THE waiting is over. Almost 120,000 students who've spent the last few months studying everything from Shakespeare to Stalin will today begin their Leaving and Junior Certificate exams.

SPECIAL needs and disadvantaged students are being denied proper teaching because of Government restrictions, teachers warned last night.

TWO teacher training centres which cost €2 million to refurbish in the past three years should be closed, a report has recommended.

THE leadership of the Association of Secondary Teachers Ireland is in turmoil again with the general secretary Charlie Lennon under pressure to defend his position.

TEACHERS must move forward together to achieve their objectives and put industrial unrest of the past behind them, the Association of Secondary Teachers Ireland president PJ Sheehy said last night.

PARENTS and students are to be given a louder voice in education issues under a new regime to be established by Education Minister Noel Dempsey.

SECONDARY teachers are seeking an early meeting with Education Minister Noel Dempsey to implement the supervision and substitution scheme after Friday’s vote by ASTI members to accept the latest package.

EDUCATION Minister Noel Dempsey robustly defended his €38-an-hour school supervision and substitution deal to sceptical teachers last night.

AN alarming breakdown of discipline in the country’s secondary schools is yet another worrying side effect of the growing abuse of alcohol and drugs among students.

Minister for Education Noel Dempsey is expected to respond later this morning to the decision of the ASTI last night to re-ballot its members on the supervision and substitution deal.

SCHOOLS might not be able to function if ongoing difficulties over a paid supervision scheme for teachers are not resolved, the vocational sector has warned.

TALKS will take place in Dublin today aimed at ending a teachers’ dispute over supervision duties which could affect the country’s 450 secondary schools.

The Association of Secondary Teachers of Ireland (ASTI) has voted to end two major elements of their long-running and divisive pay dispute.

THE Association of Secondary Teachers of Ireland (ASTI) have voted to end two major elements of their long-running and divisive pay dispute.

THE ASTI’s pay dispute is far from over despite weekend steps to leave hard-line tactics behind, according to leaders of the secondary teachers’ union.

The Catholic Secondary Parents Association has reported Irish people have the worst records in Europe for speaking continental languages because of the pressure to learn Irish first.

The Association of Secondary Teachers of Ireland (ASTI) says pro rata payment to teachers on the basis of their students exam results may adversely affect the Irish educational system.

THE 17,000 members of the ASTI will vote on the possible return to supervision and substitution duties in the next few weeks.

BENCHMARKING and supervision rows are set to dominate meetings of the country’s three teachers’ unions this week, days before schools reopen.

THE Government is to review the maths syllabus at all levels following the disappointing performance of this year’s Leaving Cert students in the subject.