“The white-knuckle ride that is the Leaving Cert for the class of 2020 continues apace. The Association of Secondary Teachers’ Ireland (ASTI)’s direction to members on Thursday evening not to engage in awarding students calculated grades had plunged the ‘Plan B’ for the examinations into fresh uncertainty …” (more)
[Carl O’Brien, Irish Times, 22 May]
“The joint liquidators of the USIT student travel group have agreed to sell its brand and online operators to a company owned by its former CEO, and a former shareholder. USIT Ireland specialised in US summer work and related travel programmes and was based on Dublin’s Aston Quay …” (more)
[RTÉ News, 22 May]
“People Before Profit councillors have said that Magee Medical School approval should not be allowed to divert attention away from the agreed target of 10,000 full-time students at the Derry campus. Derry and Strabane People Before Profit Cllrs Eamonn McCann and Shaun Harkin said: ‘People Before Profit joins other parties in welcoming the announcement that the Stormont Executive has approved a graduate-entry Medical School at Magee …'” (more)
[Derry Now, 19 May]
“Gerald Nash (Louth, Labour): To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the progress in relation to technological university status for Dundalk IT as per an agreement signed and lodged with the Workplace Relations Commission in November 2019; and if he will make a statement on the matter …” (more)
[Dáil written answers, 20 May]
“Michael Moynihan (Cork North West, Fianna Fail): To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he has been in discussions with the University of Limerick in relation to its approach to refund students for the cost of their accommodation during the Covid-19 crisis; the assistance or support that will be made available to students and their families in situations in which no refunds are provided; and if he will make a statement on the matter …” (more)
[Dáil written answers, 20 May]
“Thomas Byrne (Meath East, Fianna Fail): To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the status of an analysis conducted by the European Commission of the options outlined in the Cassells report; if it will be completed in Q2 2020 as previously stated; and if he will make a statement on the matter …” (more)
[Dáil written answers, 20 May]
“Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, RISE): To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if amendments will be made to the requirement to submit payslips for work done by a student applying for a grant to SUSI in view of the impossibility of contacting some previous employers, for example, pubs due to them being closed as a result of Covid-19 …” (more)
[Dáil written answers, 20 May]
“Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire (Cork South Central, Sinn Féin): To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if his attention has been drawn to the paper produced by an association (details supplied) regarding the severe financial position facing universities and other third-level institutions; and his views on whether dedicated sustainability and growth funding is needed for the sector …” (more)
[Dáil written answers, 20 May]
