IT’S NOT THE LEAVING. ONLY THE BEGINNING
IT’S NOT THE LEAVING. ONLY THE BEGINNING
Second-Level Students' Union congratulates the Class of 2011
17 August 2011
The Irish Second-Level Students’ Union would like to take this opportunity to congratulate the 57,532 examination candidates upon receiving their Leaving Certificate and Leaving Certificate Applied results today. However, the ISSU questions the suitability of the Leaving Certificate Examination structure and the points system.Speaking this morning, an ISSU spokesperson said:“Leaving Cert results day is different for everyone. There will be people who are dying to find out how they did and people who’d rather hide under the bed. Whatever happens and however you did, it’ll be ok. It is not the be all and end all. You have the next few days to take stock, and maturely evaluate your options. Seek advice from your school guidance councilor, talk to your parents and make use of the various exam help lines. Most of all enjoy today, and celebrate today’s passing sensibly”.The ISSU spokesperson went on to say:“As a society we need to strongly evaluate the suitability of our examination structure and indeed the, infamous points system. We welcome and strongly support Minister Quinn’s commitment to look into this matter. The Leaving Certificate encourages rote learning whilst stifling creativity, lateral thinking and individuality. Although the examination structure has elements that are fair, there must be a better, fairer way. The points race puts our young people to the pin of their collar physically, mentally and emotionally. It is widely accepted that the time has come for change, let’s not waste time or money researching it and put a plan into action. The ISSU would facilitate a student consultation to ensure young people are consulted and to guarantee that their voice is heard. It’s time we left the Leaving behind us”.***************** ENDS *****************Notes to Editor:The Irish Second-Level Students' Union (ISSU) is the national umbrella body for school Student Councils, aiming to represent and connect Irish second-level students the length and breadth of the country, ensuring that the voice of the Irish second-level student is heard and striving for innovation and democracy within the education system. ISSU is a not-for profit student rights organisation.At ISSU we believe that young people are not merely citizens in waiting - we deserve better, we deserve to be heard. We can and will contribute positively to society. It is so important that our voices, views and opinions are (i) heard (ii) listened to (iii) and most importantly respected.ISSU's main aims include:
- To provide training and development of second-level school Student Councils, in conjunction with relevant bodies.
- To develop policies on issues affecting Irish second-level students and bring the needs and rights of students to the attention of the relevant authorities.
- To provide a transparent, democratic and reliable organisation.
- To work in collaboration with other educational institutions and bodies both in Ireland and Europe.
- To work closely with educational curriculum policy makers and teachers’ unions to continually develop a transparent, fair and modern education system.
- And most importantly, to give students a structured platform through which the voice of the Irish second-level student will be heard.
CAO can't defend high charges
CAO CAN'T DEFEND HIGH CHARGES
Second-Level Students' Union calls for review of CAO fees
15 August 2011
The Irish Second-Level Students’ Union is urging the Central Applications Office (CAO) to revise the fee charged to submit an application for entry to third-level courses in 43 colleges of education across the state.Speaking this afternoon, an ISSU spokesperson said:“The fee which currently stands at €45 per application or a reduced fee of €35 for those that submit an early application generated the CAO a profit of almost €1.4m last year – the application fee for the U.K equivalent of the CAO, UCAS, stands at the sterling equivalent of just under €24.Over recent years, the majority of applications are now made online, substantially reducing the administrative burden on the Central Applications Office. With this in mind, we firmly believe that the CAO fee should be reduced for 2011-2012 onwards particularly in the current economic climate in which the cost of education for parents and students is already a huge financial drain. Even a small reduction in the CAO charges could somewhat offset the newly increased student levy. It is simply not good enough for a not-for-profit company to charge exorbitant fees, resulting in grossly excessive profits. We should be encouraging our young people to further their education and any barrier to this is inexcusable". ***************** ENDS *****************Notes to Editor:The Irish Second-Level Students' Union is the national umbrella body for school Student Councils, aiming to represent and connect Irish second-level students the length and breadth of the country, ensuring that the voice of the Irish second-level student is heard and striving for innovation and democracy within the education system. ISSU is a not-for profit student rights organisation.At ISSU we believe that young people are not merely citizens in waiting - we deserve better, we deserve to be heard. We can and will contribute positively to society. It is so important that our voices, views and opinions are (i) heard (ii) listened to (iii) and most importantly respected.ISSU's main aims include:
- To provide training and development of second-level school Student Councils, in conjunction with relevant bodies.
