Advertisement
If you have a new account but are having problems posting or verifying your account, please email us on hello@boards.ie for help. Thanks :)
Hello all! Please ensure that you are posting a new thread or question in the appropriate forum. The Feedback forum is overwhelmed with questions that are having to be moved elsewhere. If you need help to verify your account contact hello@boards.ie

Fine Gael plans to lengthen school year

Options
  • 08-05-2007 3:39pm
    #1
    ateam
    Closed Accounts Posts: 986 ✭✭✭


    I know this is politically related and feel free to move it, but I feel that the teaching section should be aware that if Fine Gael get into power, they will increase the secondary school year.

    Ridiculous idea and it will drive teachers out of the profession.


Comments

  • Options
    #2
    Tom Dunne
    Registered Users Posts: 23,212 ✭✭✭✭Tom Dunne


    Do you have any links to back up your claim?


  • Options
    #3
    funktastic
    Closed Accounts Posts: 551 ✭✭✭funktastic


    They're in favour of getting rid of compulsory Irish at Leaving Cert level also. Which will probably annoy teachers of Irish.


  • Options
    #4
    Gobán Saor
    Closed Accounts Posts: 415 ✭✭Gobán Saor


    Historically, Fine Gael would not be friendly towards teachers. Remember Gemma Hussey and the "morality" speech on the teachers pay award in 1985?


  • Options
    #5
    slickmcvic
    Registered Users Posts: 500 ✭✭✭slickmcvic


    Cant stand Enda Kenny,Landed in our school after Christmas...The George Bush of Irish politics,A lot of senior teachers don't like him. He said somethin about teachers not deserving their pay a while back.
    I dont follw politics but I really hope he doesent get in


  • Options
    #6
    RealJohn
    Registered Users Posts: 2,099 ✭✭✭RealJohn


    I'll be spending 7 hours or so in the car on Thursday to vote against FG (I was too late to change my vote to where I live and work). FG seem to be anti-education in general. I haven't heard anything about them extending the school-year though.
    That in itself wouldn't be enough for me to vote against them though (as though I needed another reason anyway) if they had some sound reason for it. I just don't know why they'd want to extend the school year.
    The system is fine as it is and the teachers would (rightly) demand more money for a longer year so it would cost the country with no obvious benefit (as far as I can tell).


  • Advertisement
  • Options
    #7
    spurious
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Education Moderators Posts: 27,215 CMod ✭✭✭✭spurious


    Extending the school year is not a runner without an overhaul of the exams process. While the SEC use schools as exam centres and teachers to correct papers they can't mess with the summer.

    Under the contract I signed (Memo v.7) I am entitled to six weeks summer holidays - they will have a job meddling with that. They will have even more of a job meddling with 'custom and practice' in other second-level schools where many teachers are off from early June to late August.


  • Options
    #8
    TheDriver
    Registered Users Posts: 12,514 ✭✭✭✭TheDriver


    Its more the idea that 167 days are set in stone and cannot be changed without many strikes and expensive pay rises!! Theres already a problem getting people to correct some exams, they don't want to distance more teachers away from doing the extra jobs


  • Options
    #9
    Trotter
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,362 ✭✭✭Trotter


    Im not a FG supporter (Independent all the way in my constituency) but I cant find anywhere where FG have stated they'll lengthen the school day or the school year.

    Maybe someone might post a link... because its all heresay at the moment.


  • Options
    #10
    brianthebard
    Closed Accounts Posts: 16,165 ✭✭✭✭brianthebard


    RealJohn wrote:
    I'll be spending 7 hours or so in the car on Thursday to vote against FG (I was too late to change my vote to where I live and work). FG seem to be anti-education in general. I haven't heard anything about them extending the school-year though.
    That in itself wouldn't be enough for me to vote against them though (as though I needed another reason anyway) if they had some sound reason for it. I just don't know why they'd want to extend the school year.
    The system is fine as it is and the teachers would (rightly) demand more money for a longer year so it would cost the country with no obvious benefit (as far as I can tell).

    How can you say that they are anti-education when the last government with FG in it brought in free fees? They aren't trying to be anti-education, they are trying to reform and improve the education system in Ireland. And speaking as a guy who only left secondary school a few years ago and just finished BA studies, I think its long past time. There are a lot of changes that are needed to make the system better. I mean I'm sure teachers here are aware of student apathy in their classes?


    Edit: I've just had a look through the FG manifesto and I cannot find any information about lengthening the school year. There are however lots of suggestions for reform and improvement that will hopefully improve the quality of education for students and the quality of worklife for teachers. Also, upon googling this topic, this thread is the first link to come up. Unless ateam is willing to provide a clear link to an article or show us some sort of evidence to back up his statement, I must say that I don't believe a word of it and that he is deliberately trying to spread negative propaganda against the FG party.

    manifesto here


  • Options
    #11
    Trotter
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,362 ✭✭✭Trotter


    brianthebard wrote:
    ..Also, upon googling this topic, this thread is the first link to come up. Unless ateam is willing to provide a clear link to an article or show us some sort of evidence to back up his statement, I must say that I don't believe a word of it and that he is deliberately trying to spread negative propaganda against the FG party.

    manifesto here


    I'll be locking this thread should there be no evidence presented in the next day or so. After that, if someone would like to PM me with where this statement has been made, I'll reopen it. Otherwise, it goes in my file marked rubbish.


  • Advertisement
  • Options
    #12
    slickmcvic
    Registered Users Posts: 500 ✭✭✭slickmcvic


    I founda discussion on it where A poster contacted the fg HQ & THEY CONFIRMED IT......I'll have a look for it later


    http://www.educationposts.ie/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=36107


  • Options
    #13
    brianthebard
    Closed Accounts Posts: 16,165 ✭✭✭✭brianthebard


    Again this doesn't show anything. The first post says that they don't propose any reform when clearly they do. I'm afraid the word of that poster is as good as the word of the OP, who has yet to come back and confirm what he has claimed.

