Dates for Stand Up! 2013 Announced

 On behalf of BeLonGTo, we're pleased to be letting you know about the new dates for Stand Up! Awareness Week in 2013: 11th - 15th March. Stand Up! tackles homophobic bullying by encouraging all young people to support their lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) friends. More and more organisations are joining our work to tackle homophobic and transphobic bullying. We are really honoured that Stand Up! has been endorsed by many education partners, including the ASTI, TUI, NAPD, IGC, JMB, LOOK, ISSU and IVEA! Look out for the Stand Up Educational Packs which will be posted to all schools.  Full details are available here.

Irish Second-Level Students' Union Welcomes Pilot Admissions Programme in Trinity College

 The Irish Second-Level Students’ Union (ISSU) welcomes today’s announcement that Trinity College Dublin will be piloting a new admissions scheme where 25 places across Law (10), History (10) and Ancient & Medieval History and Culture (5) will be reserved for students via a different entry route than the existing points scheme. Applicants seeking to enter into a course of study through the new route will be ranked according to a combination of their Leaving Certificate results, their Relative Performance Rank, and personal and contextual data provided via supplementary materials submitted by the applicant.  Students can still apply for the remainder of places in these courses through the traditional points system, and opt whether or not to apply through the new entry route.  The first students in this study will begin in Trinity in 2014, and the pilot will run for at least two years. ISSU President, Dylan Grace said; ‘The Irish Second Level Students’ Union fully supports the new feasibility study on college admissions about to be carried out by Trinity College. To me, it is quite clear that this has the potential to deliver more fairness than the current CAO system. In a society where students can contribute in many ways and display great talent in various ways, it is unjust that a student’s test scores from one exam should ultimately be the decider of their future. Although Leaving Cert points are still a significant factor, but so is how they perform compared to other applicants in their school – something which will hopefully give something of an advantage back to students from disadvantaged backgrounds, and recognise when they perform well compared to their peers.’ Brendan Power, ISSU Education Officer echoed this, ‘The traditional points system is not reflective of the student as a whole person, and we welcome the possibility that college entry will be based on a number of different aspects, instead of just one set of exam results.’ For further information on: www.tcd.ie/undergraduate-studies

Get Involved with Safer Internet Day

An online campaign targeting bystanders who observe instances of online bullying is being planned, and on a new website which is yet to be launched,  we hope to include short video messages from young people. We are looking for young people to submit their own 30-40 second video, or to volunteer for a video recording which may be arranged.  These videos will discus the bystander role/positive messages/offering support etc. If you are interested in participating please email mark@issu.ie

Main Budget 2013 points which affect second-level students

Below is a brief summary of the main points of the 2013 Budget as they affect second-level students.

 There will be a 2 point increase in the pupil teacher ratio in fee charging second level schools will be introduced in September 2013. €500,000 will be specifically allocated to tackling bullying in schools. The Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance has been reduced from €150 to €100 for primary school children and from €250 to €200 for secondary and third level students below the age of 22 for eligible recipients. The Pupil Teacher Ratio (PTR) in Post Leaving Certificate (PLC) programmes is to be equalised with the PTR in mainstream second level schools, changing from 17:1 at present to 19:1. The introduction of the new Junior Cycle will be supported by an investment of €3 million in 2013, and €8.7 million in 2014. Child benefit payments will be reduced by €10 per month. At third level, the student contribution will rise by €250 in 2013 to €2,500 and by €250 for the following two years to €3,000 in 2015.  There will also be a 3% reduction in the income threshold for entitlement to student grants.  Disclaimer: This page is intended to give a brief outline of some of the measures of the 2013 Budget, of which full details are available here.

BT Young Scientists Generation Information

Ever notice how much information we're bombarded with every two minutes? These days we don't have to look far for the info we want, sports results, global news and celeb scandals are available at our fingertips with the touch of a button. We are Generation Information, probably the most informed teens the world has ever seen! And not surprisingly armed with all of this info, we have a few opinions! After the results of a survey on over 200 students showed that 70% of us feel adults do not value our opinions, the BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition is giving us a platform and a chance to communicate these opinions, after all, it's good to talk. Eight members of 'Generation Information' have been handed a camera with no script or direction, the only rule is that we speak our mind on issues that affect us every day! Take a look at our videos, do you agree with our views? The 2013 BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition will take place in the RDS (Royal Dublin Society), Dublin from January 9th -- 12th.  For more information on the exhibition visit www.btyoungscientist.com or connect on Facebook or Twitter. Alternatively, you can call 1800 924 362 (ROI) or 0800 917 1297 (from NI).1. Recession: this video was made by Josh O’Connell from Killian's College, Bray.[youtube id='MLx4mnFoFuk' width='980' height='540']2. Educational Preparation: this was made by Daniel Hobbs from Maynooth Post primary and asks students do they feel the education system has adequately prepared them for life after school.[youtube id='z3NHYcvCKRo' width='980' height='540']3. The Effects of Reality TV: this was made by Ciara Judge from Kinsale Community College.[youtube id='zGAmOwA5G_U' width='980' height='540'] 4. Daniel Hobbs - Social Preparation[youtube id='mNcmnvZQYNE' width='980' height='540'] 5. Michael Upton - Rural Living[youtube id='i_XFPncDetI' width='980' height='540'] 6. Daniel Nelson - Can Sport Help to Keep a Healthy Balance[youtube id='cWPTUAMSnVg' width='980' height='540']

School League Tables 2012

Following communications from a number of schools and individual students that there appear to have been a large number of inaccuracies in the "School League Tables" (which were widely published in the National Media this week), we are encouraging students and parents who read these tables to take them with a large pinch of salt. Even when accurate, school league tables only focus on one specific aspect of the student experience, and do not in any way fully reflect the development and many other achievements made throughout the school experience thanks to the hard word of students, parents and teachers alike, and we discourage anyone from using them as a significant measure of school performance.