- To develop policies on issues affecting Irish second-level students and bring the needs and rights of students to the attention of the relevant authorities.
- To provide a transparent, democratic and reliable organisation.
- To work in collaboration with other educational institutions and bodies both in Ireland and Europe.
- To work closely with educational curriculum policy makers and teachers’ unions to continually develop a transparent, fair and modern education system.
- And most importantly, to give students a structured platform through which the voice of the Irish second-level student will be heard.
Your World - Your Say
JOINT PRESS RELEASE
YOUR WORLD – YOUR SAY
100 children voice their views on engagement in European and international decision-making
17 November 2010
Today (17 November 2010) up to 100 young people from all over the country, gathered in Dublin for "Your World – Your Say", a consultation event on children’s views on their engagement in European and international levels of decision-making. The event was hosted by the Children’s Rights Alliance, in collaboration with the Irish Second Level Students’ Union (ISSU).Children and young people, aged 12 to 17 years and from a diverse range of life experiences, gathered to add their voice to this important project. The consultation event is part of a Europe-wide project on children and young people’s involvement in European and international decision-making. It comprises five partner projects in Ireland, England, Austria, Estonia/Russia and Romania/Moldova who are each hosting a national consultation event. The views expressed at these events will be brought together into one report and presented to the European Commission.On opening the event, Jillian van Turnhout, Chief Executive, Children’s Rights Alliance said: “Today, is all about getting your voice heard. European and international bodies are playing an increasingly important role in our lives and we need to find ways to bridge the gap between the individual and the institutions. We need the institutions to listen and learn from what children are saying. The buzz of children and young people engaging in discussions was a fitting way to celebrate International Students’ Day which falls today, 17 November.”Today the young people gathered, learned about the opportunities for them to influence European and international decision makers that impact on children’s lives such as the European Parliament, the European Commission, the European Forum on the Rights of the Child and the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child. A message from Irish MEP’s was sent via a recording from Brussels. The young people explored their views on the importance of engaging with decision-making bodies and how they could get involved. They discussed any experiences they had on being involved in decision-making, and shared ideas about how they would engage differently if they had the opportunity to do so.Leanne Caulfield, President, ISSU added: “Innovative methods were used to promote creative discussions, including Storyboards, Mind Mapping and Knowledge Cafés. While officials were present to answer questions, we avoided the usual lecture-style format. The sessions were facilitated by young people from the ISSU and European Youth Parliament, so it was very much a youth-led and youth-focused event.”
With financial support from the EU’s Fundamental Rights and Citizenship Programme
***************************ENDS*************************CONTACT DETAILS FOR MEDIA QUERIES:Róisín Fitzgerald – Children’s Rights Alliance – 087 7702845 or communications@childrensrights.ieNotes to Editor:This consultation event is part of a Europe-wide project on children and young people’s involvement in European and international decision-making. The project, funded by the European Commission, is co-ordinated by the Children’s Rights Alliance England (CRAE) and includes five partner projects: Ireland, England, Austria, Estonia/Russia and Romania/Moldova. Each partner is hosting a national consultation event involving 100 children under 17 years. A final report incorporating the views of children and young people from the five partners will be presented to the European Commission in 2011.
Protect our Education. Protect our Future.
