Moira Leydon of the Association of Secondary Teachers of Ireland outlines her organisation’s perspective on what can be done to improve our education system.

The gender gap is widening when it comes to science and maths in secondary schools, with boys performing significantly better than girls in the subjects.

While on a recent visit to Tuscany, John Duggan found locals discussing Brexit over the pizza oven.

Ten years on and we still don’t know what a tracker mortgage is, despite all the financial water under the bridge, and the collapse of the banking system.

Children’s Books Ireland (CBI), the national organisation for the promotion of children’s books and reading, is deeply concerned about recent comments by the Minister for Finance regarding the desirability of iPads for every child over the age of five.

Irish teens spend more time doing homework than most of their counterparts in developed countries.

I read with interest, and some frustration at the hubris it contained, the letter (‘Teachers against the Junior Cycle’, October 23) jointly written by Phillip Irwin and Gerry Quinn (presidents of the teaching unions ASTI & TUI respectively).

The new junior cycle student award cannot be implemented in second-level schools, according to almost nine out of 10 teachers.

El City — No! was the headline in El Mundo Deportivo before the Champions League draw yesterday.

A return to top rankings in reading and maths should not lead to complacency over school reforms, Education Minister Ruairi Quinn has said.

The results in PISA 2012 science tests have been hailed as testament to the long-term returns from Ireland’s investment in teacher training and curriculum reform in the subject.

YESTERDAY’S publication of the latest report from the OECD on the performance of 15-year-old students in reading, maths, and science has some very welcome news for Ireland.

The gap between the reading skills of the country’s richest and poorest students widened during the last decade, figures reveal.

A lack of interest in reading and a carefree attitude to finishing tests are the main reasons why Irish teenagers scored badly at international level, experts believe.

The Government should continue investing more in disadvantaged schools — the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development has said.

STUDENTS from poorer backgrounds may suffer most from a budget cut that could see schools reduce guidance counselling next year, the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) will warn today.

Minister for Education and Skills Ruairi Quinn announced a new strategy to ensure that every pupil has mastered literacy and numeracy before finishing secondary school. “No child should leave school unable to read and write and use mathematics to solve problems,” the minister stated.

IRELAND has improved its grade when it comes to students’ ability to read computer-based text — but the level is behind that of a decade ago.

Irish students have scored eighth out of 19 countries participating in a new OECD study on digital literacy.

SUCCESS in tackling early school-leaving may be a factor in Ireland’s recent drop in average reading and maths standards.

Catania have confirmed the appointment of former Argentina midfielder Diego Simeone as their new coach.

IRELAND’s ambitions to be seen as a smart economy have suffered a serious setback as the reading skills of teenagers here have fallen more than in any other developed country in the last decade.

Italy 3 Northern Ireland 0

ITALY coach Marcelo Lippi will give young Inter Milan defender Davide Santon his senior international debut against Northern Ireland tonight after admitting to being impressed with him in training.

Northern Ireland supporters’ chief Gary McAllister believes fans in Pisa for the friendly with Italy tomorrow will have a safe and enjoyable experience.

EARLY ON in our interview at a Dublin hotel, Marco Tardelli offers an apology.

IRISH teenagers are among the world’s best readers, but are only just above average in science and average at maths, according to the latest international research.

Irish business group IBEC has today expressed serious concern at the figures released by the OECD in its PISA (Programme for International Student Assessment) report.

IRISH teenagers are performing above average on science tests, but may need to improve if the country is to avoid losing hi-tech jobs, international research suggests.

ITALY midfielder Daniele De Rossi scored a second-half penalty as Roma beat Internazionale to win the Supercoppa at the San Siro last night.

FAILURE to highlight practical applications of maths in class could be hindering the performance of Irish teenagers in international tests, according to a study published this week.

ONE in 10 15-year-olds in Ireland struggles to complete basic reading tasks, a report has shown.

CHILDREN from poor families are no more likely to miss school regularly than other children.

THE reading skills of young Irish people is improving, a research document has found.

ALMOST one-in-five Irish second-level students miss school or classes regularly, according to an international report published yesterday.

IN THE Irish Examiner of July 2, doubt was cast on the results of the OECD Programme for International Assessment (PISA) in which Irish 15-year-olds ranked fifth of 27 OECD countries in a test of reading literacy in 2000.

IRISH teenagers are among the best at reading in the developed world, according to an international survey.