    Edit: Ok, I went through the manifesto again and found this;
    School Year and Use of Facilities
    • We will lengthen the use of school facilities on a daily basis by local communities, and examine the
    extension of the school year at second level to take account of increased pressures on the curriculum,
    the greater number of required subjects and enhanced subject choice.

    Examining the extension of the school year is in no way the same as what has been suggested by the OP. This would no doubt have to be acceptable to the unions before it could be done. FG will not be increasing the school year without the support of teachers.


  • Options
    #14
    hot chick
    Closed Accounts Posts: 117 ✭✭hot chick


    please. this whole thing is a ploy by FG to make the hard pressed working mammies and daddies of Ireland vote for them. save on some childcare, and look like they're going to do some public sector bashing. The school year isn't going to get longer even if FG get into government. could you imagine the strikes??? and after the nurses getting a shorter week, there'd be war. In short, forget about it. FG don't have the balls, it's all election talk rubbish.


  • Options
    #15
    Trotter
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,362 ✭✭✭Trotter


    One parent asked me recently do I do weekends :D

    Hell no! The parent is the primary educator.. those two glorious days are all mine :p


  • Options
    #16
    Time Magazine
    Registered Users Posts: 8,452 ✭✭✭Time Magazine


    It should probably be noted that the OP is a fairly strong FF supporter.

    Make of that what you will.


  • Options
    #17
    brianthebard
    Closed Accounts Posts: 16,165 ✭✭✭✭brianthebard


    hot chick wrote:
    please. this whole thing is a ploy by FG to make the hard pressed working mammies and daddies of Ireland vote for them. save on some childcare, and look like they're going to do some public sector bashing. The school year isn't going to get longer even if FG get into government. could you imagine the strikes??? and after the nurses getting a shorter week, there'd be war. In short, forget about it. FG don't have the balls, it's all election talk rubbish.

    They have policies on childcare and preschool education too, did you miss those?


  • Options
    #18
    hot chick
    Closed Accounts Posts: 117 ✭✭hot chick


    well seeing as how FG don't have enough money to pay for everything, I guess it's only natural they'd be doubling up on some policies :rolleyes:

    For people who are actually effected by this issue here's a followup link

    http://www.tui.ie/Press%20Releases/PR061127.html


  • Options
    #19
    Trotter
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,362 ✭✭✭Trotter


    I'm tempted to move this to the election forum.. I'll leave things go as they are but

    Ladies and Gentlemen.. Mind your manners now!


  • Options
    #20
    hot chick
    Closed Accounts Posts: 117 ✭✭hot chick


    this link is also relevent but people won't be able to view premium content

    http://www.ireland.com/newspaper/ireland/2006/1125/index.html


  • Options
    #21
    hot chick
    Closed Accounts Posts: 117 ✭✭hot chick


    Ibid wrote:
    It should probably be noted that the OP is a fairly strong FF supporter.

    Make of that what you will.


    ah... well I think it's fairly obvious who the fairly strong FG supporter here is...:D (not you Ibid, and not me either!!!)


  • Advertisement
  • Options
    #22
    Trotter
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,362 ✭✭✭Trotter


    hot chick wrote:
    ah... well I think it's fairly obvious who the fairly strong FG supporter here is...:D (not you Ibid, and not me either!!!)


    Teaching forum ladies and gentlemen.. Not the FG v's the FF members board.


  • Options
    #23
    brianthebard
    Closed Accounts Posts: 16,165 ✭✭✭✭brianthebard


    hot chick wrote:
    ah... well I think it's fairly obvious who the fairly strong FG supporter here is...:D (not you Ibid, and not me either!!!)

    If you are referring to me, I support Labour. I only got involved in this thread because I dislike it when people make false statements, especially when people are trying to ****-stir.


  • Options
    #24
    Trotter
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,362 ✭✭✭Trotter


    Moved to politics..

    Mods feel free to move it back if it becomes more teacher / school centred. Party politics should take place in the politics forum.


  • Options
    #25
    InFront
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,698 ✭✭✭InFront


    Do people really disagree with the lengthening of the schoolyear? As another poster said, it's long overdue. Three months off for Summer? What Summer?!:D That's crazy in my opinion, what kid really needs three months in the year out of study?

    If anything there are kids who need more time. Summer schools are great, but for some families that just wouldn't be an option - especially not for kids who may find their academic efforts aggravated by economic disadvantage.


  • Options
    #26
    Liam Byrne
    Closed Accounts Posts: 18,163 ✭✭✭✭Liam Byrne


    Hang on guys.....reality check here.

    What the OP said was that "Fine Gael plans to lengthen school year".

    When you compare that to most of the promises and plans that FF had over the past 10 years, you can see that there's probably nothing to worry about.

    Plan #1: Shorten waiting lists and improve health service
    Plan #2: Zero tolerance on crime:rolleyes:
    Plan #3: A rail link to Dublin Airport
    Plan #4: 2,000 extra Gardai
    Plan #5: Electronic Voting
    Plan #6: The Bertie Bowl
    Plan #7: Decentralisation
    Plan #8: Complete broadband roll-out via National Broadband Scheme
    Plan #9: 3,000 extra hospital beds
    Plan #10: No more corruption (kinda a PD one, since they were the self-appointed "watchdogs")
    Plan #11: Proper investment in Shannon Airport; according to press reports from Election 2002: "Fianna Fáil has been making the right noises about maintaining the stopover status of Shannon Airport"

    Actually, calling them "plans" is a step too far; they were only "promises", and very few of the above made it into being an actual "plan", let alone being anywhere near implemented.


Advertisement