TEACHERS must be given more time for planning and other activities outside the classroom if schools are to improve their service to students, a school managers’ leader said yesterday.

SOME of the teething problems encountered with the running of schools that have been built under Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) have been highlighted in a Department of Education inspection report.

FIANNA FÁIL members of a committee asking the Government to review its policy on the release of school exam results insist they support Education Minister Mary Hanafin’s firm opposition to school league tables, despite an apparent split from the party line.

The publication of the first set of school inspection reports is an important step in providing real information on the quality of the learning environment, it was claimed today.

PARENTS have welcomed the publication of school inspection reports for the first time, but said a wider package of information to allow them compare schools should also be available.

THE direction of the primary teachers’ dispute over Department of Education plans to publish school inspection reports will be decided after a crucial meeting on the matter today.

THE Irish National Teachers Organisation (INTO) is to continue discussions this morning on how to implement the decision of its annual congress last month not to co-operate with school inspections.

THE Irish National Teachers’ Organisation (INTO) is considering balloting members over a decision, taken last month at its annual congress, not to cooperate with school inspectors.

SECOND-LEVEL teachers have backed their primary counterparts in opposing the publication of school inspection reports, but stopped short of backing their plans to ban co-operation with Department of Education inspectors.

PRIMARY teachers risk losing pay increases after voting to ban cooperation with school inspectors in protest at Education Minister Mary Hanafin’s decision to publish their reports.

Schools will be granted 20 days to formally respond to the new whole-school evaluation reports before their publication on the internet, it was confirmed today.

PARENTS should have more information about local schools and greater help deciding where to enrol their children when school inspection reports are published for the first time.

PARENTS will soon be able to compare schools and assess everything from the quality of teaching to the standard of extra-curricular activities available.

TEENAGERS have been paid to attend a second level school in Kilkenny, an independent inquiry has found.

The snooker world looks set to be hit by yet another major political row in the wake of this week’s decision by the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association to axe the game’s commercial arm, World Snooker Enterprises.

Snooker has been plunged into a new crisis after the game’s commercial management arm, World Snooker Enterprises, had their contract terminated by the game’s governing body.