05.12.2014
Quality of Teachers Biggest Influence on Pupils – CICE B.Ed Graduates Hear
The quality of the teaching is the most important factor in a child’s education, the 2014 B.Ed graduates of the Church of Ireland College of Education were told yesterday (December 4).
A total of 28 students graduated yesterday. They were conferred with their degrees at a ceremony in Trinity College Dublin before attending a ceremony in the chapel of CICE and being presented with their certificates and special awards.
Speaking at the CICE ceremony, Noreen Kavanagh of the Department of Education and Skills said it was a teacher’s duty to ensure that every child received the best quality teaching.
Addressing the graduates she said: “You are entering this career at a difficult time but you have learned the principles which will stand you in very good stead as you start this journey and you will continue to learn as you go. We’ve had to cope with cutbacks and it is a changed landscape. But some of those changes are for the better”. She highlighted the National Literacy and Numeracy Programme and the Whole School Evaluation system.
Brendan O’Sullivan, former President of the Irish National Teachers Organisation, stated that the Irish education curriculum had the child at its centre. He said it focused on the child as well as the academic.
He referred to international league tables which measured academic achievement, the child’s experience of school and expenditure on education. He said that while expenditure on education in Ireland lagged behind other countries, children continued to perform well academically and were happy at school. “There is one thing that links all these and that is the quality of our teachers,” he stated.
CICE Principal, Dr Anne Lodge, praised the graduates’ achievements and said that they couldn’t have done it without the support of their families. She added that the college staff were also there for the students. She thanked each one of the graduates for what they had brought to college life and said that they were the last of the old B.Ed group.
The Carlisle and Blake Award for the student who achieves the highest mark in theory and teaching practice was presented to Samuel Ross from Drimoleague, County Cork by Ms Kavanagh.
The Vere Foster Medal for the student who achieved the highest marks in teaching practice and curriculum areas was presented to Clair Baxter from Letterkenny, County Donegal, by Mr O’Sullivan.
The Governors’ Prize for contribution to the life of the college was presented to Samuel Ross by Archbishop Michael Jackson, chairman of the board. Runner up prizes were presented to Philip Thompson from Portlaoise, County Laois and Louise Hanbidge from Stratford–on–Slaney, County Wicklow.
Photo captions –
Top: The Class of 2014 – CICE’s B.Ed graduates.
Bottom: Brendan O’Sullivan, former President of INTO; Noreen Kavanagh of the Department of Education and Skills; Archbishop Michael Jackson, Chairman of the Board of Governors of CICE; Canon Neil McEndoo, CICE Chaplain; and Dr Anne Lodge, Principal of CICE.