Claims that teachers will come under pressure to mark their students favourably in exams replacing the Junior Certificate have been dismissed by a parents’ leader.

Parents are being pressured into giving schools hundreds of euro in “voluntary” contributions because the Government is failing to give the facilities the money they need to survive.

Parents trust teachers enough to mark their own students in the planned new-style Junior Certificate, a second-level parents’ leader has said.

Secondary teachers are being told there is no room for manoeuvre on the Haddington Road agreement.

STUDENTS who can afford grinds and other supports will have an unfair advantage at the Leaving Certificate until changes are made to how school-leavers are assessed, college leaders have said.

IRISH boxing’s High Performance Programme suffered a huge blow yesterday when Jim Moore, Head Youth and Junior Coach, resigned.

IRISH boxer Ryan Burnett threw down the gauntlet for London 2012 when he claimed the gold medal in the light flyweight division at the World Youth Olympics in Singapore yesterday.

FINBARR KIRWAN, High Performance Director with the Irish Sports Council (ISC), praised not only the achievement of the Irish boxers at the European championships in Moscow but their commitment, the preparations and the team that masterminded the record medal haul.

THE row between the IABA and the Irish Sports Council over the withdrawal of funding for the Irish boxing’s new Chief Executive Officer and Director of High Performance rages on.

THE head of the group representing second-level parents has urged teacher unions to end industrial action which is deepening a management crisis in schools.

IRISH boxing sensations Joe Ward and Ryan Burnett are just three rounds away from winning double gold in today’s AIBA World Youth Championships finals in Baku, Azerbaijan.

BILLY WALSH, the face of Irish boxing in recent years, was yesterday considering his future as Head Coach after failing to nail down the position of Director of High Performance.

SCHOOLS could be allowed fill some management vacancies by Easter to reduce what they call the crippling effect of a Government promotion ban, according to Education Minister Batt O’Keeffe.

A PARENTS’ leader has said unions representing teachers should remain in talks instead of closing down schools in the proposed public service strike next month.

PARENTS have warned Leaving Certificate students could be left with just days to change their college course applications if Education Minister Batt O’Keeffe announces the reintroduction of third level fees next month.

EXPECT more boxing medals from major championships over the coming years if not weeks was the message for the former head of the IABA’s High Performance Unit, Gary Keegan, yesterday.

FOUR Irish boxers will today battle it out for places in the finals at the world youths championships in Guadalajara, Mexico, after another sensational day for Irish boxing.

THE cold and rain failed to deter about 12,000 people from voicing their anger over education cutbacks outside Leinster House last night.

EDUCATION costs for a family with three children — two at secondary school and one starting college — will jump by more than €3,000 next year as a result of the budget cutbacks.

DAVID OLIVER JOYCE claimed the featherweight berth on the Irish team for next month’s European Boxing Championships when outpointing Carl Frampton in a box-off at the Central Council Tournament in the National Stadium at the weekend.

Beijing-bound John Joe Nevin believes that the Irish junior squad have the talent to do a Round Robin double at the National Stadium in Dublin this weekend.

Irish boxers claimed one silver and three bronze medals at the Junior Multi Nations in Baku Azerbaijan.

IRISH boxing officials remain confident that at least one more fighter will secure a spot at this summer’s Olympic Games when they contest the final qualifier for European boxers in Athens next month.

THE Irish boxers at the World Championships in Chicago have all been issued with new iPods and will be able to watch some of their best performances to the background of their favourite music as part of their preparations.

SCHOOLS need more resources to prevent behaviour problems getting to the stage where pupils have to be suspended or expelled, a parents’ leader has claimed.

The Irish Amateur Boxing Association (IABA) were celebrating today after winning four gold and one silver medal and the boxer of the tournament award at the Danas Pozniakis Junior Multi Nations finals in Lithuania.

A six-man Irish squad depart from Dublin today for the Danas Pozniakas Junior Multi Nations boxing tournament in Lithuania.

IRELAND’S great rock legend Phil Lynott became a “grout” rock legend yesterday.

ALL-IRELAND champions Kerry will begin the defence of their National League title without four leading attackers, including captain, Declan O’Sullivan, who undergoes an operation next week to repair cartilage damage to his knee.

SCHOOLS should have security facilities for the protection of pupils in the light of the murder of Robert Holohan, a local principal said yesterday.

WINNING an Adidas Belt at the Box Cup Tournament in Hamburg may not have compensated James Moore for the loss of his national senior crown but the performance, coupled with the defeat of his conqueror, Henry Coyle, in Helsinki over the weekend, has re-ignited his hopes of Olympic qualification.

A major row has erupted in Dunfanaghy, Co Donegal over claims that Northern Ireland Protestants have seized control of a seaside town.

Irish team captain Jim Moore made sure of at least a bronze medal at the World Amateur Boxing Championships, when he squeezed into the welterweight semi-finals on the countback system.

Welshman Kevin Evans is aiming to repeat his performance of 1999 by securing at least a bronze medal at the World Amateur Boxing championships in Belfast today.

Irishman Michael Kelly comfortably outpointed Algerian Allahou Mohamed 17-7 to set up an intriguing light-welterweight clash with Danny Happe at the World Amateur Boxing championships in Belfast.

Day Two of the World Amateur Boxing Championships at Belfast's Odyssey Arena emerged as a relatively successful on for the Irish.