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I am the Principal of a rurally based primary school.

Pupils and staff have the opportunity to work in a location which is very beautiful.

Nature abounds around us. The beauty of the seasons can be observed at first hand.

The community in which the school is based is close knit and very supportive. The school is at the centre of the community and life revolves around it.
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The Irish National Teachers’ Organisation today called on the government to clarify what funding if any, is available for school computing. The union’s General Secretary John Carr said the Taoiseach’s refusal to say if funding for new computers was available would come as a body blow to schools waiting nearly six years for government investment to upgrade clapped out computers.
“In computer terms that is two lifetimes of no money for school computers. Most school computers should be in museums not schools,” said Carr.
Mr Cowen was unable to confirm to the Dail today if the commitment in the NDP that €252 million would be spent on school computing was going ahead.
John Carr said there must be no doubts about this matter. “Either the money is there or it’s not,” he said. “If it is, it must be paid to schools straight away. If it’s not then government must admit publicly to parents and teachers that it has broken another promise on primary education.”
Mr Carr said Irish primary schools already lag well behind their EU counterparts when it comes to IT investment. “Our level of funding is only a fraction of what is spent in the north,” he said. “A digital border is beginning to divide our island.” Only last December, Mr Cowen, in his budget speech told the Dail that postponing or delaying the NDP would be a major policy error and specifically stated education would be included in the main elements of the capital investment programme for 2008. Today he was unable to confirm if the planned investment in Information and Communication Technology in schools would go ahead as planned.

It’s now official!

Amazing how a wildcat strike by train drivers can affect 10,000 passengers in one foul swoop!

All because a train driver didn’t want to move from his passenger train to take another guy on a training drive.

Boo to you ….. it could only happen in Ireland.

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Information and Communication Technologies aren’t a priority for our schools.

We were promised €252 million as part of the National Development Plan.

It doesn’t seem to be available anymore.

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It’s the time of year when the book publishers start to ply their latest school books to the teachers and schools of Ireland.

The latest rep to call was from Fallons.

He had new Irish and new English publications.

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The School Development Planning (SDP) initiative and the Primary Currriculum Support Programe (PCSP) are to be merged into one service.

That’s 50% less wastage!

A Lidl degree …. what next?

A Dunnes degree?

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A great site that we’ve been using in school.

It’s a great architectural resource …. it contains information about the great houses and gardens of Ireland.

Search for that great house by county!

Enjoy!!

I was looking at the calendar/diary today and realised that the summer holidays are only six weeks away.

Lots to do before then:

• Micra-T and Sigma-T standarised tests to be done with all classes from 1st onwards.
• A variety of in-house tests to be done.
• Book lists to be sorted for next year.
• Next year’s school calendar to be finalised.
• End of year reports to be made out.
• School tour to be taken.
• A number of visitors to the school to be sorted.
• The school nurse to call to talk to the senior classes about the ’sensitive’ areas of R.S.E. (Relationships & Sexuality Education).
• School Plan to be worked on.
• I must make out a flyer to advertise the school.

etc.