Sex education in our schools is being overhauled — and not before time — pupils, parents, and teachers tell Joyce Fegan

Almost three quarters of secondary school students described their experience of sex education at school as “terrible” or “bad” in a survey published by the Irish Second-Level Students’ Union (ISSU).

With pre-Junior Cert exams under way or about to start, concern is growing among students that they will lose 10% of their English marks over ASTI refusal to teach the new course.

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 Irish Second-Level Students’ Union (ISSU), the national representative body for second-level students in Ireland, would like to remind everyone that it is the students who are most impacted by these strike days, through no fault of their own.

The Union of Students in Ireland expect up to 5,000 students to join their national demonstration march this Wednesday, October, 19.

Reform of the college entry system has been largely welcomed by student organisations which say the changes will ease the points race and alleviate pressures placed on Leaving Certificate students.

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

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.

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

SECOND-LEVEL students have urged policy-makers to adopt whatever changes to the Junior Certificate programme arise from an ongoing review, as more than 56,000 students collected their results.

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.