That’s why I’ve been so quiet these last few months.

Lots of hustle, bustle and turmoil in this country of ours since then.

Pay cuts (in effect next Thursday), snow, ice, school closures and more.

Lots of fodder that I could have used to write posts about.

But, to be honest ….

I couldn’t be bothered.

Anyways …. a new year …. a new year resolution to become healthier and fitter!

Follow these guys as they operate to transformate!

Now …. I must quicken my step!

The HSE is advising schools to ensure that children etc. wash hands with hot water as frequently as possible.

If hot water isn’t available the advice is to use alcohol instead!

I must put that bottle of whiskey into my lunch box.

As an educator I think it right and opportune for me to make some comment about An Bord Snip Nua’s proposals for the Irish Education System.

Where better to start than their fairly radical proposals for the small Irish primary schools.

Small to me would have meant any school with less than 50 pupils on roll … basically a 2 teacher school but an Bord Snip Nua is looking at smaller schools as schools having an enrolment of 100 pupils or less.

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An Bord Snip Nua was a group charged with recommending public sector cuts in these ‘economic times’ ….. well …. I’ve seen it all now:

Bail out the banks for billions and make ordinary Joe Soap, Joe Public and everyone else in the public sector pay for it.

Full reports are available through the RTE website … the Dept. of Finance website apparently can’t handle the extra traffic:

• RTE – ‘Bord Snip’ recommends €5.3bn in savings’
• The Full Report
• The Appendices

They sure did hit Education hard …. bastards.

This fair country of ours is fucked.

Where can I emigrate to?

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Beyond 2020: Using Technology in the Primary Classroom ==> Successfully complete this online course and you’ll get your fee refunded!

I did it last year. It’s a very good IT related course. Not for the beginner though.
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The summer holidays have well and truly started – rain, rain and more rain ….. and summer course mania is well under way. I wasn’t going to do a course this year but signed up to do a digital photography one. It cost me a grand total of €20. It hasn’t started yet and I’m between two minds as to whether I’ll bother doing it ay all.

Further enquiries leads me to believe I’d be wasting a week doing it. People … i.e. teachers doing the course view it as a week’s holidays trapsing up and down the countryside snapping at this and focusing on that!

I am interested in photography and learning how to use my camera properly but the thought of ‘wasting’ time isn’t appealing to me at the moment.

The reason teachers do summer courses (generally) is to get their entilement of E.P.V. (Extra Personal Vacation) days that they can take when needed during the school year. Most teacher do a course of a week’s duration giving them 3 E.P.V. days. Usually school authorities have no problem with teahers taking course days but normally don’t like them being taken at crucial times during the school year like the month of June for example.

Til now … you took a day …. no substitute teacher cover …. usually other teachers took your class and that was it. D.E.S. would get back to individual teachers if days were taken that weren’t allowed.

This year there’s a change … a new circular has issued …. Circular 0035/2009.

It states:

all teachers who attend a summer course will be issued withn a certificate of attendance and completion of the course which must be presented to the Principal at the beginning of the school year, as evidence of completion of an approved summer course and entitlement to EPV leave. On receipt of this certificate, the principal may approve EPV leave for the teacher in accordance with the terms of circular 37/97. The principal must retain copies of the certificates within the school for future audit purposes.

Big Brother (D.E.S.) is finally cracking the whip.  Incidences of ‘ghost attendees’ should drop …… I wonder what’ll they’ll do about teachers (and others … sons, daughters etc. ) doing online courses for others while ‘others’ are off in sunny Spain sunning their lily white buttocks?

I’m back from the brink. And in striking form!

The Education Minister Batt O’ Keeffe says it would be regrettable to see teachers taking to the streets to protest the Government’s public sector pension levy.

Minister Batt O’Keeffe’s comments follow Friday’s announcement from the three main teachers’ unions that they will be balloting their members on industrial action.

Union representatives have also urged their members to attend an ICTU protest rally which is taking place in Dublin on Saturday.

Minister O’ Keeffe is appealing to teachers to remember that the country is in a difficult and fraught financial state.

If balloted I will be prepared to go on the picket line.

The fat cats at the top, the bankers, the developers, the speculators and their equals creamed it during the Celtic Tiger years.

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