Irish Second-level Students’ UnionPRESS STATEMENT *FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE*Protect our Education. Protect our Future. 03/11/'10The Irish Second-Level Students’ Union has today urged policy makers to stand up for our future. Speaking today, an ISSU spokesperson said:“Recalling the words of Walt Disney ‘Our greatest natural resource is the minds of our children’. Our country, our democracy, our society is at a crossroads. Difficult challenges face us, but what will define us as a nation is how we act and react to the decisions we must make. Investment in education should always be a priority, especially given the current unfavourable economic climate. Frontline education services, that affect the quality of the learning for our young people should be protected.Imposing any barrier to the access for education is reckless. It is unfair to further burden a generation, who ultimately will shoulder the brunt of the turbulent times that came before us. The ISSU is calling on the Department of Education and Skills to exhaust all possibilities in ensuring the learning of individual students or their access to education is not impinged.”__ENDS__Notes to Editor:ISSU is the national umbrella body for school Student Councils, aiming to represent and connect Irish second-level students the length and breadth of the country, ensuring that the voice of the Irish second-level student is heard and striving for innovation and democracy within the education system. ISSU is a not-for profit student rights organisation.At ISSU we believe that young people are not merely citizens in waiting - we deserve better, we deserve to be heard. We can and will contribute positively to society. It is so important that our voices, views and opinions are (i) heard (ii) listened to (iii) and most importantly respected. This is what ISSU is all about. We’re here for you.Our main aims include:-To provide training and development of second-level school Student Councils, in conjunction with relevant bodies.-To develop policies on issues affecting Irish second-level students and bring the needs and rights of students to the attention of the relevant authorities.-To provide a transparent, democratic and reliable organisation.-To work in collaboration with other educational institutions and bodies both in Ireland and Europe.-To work closely with educational curriculum policy makers and teachers’ unions to continually develop a transparent, fair and modern education system.-And most importantly, to give students a structured platform through which the voice of the Irish second-level student will be heard.ISSU represents students at a national level and is affiliated to; the WHEEL, NYCI, Anna Lindh Foundation, Stand up for Education Alliance, Children’s Mental Health Coalition and the Children’s Rights Alliance. On an international level, ISSU works closely with OBESSU. ISSU also works with curriculum development teams and various advisory bodies.Contact:www.issu.ie, email communications@issu.ie or call 01 443 4461.
Another year – another systems failure RE: CAO 2010
Irish Second-Level Students’ UnionPRESS STATEMENT * For immediate release*
Another year – another systems failure RE: CAO 2010
23/08/‘10
Today at 6.10am, the CAO website suffered a malicious technical failure, which left students distraught and distressed in their anticipation to finally come face-to-face with their round one offers. Although, it appears that this freak technical mishap was outside the control of the CAO itself, the fact that it occurred is much more than unfortunate and the ISSU calls for a full investigation into the incident to be carried out. It is imperative that technical difficulties of this scale cannot be allowed to happen in future as they cause unnecessary worry for students at an already stressful time and undermines confidence in the system.It is clear that the points race of years past has kicked off again and may develop into a marathon, as it is set to continue over the coming years. The ISSU calls on the Department of Education and Skills to ensure that sufficient further education places exist for all students that desire them and that students are fully informed about all of their available options in the years ahead. Media hype surrounding points increases can often over exaggerate the actual situation as small increases and decreases in points from year to year are natural and large changes have only occurred for a small number of courses. Media hype seriously adds to the anxieties of students and should be discouraged.More and more often are criticisms of the Irish third-level entry system to be heard and it forces us to wonder whether it really is the best system for our students and for our “knowledge economy” and therefore, the ISSU urges a review of our third-level entry system to be carried out at the earliest possible opportunity.__ENDS__Notes to Editor:ISSU is the national umbrella body for school Student Councils, aiming to represent and connect Irish second-level students the length and breadth of the country, ensuring that the voice of the Irish second-level student is heard and striving for innovation and democracy within the education system. ISSU is a not-for profit student rights organisation.At ISSU we believe that young people are not merely citizens in waiting - we deserve better, we deserve to be heard. We can and will contribute positively to society. It is so important that our voices, views and opinions are (i) heard (ii) listened to (iii) and most importantly respected. This is what ISSU is all about. We’re here for you. Our main aims include:
- To provide training and development of second-level school Student Councils, in conjunction with relevant bodies.
