WANTED: Student Representatives for ETB Boards
We in the ISSU are delighted to have been asked by Minister for Education and Skills, Ruairi Quinn TD, to be one of the nominating bodies for each Education and Training Board (ETB).
We cannominate one male and one female who live in each ETB area, and the ETBs will meet before the end of July to decide which of the people nominated will be appointed to the Boards.
Postions on ETB boards are volutary but travel expenses are covered. Meetings will generally be about every 2 months, and successful nominees will sit on the boards for 5 years.
To be considered for nomination, you must meet these criteria:
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Be living in the area of the relevant ETB;
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Be over the age of 18 on July 23rd;
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Be a current or relatively recent second-level student
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Ideally, you will have had some involvement in student councils or similar initiatives
What do I need to do?
Email your name, address and a brief background note to info@issu.ie before 5pm on Tuesday the 15th of July.
Statement on the Resignation of Ruairí Quinn as Minister for Education and Skills
PRESS STATEMENT July 2nd, 2014 Irish Second-Level Students' Union Statement on the Resignation of Ruairí Quinn as Minister for Education and Skills The ISSU notes Minister Ruairí Quinn’s announcement that he will resign as Minister for Education and Skills next week. Minister Quinn pioneered mainly vital and student-focused reforms to the education system which would likely not have been introduced by others due to their controversial nature but which were hugely important in improving the quality of Irish education and for this, the ISSU is very grateful. Minister Quinn has had a strong working relationship with the ISSU for a number of years both as a Minister, and as an opposition spokesperson before this. Minister Quinn was very supportive of the importance of student voice in second-level education, and much of the progress the ISSU has made in recent years would not have been possible without his support. ISSU Deputy President, Robert O’Donnell said; “I would like to thank Minister Quinn for his service in the Department of Education and skills, including his engagement with the ISSU. He showed great interest in the second-level Student movement and gave us a lot of help and support. I wish Minister Quinn all the best in the future.” ISSU Education Officer, Joanna Siewierska said; “We have really enjoyed working with Minister Quinn during his time in the Department of Education and Skills, and particularly appreciated the opportunities provided for students to engage with the Department on a number of issues, particularly in the past year when we conducted a study on the student experience of the Transition Year. On behalf of the ISSU I would like to wish him all the best in the future.”*****************ENDS *****************
Leaving Cert Japanese
Shahed - Higher Level
At long last, the final exam! Being the only student in the whole school felt very strange, to say the least.The exam wasn't too tough. There were three comprehension questions, with questions in both English and Japanese, and plenty of grammar questions. There were also two essay questions on either your birthday or Christmas day and also about your school. These were quite nice topics, so I was happy! The listening was after the written exam and there was nothing very difficult about it.Weird to think it's all over now... It flew by! I hope you all enjoy your summer!
Please note: this post reflects the opinion of the author and not necessarily that of the Irish Second-Level Students’ Union
ISSU standing with LGBT students
The ISSU will be attending the Dublin Pride parade on June 28th. ISSU Equality Officer Alex Fogarty said; "Get behind all LGBT students in Ireland on June 28th by joining the ISSU at the Dublin LGBT Pride parade. This is a great opportunity to show solidarity with LGBT students from across Ireland."[youtube link="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ha4hFgHICDU"]For more info email campaigns@issu.ie
Junior Cert Music
Keela - Higher Level
After a bit of difficulty with the c.d player, music finally started. I found that the listening was quite easy for all sections. I liked that way that for the set work question they asked you what "Farandole" was so it gave away what the first answer was. I also found the dictation quite easy and not as hard as past dictations. The chosen song we had to answer about was from the category of Musicals and operas. I was quite happy with this as I looked over the answer for this before the exam as I didn't get it right in the mocks :) The general study was easy as you know for definite what you need to learn. I was quite happy with the exam as were other music students in my year. :)
Please note: this post reflects the opinion of the author and not necessarily that of the Irish Second-Level Students’ Unio
Leaving Cert Physics
Shahed - Higher Level
What a lovely paper! I was nervous before going into the exam but it turns out, there was no need to be. Everything that I'd studied had come up!The section A questions were lovely, especially the Joules' law question. I also did the refractive index and the speed of sound in air questions, both of which were nice, too.In section B, I found the most challenging question to be the one about Particle Physics. It's a simple topic, but the questions were a little odd. Thankfully, there's a lot of choice in the exam, so this didn't set me back. The Nuclear Physics, Mechanics, Electricity and Light questions were all straight forward. I found that I had time to do an extra question, which never happens to me in Physics, so I must have done something right!Physics has always been one of my favourite subjects, so I couldn't be happier with how it went. To anyone else who still has exams left, good luck! The end is in sight.
Please note: this post reflects the opinion of the author and not necessarily that of the Irish Second-Level Students' Union