Students and teachers have rejected exam officials’ suggestions that time was not a problem in this year’s Junior Certificate paper in English.

Around three-quarters (72%) of parents are concerned that their child spends too much time online.

The impact of the Association of Secondary Teachers Ireland industrial action that was suspended last night had already started reaching beyond the classroom and into sporting competitions.

Sports and other activities may suffer at some second-level schools that have managed to remain open amid industrial action by teachers.

The National Association of Principals and Deputy Principals (NAPD) has renewed its call for an internet safety module to be included in the second-level curriculum after the discovery of Cork teens’ Facebook pictures on a porn website.

Attempts by Education Minister Jan O’Sullivan to try and restart talks on junior cycle reform have received a tentative welcome from teacher unions.

Craig McHugh disagrees with picketing the teachers who say going on strike is in the best interests of students

Teacher unions will keep 340,000 students at home from second-level schools next month without balloting their members on junior cycle reform plans that are significantly different to the ones they agreed to strike against.

The education reform debate is entering its fourth year and still does not seem clear cut, writes Education Correspondent Niall Murray

Teachers and students are facing a ‘curricular limbo’ due to the standoff between teaching unions and the Department of Education over Junior Cycle reforms, a group representing school principals has warned.

Transition year is a largely positive experience in which students appreciate getting a taste for different subjects and the opportunity to get work experience, research has found.

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

Long delays in filling vacancies may have added to staffing difficulties that the State Examinations Commission claim contributed to the unusually high number of mistakes in this year’s Junior and Leaving Certificate.

Students and parents’ organisations have welcomed the planned overhaul of the Junior Certificates that will move the emphasis away from the final exam.

Education Minister Ruairi Quinn plans to make all second-level schools have an elected student council as he believes too many only pay lip service to considering students’ views and ideas.

Almost 2,000 students more than last year are getting their Junior Certificate results at schools and other education centres today.

There has been a marked improvement in Leaving Certificate maths grades this year, with a record number of students sitting the higher-level papers.

Half of parents have complained to their child’s school about bullying, with experts calling for clear guidelines to help tackle what is becoming a growing problem.

The problem of students bullying teachers is another issue to be tackled in schools, according to Education Minister Ruairi Quinn.

SHORTER Leaving Certificate courses and more continuous assessment may be one suggestion from third-level bosses as a way to reduce the pressures of one-off exams facing Leaving Certificate students scrambling to score top points for college.

THE Central Applications Office (CAO) insists that the security of students’ data is not at risk following a malicious attack on its website, as tens of thousands tried to check for college offers yesterday morning.

STUDENTS are seeking an urgent move to reform the Junior and Leaving Certificate exams and how young people are tested throughout their second-level education.

THE accounting exam papers which were missing four pages for more than 200 Dublin students on Monday were printed by the State Examinations Commission (SEC) itself.

A number of Leaving Certificate students in South Dublin were given accountancy exam papers today with missing pages.

TODAY’S weather forecast might not be for Saharan temperatures but the sun is due back by the weekend and the World Cup starts on Friday – so the Junior and Leaving Certificate exams must be starting today.

SECOND-level students have urged Education Minister Batt O’Keeffe to reach agreement with teacher unions over the ban on middle-management promotions, which they claim may cause schools to grind under the pressure of being underfunded.