The strong advice from education experts to exam students is to sleep and eat well over the next two weeks.

The number of Junior and Leaving Certificate students getting a waiver from exam fees because of family circumstances has jumped by more than 50% in five years to nearly 42,000.

Open days for prospective parents are being moved forward and class trips face cancellation because of the looming teachers’ industrial action at 500 second-level schools.

The importance of creating a positive spirit in schools is key to the success of new anti-bullying procedures, a parents’ leader has said.

The major overhaul of the Junior Certificate will proceed as planned despite teachers’ claims they have not been consulted, Education Minister Ruairi Quinn insisted yesterday.

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.

TEACHER unions should get down to serious talks on the Croke Park deal and end disruption in schools, a second-level principals’ leader has said.

UP to 200 teachers who are surplus to sanctioned staffing numbers in second-level schools cannot be moved elsewhere because of failure by the Department of Education and unions to agree a redeployment scheme over the last three years.

Secondary school principals have expressed serious concern about potential staff shortages caused by swine flu during the new school term.

THERE is no case law and little likelihood of cases about school uniforms or suitable hairstyles coming before the courts, an education law expert said last night.

THE student behaviour task force report must be fully implemented if Government wants to curtail the problems in classrooms, teachers warned last night.

FAMILIES are turning to charities for assistance in meeting annual costs of over €2,500 to send their children to school.

SECONDARY school teachers have overruled their union and voted to accept the Government’s supervision and substitution deal.