Results 841-860 of 891 for speaker:John Minihan
- Seanad: Order of Business (22 Feb 2007)
John Minihan: The Senator cannot say that.
- Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed) (22 Feb 2007)
John Minihan: That is absolute rubbish.
- Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed) (22 Feb 2007)
John Minihan: Where was the Senator during yesterday's debate on health?
- Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed) (22 Feb 2007)
John Minihan: Where was the Senator during yesterday's debate on health? He is rabbiting onââ
- Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed) (22 Feb 2007)
John Minihan: That is no bad thing.
- Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed) (22 Feb 2007)
John Minihan: What did Senator Bannon say?
- Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed) (22 Feb 2007)
John Minihan: That is outrageous.
- Seanad: Learning to Teach Report: Statements. (27 Feb 2007)
John Minihan: I join with previous speakers in welcoming the Minister to the House. There is a lot of sensitivity flying around this evening. I will declare an interest. I am not a teacher. However, I am a parentââ
- Seanad: Learning to Teach Report: Statements. (27 Feb 2007)
John Minihan: ââand I was a student. I taught in my other profession. Legitimate concerns were raised in some of what I heard this evening. However, in all walks of life assessment which allows one to build on one's strengths and work on one's weaknesses must be welcomed. We can talk about semantics, we can change methodology and we can reduce from 76% to 72% and up 34% but we will not get away...
- Seanad: Learning to Teach Report: Statements. (27 Feb 2007)
John Minihan: However, it does not get away from the basic findings of this report. I, as a non-teacher but as a parent and a teacher, have seen fantastic teachers and horrific teachers.
- Seanad: Learning to Teach Report: Statements. (27 Feb 2007)
John Minihan: The bottom line is that we have a problem and the Minister, her Department and officials must put forward proposals to deal with it. In-house reports and under the table reports seen by selective vested interest groups achieve very little. It is only when they come out in the public domain that we get real action and I congratulate the Minister on that.
- Seanad: Learning to Teach Report: Statements. (27 Feb 2007)
John Minihan: I am giving my opinion and Senators Ulick Burke and O'Toole do not have to agree with it. I certainly know Senator Ulick Burke will not agree with it but that is regardless. During the past ten or 15 years, the educational system has seen major challenges and changes. We all acknowledge that. We had social changes which affect every family in the country. We have multiculturalism,...
- Seanad: Learning to Teach Report: Statements. (27 Feb 2007)
John Minihan: We must look at the balance, particularly in training colleges, and ensure that academia is not the be-all and end-all. I would prefer somebody who is not as well-qualified academically but is far better in communicating the skills at a lower level to the students. The teaching profession must question and face up to how in the past teachers who did not perform were protected. Teachers...
- Seanad: Learning to Teach Report: Statements. (27 Feb 2007)
John Minihan: Yes. However, we discuss other professions often enough. This evening we will talk about the teaching profession. If weak teachers are being carried, we must look at them not only at student level but we must have ongoing assessment throughout their careers.
- Seanad: Learning to Teach Report: Statements. (27 Feb 2007)
John Minihan: Regarding the findings of the report, one of the issues mentioned is that of class sizes. It is fair to ask the Minister what was the size of the class on which the students were assessed. On the general principle of class size I wish to make a number of points. The average class size in 1996-97 was 27. It is now 24. The pupil-teacher ratio in 1996-97 was 22. It is now 17. The...
- Seanad: Learning to Teach Report: Statements. (27 Feb 2007)
John Minihan: The inspectorate may have something to learn from it. We should not be dismissive of a report we can learn from just because people are getting hyper-sensitive. I firmly believe the area of teacher training must have a greater emphasis, in the modern society in which we live, on how teaching skills are communicated and knowledge is imparted rather than academia. I would like to see some...
- Seanad: Order of Business (28 Feb 2007)
John Minihan: Is the Senator saying we should only appoint card-carrying members of Fine Gael?
- Seanad: Order of Business (28 Feb 2007)
John Minihan: Fine Gael members only for State boards. One must be a member of Fine Gael.
- Seanad: Order of Business (28 Feb 2007)
John Minihan: Qualification No. 1 is that one be a member of Fine Gael.
- Seanad: Order of Business (28 Feb 2007)
John Minihan: At least we did not write letters asking that individuals be appointed to visiting committees for prisons far from their homes.