As a long-time opponent of monarchy in all its forms, I was surprised to discover that it was the wise words of a princess that forced me to be a better parent. Catherine, the princess of Wales, co-wrote an essay a number of months ago in which she lamented the role of screens in creating … Read more
Watching the coverage of the Oscars red carpet last Sunday night, I was struck over and over by the same thought. “Celebrities! Stop hugging and getting your heads so close together! Don’t you know that’s how the nits spread?” I don’t even have children, but a number of my friends who are parents have been … Read more
A teacher who was convicted of stealing a substantial sum of money from a Munster primary school where he was principal had been in the grip of an “all-consuming” addiction, a Teaching Council inquiry has heard. The inquiry was told that the teacher does not have a smartphone or a bank card and that all … Read more
It’s competition day at Scoil Mhuire in Shankill, Co Dublin. Young competitors line up, their eyes locked in fierce concentration. Decked out in their school team jerseys, they size up their opponents, knowing one wrong step could change everything. But there are no goals, no tackles and no final whistle – just the quiet tap … Read more
About one in 20 schoolchildren are being diagnosed with autism, a threefold increase in less than a decade, Department of Education figures show. The growing incidence is placing strain on the education system as authorities scramble to find appropriate school places for children with additional needs. Dozens of parents protested earlier this month outside the … Read more
At three-and-a-half years old, Shanshan’s daughter is more than two years away from starting primary school, which begins in China at the age of six. But she has already spent two years at an early education centre in an effort to give her a head start in foreign languages before she goes to school. “She … Read more
Many parents support a ban on smartphones in schools on the basis that it could restrict young people’s access to social media until they are old enough to navigate it safely, according to dozens of messages sent to the Department of Education. Phones have been banned in schools since the start of the school year, … Read more