Qualifications frameworks are tools for describing qualifications of an education or training system by classifying them into levels. Each level provides a clear description of what the holder of a qualification knows, understands and is able to do. They are important tools for making qualifications transparent and comprehensible, within and…

'Be Media Smart' is an Irish public awareness campaign calling on people of all ages to 'Be Media Smart' and 'Stop, Think, and Check' that information they see, read or hear across any media platform is accurate and reliable. This national media literacy campaign was aimed at enhancing people's understanding of, and engagement with, media, while…

This paper introduces the Teachers' Research Exchange (T-REX), an online community of practice that is currently being deployed on a pilot basis nationwide in Ireland as a response to the "research-practice gap". The system includes collaborative, educational, and technical components. The technical aspect is the social networking and…

A national qualifications framework (NQF) is an instrument used to classify a country's qualifications at different levels. Each level is defined by a set of learning outcomes expected at that level. NQFs can be useful tools in education and training reforms and are vital reference points for lifelong learning and comparing qualifications across…

Statistical literacy is complex and multifaceted. In every country, education and numeracy are a function of a multitude of factors including culture, history, and societal norms. Nevertheless, since the launch of the International Statistical Poster Competition (ISLP) in 1994, a number of patterns have emerged to suggest there are some common or…

The Irish Department of Education and Skills (DoE) is strongly committed to energy efficiency and to reducing CO[subscript 2] by developing and implementing energy level ceilings in relation to school design that aim to remain below half of the accepted good practice in the field. This approach works within normal departmental budgetary limits to…

The evaluation of government-financed research has become increasingly important in the last few decades in terms of increasing the quality of, and payoff from, the research that is done, reducing the cost of doing it, and lending public credibility to the manner in which research is funded. But there are very large differences throughout the…

Education is compulsory for all children in Ireland from the ages of six to sixteen, or until students have completed three years of second level education. At primary level, a range of assessment approaches are recommended including teacher observation, questioning and discussion, samples of children's work, portfolios, projects, tasks and tests,…

Examines the extent to which a national policy on paid educational leave might help to overcome problems in manpower, labor, and education, using examples from four countries and comparing their positions regarding the formulation of coordinated policies and coordination with manpower, training, labor, and education policies. (Author/CT)

Examines early childhood education and care in the Republic of Ireland. Highlights the work of two leaders in the field in Ireland through transcripts of an interview and a thumbnail sketch of national schools, preschools, nursery schools, and day care nurseries. (SD)

The experience of the British and Irish coordination of social and health care suggests a categorical rather than comprehensive approach. Personnel training, resource development and planning should be undertaken on a slow, step-by-step schedule. (JAC)

Examines the role of a country with relatively little economic or political power, Ireland, in promoting justice and equality in underdeveloped nations. Describes increased development education funding for school activities and adult education programs. Calls for more direct participation in program design, increased professionalism, and expanded…

In Ireland, the delivery of career guidance is strong in the education sector but relatively weak in the labor market sector. At the same time, it appears that most initiatives related to career guidance have been developed on an ad hoc basis. This is also true for initiatives related to labor market services, trade unions, and employers. It has…

This book is the result of a cooperative project of several European countries--Belgium, Greece, Ireland, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, and the United Kingdom. Each country involved provides a chapter outlining a national project or a specific organization presents its own approach and initiatives to teacher education, with particular…