Results 1,801-1,820 of 2,735 for speaker:Marie Louise O'Donnell

Seanad: Order of Business (2 Dec 2014)

Marie Louise O'Donnell: Senator Healy Eames, this is not the issue.

Seanad: Order of Business (2 Dec 2014)

Marie Louise O'Donnell: It is to me.

Seanad: Order of Business (2 Dec 2014)

Marie Louise O'Donnell: One would not go to the Department of Education and Skills either at present.

Seanad: Order of Business (2 Dec 2014)

Marie Louise O'Donnell: It will not listen to the teachers.

Seanad: Order of Business (2 Dec 2014)

Marie Louise O'Donnell: Hear, hear.

Seanad: Order of Business (2 Dec 2014)

Marie Louise O'Donnell: I did.

Seanad: Order of Business (2 Dec 2014)

Marie Louise O'Donnell: I did. If I did not, I meant to.

Seanad: Order of Business (2 Dec 2014)

Marie Louise O'Donnell: Yes. I am sorry. I meant to move an amendment.

Seanad: Order of Business (2 Dec 2014)

Marie Louise O'Donnell: Yes. I move, "that the Minister for Education and Skills comes to the House to discuss the teachers' strike".

Seanad: Order of Business (2 Dec 2014)

Marie Louise O'Donnell: I asked the previous Minister for Education and Skills whether he thought people in the Department or teachers were the greater experts. He conceded that teachers were the greater experts, although he rightly considered himself a political expert as Minister for Education and Skills. Many myths have grown up around this strike so I will reiterate the truth about it to the Seanad today,...

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: State Examinations (19 Nov 2014)

Marie Louise O'Donnell: The teachers are going on strike, so they clearly disagree. They are not agreeing with these proposals. We have heard them before - I nearly know them off by heart. They do agree - and the Minister keeps making this point - that assessment practices must change. I know many brilliant, creative, imaginative teachers who have changed practices within schools for the benefit of young minds....

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: State Examinations (19 Nov 2014)

Marie Louise O'Donnell: The arts have been devastated in the secondary school curriculum. We gave 25 points to mathematics and we forgot about music. That is the value system we have.

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: State Examinations (19 Nov 2014)

Marie Louise O'Donnell: The Minister can talk about reform all she likes, but the fact is that the teachers are going on strike, not because they are not brilliant and creative, but because internal assessment will not work. They want external assessment of their great work, and the honesty and national standardisation that comes with that, which we all grew up with. It does not matter what the subject is, it...

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: State Examinations (19 Nov 2014)

Marie Louise O'Donnell: How?

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: State Examinations (19 Nov 2014)

Marie Louise O'Donnell: Checks on 10-15% - it is minimal.

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: State Examinations (19 Nov 2014)

Marie Louise O'Donnell: I was a senior lecturer in one of the biggest teacher-training colleges in this country for ten years. It was called Carysfort-----

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: State Examinations (19 Nov 2014)

Marie Louise O'Donnell: It taught every teacher in the country and external examination played a major part in it. This is disingenuous.

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: State Examinations (19 Nov 2014)

Marie Louise O'Donnell: We are not talking about third level, which is completely different, we are talking about young minds of middle school.

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: State Examinations (19 Nov 2014)

Marie Louise O'Donnell: That is what it is supposed to be about. The Minister believes in interaction.

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: State Examinations (19 Nov 2014)

Marie Louise O'Donnell: Good.