We need your help now
Support from readers like you keeps The Journal open.
You are visiting us because we have something you value. Independent, unbiased news that tells the truth. Advertising revenue goes some way to support our mission, but this year it has not been enough.
If you've seen value in our reporting, please contribute what you can, so we can continue to produce accurate and meaningful journalism. For everyone who needs it.
Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
By continuing, you are indicating that you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
STUDENTS HAVE GIVEN their input on the new reformed Junior Cycle, and their thoughts have been welcomed by Ruairi Quinn, TD, Minister for Education and Skills.
Today he thanked the Irish Second Level Student’s Union for their report, “Naming the Reformed Junior Cycle”.
Commenting on the report, the Minister said:
I warmly welcome the effort that has been committed to this project by the ISSU. Their use of text messaging, social media, email and consultation sessions to engage students on the topic has set an excellent example for creating dialogue with the students themselves.
The report is being published on the Department’s website www.education.ie, and is being forwarded to education stakeholders for further discussion.
Last month, Minister Quinn approved measures which will see the current Junior Certificate exam system replaced by a new system.
This new system was proposed by the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA), which had criticised the focus on passing exams during students’ third year of secondary school.
In the report, the union said that they used a wide variety of methods to engage with students, including Facebook, Twitter, email and consultation sessions.
They also circulated posters to all schools and contacted certain schools by phone.
They discussed with the students about what the new junior cycle would be, and then the students gave feedback on the NCCA framework document. The union said there was a “big response” from students, particularly via text messaging.
Feedback included the following points:
One participant in the consultation stated “I think it will prepare students for life after the exams, instead of just for the exams”
In welcoming the report, Minister Quinn said:
Young people are uniquely placed to take the lead in redesigning their learning. It is precisely this engagement and enthusiasm for self directed learning which we are trying to promote in the reforms, developing important skills which will serve throughout life.
The report can be accessed here.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
Good stuff. Hopefully they have decent data plans. I can’t get broadband where I live so I always end up going over my usage limit and being charged a bomb by meteor.
Unlimited 4G with 3? If it’s available in your area has been brilliant.
Are you working for Three? As per a previous post, I refute outright your assessment of Three’s 3G & 4G services. I have found it absolutely pathetic and works only in certain Dublin City Centre locations… In the last post, Others indicated they have a similar experience to mine.
The 3G service was just about working until they opened up 4G and since then, I have not had 3G in my own home….Advice given by the Customer disservice (based in a land far, far away)… Turn on Data Roaming… effect- zilch…
Unlimited you say.. LOL so how much data is that then?
3 also dont offer an unlimited package on mobile broadband. Then they’ll charge you 35quid for going 700mbs over the 60Gb limit. We’ve fought with them for months over this and only end up going round in circles getting vague unclear answers.
‘Unlimited’ has a ‘fair allowence’ limit of 7.5gb for 30 days and if you go over this you’re charged loads. I avoided looking at YouTube videos last month to save my data and I still went over.
Similar situation myself. Have you tried wimax? 19 euro a month and I was surprised how good it is. Streaming and downloading is no problem.
Similar situation. Have you tried wimax? 19 l
unlimited – not limited or restricted in terms of number, quantity, or extent. They really should not be allowed to advertise like this. How the advertising standard let them away with this is just a joke.
Had 3 up till last week data plan is good but coverage for 3G and 4g is not great sometimes even edge is bad. Changed to meteor plans not as good more expensive but coverage seems better.
Can anyone recommend any decent plans? Moving to a rural place in two weeks and don’t have a clue what we’re going to do. I know that three do unlimited data with their phone plans. Anyone know if it’s good a enough to run the hotspot off for the laptop?!
Feeling the withdrawals already!!
Cool. Thanks Bryan, I’ll look into that.
Unlimited has a fair usage policy of 2000GB, not 7.5GB.
With meteor PAYG its 7.5gb.
http://www.meteor.ie/pay-as-you-go/simply-unlimited/
That’s Meteor for you, I was talking about 3.
And I suppose you know that 3 throttle their bandwidth so you’ll get no where near to using that .
There is no unlimited 3g or 4g option they all have fair usage caps
Wow – no I don’t work them – must just be a better service in Waterford. 20Mb/s upload and apx 10Mb/s upload. 20e per month PAYG and I have always had Unlimited. Never once had a fair usage policy issue. And I might do 20GB per month.
I’m with 3 too, on the unlimited policy, great service. On 14 GB so far this month and I’ve never experienced any throttling.
I’ve been using three for few years now on different phones… Works great even in rural Mayo!
If enough people complain they may take notice and do something. Let’s do it. It really is annoying and wouldn’t be tolerated in any other advertising.
Sorry to say three network is useless. No coverage most places i went outside dublin and some parts of dublin bad too.
If you’ve an android, check out KillBiller. It compares all the plans based on your calls. (disclaimer: I helped make it!)
Will their customer service centre be based in Ireland? If so, I’ll consider changing. But if it’s based in India….not a chance!
It’s still based out there… Three are not one bit cheap anymore and their service is frustrating to say the least.
Three have said that they are shifting their call centre back to Ireland – I guess it will be when they have finished merging the o2 network with their own. Probably the o2 call centre in Limerick
Article makes no mention of UPC’s MVNO launching next year on the Three network too!
I bet they come out with a slogan like “Ireland’s fastest growing network “
Can it be as cheap as Tescomobile
Probably, but hopefully it can be better
That Killbiller app will tell you the answer to that. I’m curious myself!
Thats very good but any of the new networks cannot match the long established networks I have one in mind I will skip name
I assume people are aware they won’t be building their own network?
There is a three network, O2, Vodafone and Meteor. Everyone else leases capacity and some of the networks have shared sites.
Still competition is good.
Get a sim free phone in the UK and then use a prepaid three simcard.
Carphone Warehouse? So they piggyback on someone else’s network and provide you with their own appalling customer service.
A family member had a broken phone bought from Carphone Warehouse. Back to them twice, sent away for repair, still didn’t work. They insisted they would still need to send it away a third time to be repaired. I pointed out the Sale of Goods & Supply of Services Act meant they had to replace the item as it was faulty. Manager in shop refused, put me on to a (UK based!) “customer services manager” who said it didn’t matter about the Act, they had their own policy…
Will never buy anything from these chancers, especially if there’s a contract involved, meaning I’m stuck with them!
UTV Ireland mobile?
I was involved in some of the market research for this, obviously I’m sworn to secrecy but what they are proposing is very different to what other mobile networks offer, particularly with respect to tariff flexibility. I’ll probably defect from Three.
All so next year upc have joined with 3 Ireland to bring mobile to Ireland
This is really awesome. Full of knowledge and latest information about sms software Nimble Messages
have your say