Claims that sex education is being reformed to include teaching about early childhood masturbation are “wildly inaccurate” and “downright sinister”, according to the Department of Education.

Education Minister Richard Bruton has urged more colleges to take pressure out of the points system by reducing the number of courses from which to choose for students.

Facial recognition technology is being used to identify girls who have unknowingly had their images uploaded on image-sharing and pornographic sites, says Childwatch.

Up to 89% of parents of primary school children are concerned that heavy school bags could be injuring their children’s backs, according to the National Parents Council (Primary).

Parents of secondary school children are spending an average €258 on a new uniform for September.

Hard-pressed families will be forced to borrow hundreds of euros and put off paying other bills to pay for books, uniforms, and other items to send their children back to school.

Last week I attended the Diageo-funded meeting here in Galway as part of their campaign to curb binge drinking. 

The Diageo-funded ‘Stop Out Of Control Drinking Campaign’ is like the time when Shell got involved in environmental campaigning - it’s hypocritical, writes Ruairí McKiernan

Talks aimed at averting further strikes by second level teachers over Junior Certificate reforms look set to go down to the wire after trade unions called for clarification of a compromise proposal.

Teachers unions are being urged to reach a consensus on Junior Cycle reform with the Government.

A parents group is calling for more talks, as secondary school teachers prepare go on strike.

Minister for Education Jan O'Sullivan will today announce an additional €40,000 in funding for an anti-bullying training scheme for parents.

The Department of Communications is to carefully monitor a three-month pilot scheme in the UK which will place age ratings on music videos in a bid to prevent children from accessing "inappropriate" content.

Schools around the country are releasing results to almost 57,000 Leaving Cert students.

Concerns are being expressed over the water charges facing the parents of 18 year olds who are still in school.

Parents around the country will be able to avail of new anti-bullying training by the National Parents Council.

Parents are being asked for their views on children's security and safety on the internet.

The Department of Education has warned principals about inviting speakers into classrooms who use scare tactics, sensationalism or who lecture children morally.

The Department of Education has been urged to set up a nationwide public awareness campaign to phase out junk food vending machines in secondary schools.

The President of the ASTI says the union would "have to react" to any move to cut teachers pay without agreement.

A Reform Alliance TD has claimed a “void in the law” in relation to sex abusers may have led a school principal to notify parents about a paedophile living in their area.

The ASTI is warning the Government that it may escalate its industrial action and go on strike if the Government does not re-enter into talks.

Secondary teachers are being told there is no room for manoeuvre on the Haddington Road agreement.

Parents are being asked to have a direct say in possible changes to how primary schools cater for religiouslydiverse groups of pupils.

THE National Council for Special Education (NCSE), the body charged with advising the minister for education on the teaching of children with special needs, is listening carefully to students, parents, and advocacy groups.

Anti-bullying awareness adverts will be inserted in a large percentage of primary and secondary school textbooks by the end of 2014.

The National Parents Council advice helpline said it is being inundated with calls from students and their parents.

Hundreds of Leaving Cert students have been calling the National Parents Council helpline seeking advice.

IT’S not rocket science — school costs too much.

HARD-PRESSED families could be in line to have more input on their school’s policy on issues such as book rental schemes and uniforms thanks to a draft parents’ charter due to be published by the end of the year.

Given the focus on bullying in recent years, it is unbelievable that despite a government promise to involve parents in complaints procedures relating to teachers, they are still waiting, 15 years later.

Parents dissatisfied with how teachers are treating their children face a brick wall as legislation granting them a grievance process still has not been enacted 15 years after it was first draw up.

Your recent front page report on the state of Irish education in respect of international performance made very interesting comparisons.

A number of groups have come together to urge schools to re-think their uniform policy in order to help bring costs down.

“Creative solutions will have to be found” if school enrolment fees are to be outlawed, school management bodies have warned.

Schools should ban smart phones and social networks, with most adults regarding cyberbullying as a significant threat to the mental health of children.

Parents who fear their child is a bully have to get to the root of the problem instead of ignoring it or reacting with anger, writes Jackie O’Callaghan

WHEN Kildare woman Joan (not her real name) investigated her daughter’s online activity, she was shocked.

With holidays over, how do you cope with the battles about TV, bed-time and dating, asks Denise Deegan

Teachers have added their voice to concerns about the impact of bonus college entry points for higher level maths students as third-level applicants wait for offers on Monday.

Girls may have taken slightly greater advantage of the bonus points offered for Leaving Certificate maths, judging on a gender breakdown on numbers taking the higher-level exams.

Mental health experts have warned the 55,000 students awaiting Leaving Certificate results that exams are only one avenue to further education and employment.

Schools must stop forcing hard-pressed parents to pay over-the-odds prices for their children’s uniforms — some of which cost up to 15 times more than less-expensive, generic brands.

The Teaching Council of Ireland has said it will need more resources to tackle the backlog of 42,000 teachers who still have not been vetted.

IT’S time we paid more than lip service to parental choice in education.

Parents have welcomed moves to introduce powers to remove the ability of bad teachers to work.