- To develop policies on issues affecting Irish second-level students and bring the needs and rights of students to the attention of the relevant authorities.
- To provide a transparent, democratic and reliable organisation.
- To work in collaboration with other educational institutions and bodies both in Ireland and Europe.
- To work closely with educational curriculum policy makers and teachers’ unions to continually develop a transparent, fair and modern education system.
- And most importantly, to give students a structured platform through which the voice of the Irish second-level student will be heard.
ISSU represents students at a national level and is affiliated to; Anna Lindh Foundation, Children’s Mental Health Coalition, Children’s Rights Alliance, NYCI, Stand up for Education Alliance, and the WHEEL. On an international level, ISSU works closely with OBESSU. ISSU also works with curriculum development teams and various advisory bodies. Contact:www.issu.ie, email communications@issu.ie or call 01 443 4461.
Finally…. some signs of democracy and transparency
Irish Second-Level Students’ Union PRESS STATEMENT *FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE*
Finally…. some signs of democracy and transparency
It seems that the wheels may be slowly grinding towards a modern education evolution. Today (Thursday), the Irish Second-Level Students’ Union (ISSU) has welcomed the Minister for Education & Skills decision to develop a new framework in the selection of patronage for second-level schools. Much progress has been made over the past 20 years in the primary-sector, allowing parents and students to choose a school which meets their needs, however it is regrettable and disappointing that as of yet in 2010 these trends don’t translate to second-level education.This framework for a transparent process which includes clear criteria for school selection is long overdue. The world we live in is changing, but sometimes our education system stays stuck in the past. Schooling is local – let’s keep it that way. With this new framework parents and students will have a greater input into deciding what school best suits their needs. With this in mind, we call on Minister Coughlan to ensure that a position for ISSU would be made available on the new proposed advisory panel to ensure that students are represented as experts. Although, what appears to be additional red tape – certain levels of bureaucracy are unfortunately needed in this country to influence change and get things done. This framework needs to be put in place within weeks to ensure there are no further delays in the selection of second-level school patronage, and indeed it should not be used as a tool to put off decision-making and delay the desired positive change. A diverse education system is what Ireland needs for 21st century learning, and ultimately for the internationally applauded ‘smart economy’. Students deserve better – we deserve choice.__ENDS__Notes to Editor:ISSU is the national umbrella body for school Student Councils, aiming to represent and connect Irish second-level students the length and breadth of the country, ensuring that the voice of the Irish second-level student is heard and striving for innovation and democracy within the education system. ISSU is a not-for profit student rights organisation.At ISSU we believe that young people are not merely citizens in waiting - we deserve better, we deserve to be heard. We can and will contribute positively to society. It is so important that our voices, views and opinions are (i) heard (ii) listened to (iii) and most importantly respected. This is what ISSU is all about. We’re here for you.Our main aims include:
- To provide training and development of second-level school Student Councils, in conjunction with relevant bodies.
- To develop policies on issues affecting Irish second-level students and bring the needs and rights of students to the attention of the relevant authorities.
- To provide a transparent, democratic and reliable organisation.
- To work in collaboration with other educational institutions and bodies both in Ireland and Europe.
- To work closely with educational curriculum policy makers and teachers’ unions to continually develop a transparent, fair and modern education system.
- And most importantly, to give students a structured platform through which the voice of the Irish second-level student will be heard.
ISSU represents students at a national level and is affiliated to; the WHEEL, NYCI, Anna Lindh Foundation, Stand up for Education Alliance, Children’s Mental Health Coalition and the Children’s Rights Alliance. On an international level, ISSU works closely with OBESSU. ISSU also works with curriculum development teams and various advisory bodies. Contact:www.issu.ie, email communications@issu.ie or call 01 443 4461.