Our students and their wellbeing will always be the central focus of any new educational change or reform. And rightly so. But does that mean that our wellbeing as teachers needs to be compromised? Taken advantage of? Or worse, not even considered with regard to the monumental task of creating your own curriculum/schemes/units of learning etc. The extra workload demand put on teachers over the past number of years has been catastrophic and unfortunately there is no end in sight. Once very dedicated, passionate, enthusiastic teachers are now becoming overworked, stressed, burn out and in some cases looking for an alternative career path because the current one in unsustainable and hindering every aspect of our lives. No job or vocation should impact every single aspect of your life to the extent teaching is currently. What we are paid to do is quickly becoming the last thing we actually get to do due to the extra administrative tasks/planning etc. we have to create. Our voices, our professional opinions/comments/suggestions need to be heard. We are the front line of this new educational reform. Yet we have not been sufficiently prepared for this monumental change. Whilst trying to get to grips with the new system, create new plans/schemes/Units of Learning/top notch active learning resources and practice and continue all the other roles and responsibilities we have as teachers. We also need to actively teach this brand new plan that we are desperately still trying to figure out ourselves? Surely this is madness. I matter. You matter. We matter. Please sign so that our voice is heard.

This is important because every student deserves to achive their maximum results based on what they have learned instead of how fast they can write.

We live in a culture where sexual assault can be dismissed as a joke, where a woman's choice of underwear can be used as a defence in a rape trial, where women do not feel safe in their own home, their school, workplace or community. Change will come from the ground up - from people speaking out and supporting each other and when our institutions and leaders take action to respond to the demand for change.

We would like a safe place for the children, staff and parents to cross the road to the school premises. Ideally, we would like a traffic warden/lollipop man/lady, a zebra crossing, ramps to slow oncoming traffic - especially from the roundabout and a pedestrian lights to help all members of the school community cross the road safely. We would like 'School Ahead' signs put up to warn drivers to excise caution. We would like these located in front of the school where we currently have zig zag lines, as we do not want children to be crossing the road between cars.Currently we have 167 pupils in our Junior School plus 19 children who attend Montessori on our premises. We have 21 members of full time staff and parents who also may cross the road to come to school.

It is important that we all have an understanding of our past. Without this it is difficult to analyse and gain perspective on the events of today. History offers us an important way to learn and hear the stories of the people and events that have shaped Ireland and the world today. Young people growing up today need to be able to relate to what has happened in the past in order to make sense of how our society works.

Educational researchers agree that our current mainstream school system does not align with meeting the needs of children. We can no longer judge children's abilities in standardized testing, which ignores their creativity as well as talents and often makes them feel isolated, stupid and worthless. Especially children with additional needs are not nourished in the long outdated school system. In most European countries progressive schools such as Montessori, Sudbury, Homeschools and Waldorf Schools have long been a welcoming space for children to flourish, to gain self confidence and to become independent and happy citizens. Unfortunately these schools in Ireland depend fully on fundraising and fees alone because they do not receive a single cent from the Irish government. Teachers often partially work for free, because they believe in the significance of these educational establishments, and more importantly in the children's right to self-direct their learning, no matter of their financial background. It is time to allow parents and children to choose how their personalities will develop healthily, without a religious indoctrination, by letting them learn in an alternative non-denominational school. Please add your name to this petition to collectively ask our new Minister for Education, Joe McHugh, to spread the allocated funds for education more fairly by including alternative schools such as Montessori, Sudbury or Steiner, as well as homeschooling in the state funding, so that no child has to pay fees in order to grow there. With good hopes for the future, Carolin, a former teacher

Dublin City Council are set to bulldoze the Weaver Square Community Garden & Family Allotments from 31st December 2018. This is a serious concern for ALL residents of Dublin 8: 1. Dublin 8 is being subjected to an onslaught of short-term, high-density property development (Hotels, student accommodation) at the expense of the existing community. Over 2000 such units have been constructed in 2018 in this district alone. 2. Dublin 8, a high-density urban community, has the lowest amount of green space per m2 in Dublin. Now it will have even less! 3. This is the latest Dublin 8 community resource lost to property development in 12 months. We have already lost Dublin Food Co-Op, Green Door Market & Flea Markets. There is also uncertainty over the future of Meath St, Liberty Market, St Theresas & now Players Wills site developments. 4. DCC are reneging on written commitments to keep the Weaver Square community garden/allotments. 5. There are alternative vacant DCC sites that could be used for development without destroying this valuable Green Space. 6. Over 300 people benefit directly from the community garden & allotments on a weekly basis. These social, health, environmental & educational benefits will stop on 31st December. The garden & allotments are used by schools, pensioners, community groups & families.

