directors and shareholders of a Dublin-based English language school with 600 students has launched a High Court action aimed at preventing a fellow shareholder from taking money out of the company …” (more)

[Aodhan O’Faolain, Irish Times, 29 Setpember]

“The Institute of Technology Carlow has announced plans for the country’s first Bachelor of Science (Honours) Degree programme in Brewing and Distilling. The four-year course, which begins next September, follows two years of research and development by the IoT involving consultation with industry, representative organisations, national bodies and Government …” (more)

[Irish Times, 29 September]

“The accommodation crisis currently sweeping through Ireland’s third level students means that for some, commuting to college from their family home via car or public transport is the only viable option. ‘Commuter culture’ often has the effect of creating a 9-5 way of life in universities, meaning students are regularly forced to miss out on activities offered after lectures end …” (more)

[Michelle Beazley, Irish Times, 29 September]

“Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform Paschal Donohoe has said Government cannot increase Garda wages as all other public sector workers would then expect the same, writes Elaine Loughlin of the Irish Examiner. Frontline gardaí have given the Government five weeks to restore their pay or face ‘unprecedented’ strike action on four days next month …” (more)

[Irish Examiner, 29 September]

“The number of senior management staff employed by Trinity has increased by 42% since 2012, The University Times has learned, compared to an 8% increase in all staff across the university. The average salary for senior management, according to Trinity’s Human Resources Annual Report, obtained by The University Times, was €103,000 …” (more)

[Dominic McGrath, University Times, 29 September]

“Local TD Declan Breathnach has called on the Minister for Education and Skill to restore funding to third level institutions to 2009 levels. In a Parliamentary Question today, the Fianna Fáil TD said Dundalk IT was particularly underfunded and called for a ‘huge cash injection’ in the college …” (more)

[Talk of the Town, 29 September]

“A second wave of tuition-fee rises has been signalled, which will apply to all standards of university in England. This will take tuition fees over £9,500 for students beginning university courses in autumn 2018 …” (more)

[Sean Coughlan, BBC News, 29 September]

“In one of the most detailed breakdowns yet of gender bias in scholarly publishing, the American Geophysical Union (AGU) in Washington DC has found that its female members submit fewer papers, and are asked to be peer reviewers less frequently, than men. The effect holds across all age ranges, from scientists in their twenties to those in their seventies …” (more)

[Alexandra Witze, Nature, 29 September]

“The first thing I do with my incoming first year biotechnology class is to give a lecture on the ’10 types of scientist’. The lecture is based on this study by the Science Council in the UK, a study that was brought to my attention by Julie Dowsett, programme manager with the pioneering Agri-Food Graduate Development Programme based in UCD and UCC …” (more)

[educationandstuff, 29 September]

“Joseph O’Connor: I did an arts degree, English and history, at UCD, and it was one of the most valuable experiences of my life. I was very lucky in that my teachers included such great people as Declan Kiberd, Seamus Deane, Hugh Gough, Ronan Fanning, Mary Daly and Michael Laffan …” (more)

[Martin Doyle, Irish Times, 28 September]

“University College Cork (UCC) has spent almost €1.5 million in the last five years on legal cases involving staff, new figures reveal. The university spent €619,400 on court actions in 2014/2015, the last academic year for which figures are available …” (more)

[Ronan McGreevy, Irish Times, 28 September]

“A greater focus on maths teaching at primary school may be needed to improve children’s performance at maths, a major study has found. While there has been a significant improvement in maths performance in recent years, the ability of children to tackle problem-solving has emerged as a real concern …” (more)

[Carl O’Brien, Irish Times, 29 September]

“IT Sligo has a huge part to play in the development of the Sligo economy according to the college’s new president. Dr Brendan McCormack began his tenure as president of the IT yesterday and immediately set about outlining his vision for the future of the college …” (more)

[Ocean FM, 28 September]

“Universities here spent more than €3.3 million on legal fees in cases involving staff over the last five years. The figures were released to Fine Gael TD Jim Daly after he put down a Dáil question on the issue …” (more)

[RTÉ News, 28 September]