Vocational schools are to be told they must act on cyberbullying by students even if it happens outside school hours.

Education Minister Ruairi Quinn has said cuts to further education teacher numbers will not be reversed, despite the loss of course choices for thousands of students.

Government funding cuts, inability to reclaim Vat and restrictions on bulk buying force schools to rely more on parents to stay open, school managers have said.

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

The 16 bodies that replace city and county vocational education committees (VECs) must be left with enough staff to continue effective education and training, the sector’s representative body has warned.

All schools could save on running costs with the help of the purchasing power of the education and training boards (ETBs) being set up next year.

While the Leaving Certificate results can seem like the be all and end all, in reality there are so many other options for your future, according to mental health promoter HeadsUp.

Education Minister Ruairi Quinn will today announce the introduction of an 'Education Passport'.

Plans to overhaul the system of religious patronage in primary schools was broadly welcomed yesterday, with many claiming it was merely the start of a process of change.

MORE courses offered by private companies and less funding for hobby courses could form part of the overhaul of further education and training in the replacement of Fás.

ALL schools could have access to the buying power and other expertise of the education boards that will replace VECs from next year.

NO areas of education will be spared from potential cuts in the 2012 Budget, Education Minister Ruairi Quinn has warned.

THE opportunity to create a greater choice of schools for parents was lost during the boom, a Catholic education leader has claimed.

The Government moratorium on filling middle-management posts in education has brought several schools to the "verge of collapse", it was claimed today.

STUDENTS at risk of dropping out of school and low-skilled job seekers are losing out on vital supports because of unfilled vacancies, the body representing Vocational Education Committees (VECs) has claimed.

STAFFING limits have been imposed on Vocational Educational Committees (VEC) as they prepare to expand their role beyond their work in schools and further education colleges, adult education and Youthreach programmes.

THE number of VECs is to be halved under radical streamlining measures announced by the Government yesterday.

The Government has approved a revised reconfiguration of the Vocational Education Committees (VEC) system, reducing the total number of VECs from 33 to 16, it was announced today.

THE country’s vocational education committees (VECs) offer the most cost-effective and inclusive option for communities looking for a different kind of primary school, representatives claimed yesterday.

WAITING lists for some second-level schools where parents “more or less put their name on the list before going into labour” could become a thing of the past under planned legal changes to put stricter control on enrolment policies.

FUNDING for thousands of the 15,900 places on courses being provided for unemployed people was already allocated by the last government.

CORK County Vocational Education Committee (VEC) is to be asked if it paid €1.9 million for land for new schools in Carrigaline which has not been zoned to accommodate them.

SCHOOLS may open earlier than planned in January to make up for days lost because of bad weather.

THE increase in student college charges — starting with an extra €500 next year — will leave thousands without a chance of higher education and force many to emigrate, according to the Union of Students in Ireland.

Thousands of students will be forced to drop out of college and emigrate if registration fees soared to €2,000 as proposed in the four-year rescue plan, it was claimed tonight.

The introduction of a €200 registration fee for PLC courses has been described as "thin end of the wedge" by union leaders who fear it will allow the Govt to increase the charge in the coming years.

THE Teachers’ Union of Ireland (TUI) is set to enter talks on the Croke Park public service pay agreement after members have voted to lift industrial action in schools and colleges.

RECENT speculation on education cutbacks and extra student charges have caused a raft of criticism for the Government, and the Green Party in particular.

THE heads of the country’s Vocational Education Committees (VECs) have rejected the need to cut their numbers as proposed by the Government.

The number of Vocational Education Committees (VECs) is to be cut from 33 to 16 through the merger of existing VECs, it was announced today.

SUPPORT services for schools face major cuts but teaching jobs will be protected from the chop in December’s budget, Education Minister Mary Coughlan has indicated.

THE vocational education sector must be expanded to help stem the flow of emigration and prepare the country for economic upturn, a conference has been told.

PLANS to reduce the number of Vocational Education Committees (VECs) by about a third and make them more efficient will be brought to Government within three weeks by Tánaiste Mary Coughlan.

THE minds of most of this year’s school leavers will already be turning to the confirmation of college courses, a process which begins in earnest next Monday.

Some schools are being given permission to promote teachers in order to relieve the pressure being caused by retirements.

The Irish Vocational Education Association (IVEA) has said Leaving Certificate students should not consider the exams their only door to the future.

SCHOOL management bodies have been urged to draft a detailed policy document specifically addressing the growing threat of racism in Ireland’s schools.

MARY COUGHLAN’S direct Cabinet swap with Batt O’Keeffe may be seen as a demotion but her new job will not ease the Tánaiste’s political headaches.

PLANS for an overhaul of Vocational Education Committees are to be put before the Cabinet within weeks, according to Education Minister Batt O’Keeffe.

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.

MORE than one-in-four teenagers are dropping out from some second-level schools before the Leaving Certificate.

TODAY’S front-page report, showing that one in four teenagers in some second-level schools are dropping out before the Leaving Certificate, is a wake-up call for the Government.

Michael Moriarty, general secretary of the Irish Vocational Education Association (IVEA) today welcomed the intervention of the Labour Relations Commission (LRC) by its chief executive, Kieran Mulvey.

Education Minister Batt O’Keeffe was tonight accused of a humiliating u-turn after ordering a nationwide school closure only to reverse it on the first day of the shutdown.