There are children without a school placement option if this SNU does not open in the new school year. There is a large community of families with children with autism who will need this in the future. We have waited long enough. This was sanctioned in 2015.

Limerick is a city without nuclear weapons, with no plans to stockpile them. This campaign demands the rest of the world follows suit. In a world where armies are growing, and we come ever closer to war, the 2017 Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons must be brought into law. Ireland is one of the only countries in the Western World to sign the Treaty, as powerful people with money-driven agendas want to stop it from happening. However, Ireland has not yet ratified the Treaty, which would bring it into law. The United Nations & ICAN is calling on towns and cities across the world to raise their voices in support of humanity. Let's bring the movement to Limerick, and let the world know who we are. Let's ensure our children have a future. Let's make Limerick a Nuclear Free City. #icansavemycity Email me for further information: mfitz20013@gmail.com The International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) is the 2017 recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize.

Think back to your own childhood and ask yourself where was your favourite place to play? Was it outdoors? What did that play look like? Did it make you feel alive, free? The UK have begun to take radical steps to tackle exaggerated personal injury claims and insurance fraud. In April, 2018, Journal article wrote ‘the UK's justice secretary David Gauke, declared his intention to bring in legislation governing civil liabilities through the House of Lords. The bill will seek to place caps on the compensation payable for soft tissue injuries sustained in driving collisions.’ So what are personal injury claim’s like in Ireland? The April article above also quoted ‘The average settlement for a whiplash injury in the UK is in the region of €7,000 (£5,000 sterling). In Ireland? It’s about three times that figure (between €15,000 and €18,000).’ On 26 Jan, 2018, an Irish Times article reported ‘the average cost of a minor ankle injury in Ireland is €54,700, compared to €12,554 in the UK.’ On 2nd October, 2018, Irish Times wrote of a young girl who injured her lower lip in a creche 13 years ago, being awarded €30,000 damages in the Circuit Civil Court, a minor injury she received on a tricycle. We understand tragic things happen and we need to keep our children safe. But we need a counter balance now. We need to safe guard childrens health and well-being in play. We need the Minister to take radical steps to change the culture of claims for cash in Ireland today that has become so vigorous and has schools, childcare services and parks in constant fear of litigation. I call on the Minister for Equality and Justice to strike while the iron is hot and act immediately to follow the UK example and set caps on personal injury claims in Ireland now. As personal injury claims go, Ireland is almost at top of the scale. As a result of the Irish culture of litigation, there is a growing culture of fear easing into every part of the modern Irish life and it is hurting those we care for most, our children. Children's fundamental rights and freedoms in play are slowly being eroded. Play on the streets, in parks and on school playgrounds looks very different today than in the past. How does all of these exaggerated personal injury claims affect children's play? Schools, childcare services and public parks are all in fear of being sued. Bans on children running at play in school yards. ‘No ball games’ signs posted in public parks across Ireland. Stories of lower branches being cut off trees to stop children climbing them. With rising obesity levels and mental health issues for children and young people, where does it all end Minster? In May 2018, Irish Independent quoted David Duffy, an education and research officer with the Teachers’ Union of Ireland (TUI) stating ‘many schools are concerned about a litigious culture in Irish society. He stated “Logical but regrettable responses to that litigious culture include schools being so concerned about accidents in the school yard that some have instigated limitations on students’ physical activities such as running in the school yard” Enough is enough. We need decisive action now Minster and we need a proper debate on legislative measures to safe guard play opportunities for all Irish children. Support our schools, childcare centres and public parks committees who are so afraid of being sued they have to ban running in play in schools and post 'no ball games' in parks. Cap personal injury awards to tackle exaggerated insurance claims and fraud in Ireland while ensuring childrens right to experience freedom in play is preserved. I'd like to ask the Minister personally to think back to his own childhood and ask himself where was his favourite place to play? Was it outdoors? What did that play look like? Did it make him feel alive and free? Please sign and support this petition today and share as much as you can. Thank you

Several Children and parents were let down yesterday when they received their letters from the local Secondary School, over hundred on the waiting list. The situation already looks grim for over hundred families and since Rush and Lusk have been dynamically expanding fears arose that the situation can only get worse in the coming years. Commuting is not a solution. Rush needs more Secondary School places.

In our work in Dublin Rape Crisis Centre, we see the often life-long consequences of the trauma and harm caused by sexual violence of all kinds. We also know from our experience that some of this harm results from a lack of knowledge around how to engage in healthy intimate relationships. A 2018 survey conducted by the Irish Second Level Student Union revealed over 87.5% of students did not have regular Relationship or Sexuality Education. This means the majority of Irish students are not learning about sexual consent, gender diversity, sexual orientation, contraception, or sexual health. We believe our education system can do better, and that the Government has a responsibility to look after the social, emotional and sexual development of young people.